photo by Paul McCredie
Architects Cecile Bonnifait and William Giesen of Atelierworkshop have recycled a used 20′ shipping container to create the Port-a-Bach. “Bach” is the New Zealand term for a small back-to-basics vacation cabin. The Port-a-Bach is a fully self-contained shelter for a family of four.
A 20′ container doesn’t offer much inside space, so Atelierworkshop designed it to expand outwards. One of the original long walls of the container folds down to become a deck running the length of the cabin, and revealing a second wall of glass doors behind. Opening up the container end doors allows a pair of bunkbeds to be folded down and supported by the open doors. The bunks can be enclosed with mosquito netting or tent canvas as conditions demand. Once the vacation is over, the deck and end doors can be closed up again to secure the cabin.
