How to make an alternative living more appealing to a younger demographic on the example of a mobile home.

Abstract

During my Master Thesis, I wanted to find out if a mobile home is suitable as a living situation, despite normal flats. As alternative against rising living and renting costs of flats in European- and North American cities.

While doing so a sub idea had to be solved as well. If a mobile home is suitable for living, how has an RV to perform and look to make this option more attractive to a younger generation with limited financial background.

For this idea a mobile home had to be bought. The interior was state of the 1970ies with limited access what a person nowadays would need. Considering a young persons needs the RV had to be stripped and partly to be redone. A big part was the sustainability and independence with such a home on wheels. To use this vehicle in nearly every situation and surroundings.

The remodelling of the interior is inspired by the Bauhaus and is done with the use of the three primary colours red, yellow and blue, using grey white and black as neutrals or highlights only.

The final stage of the project is the actual use of the mobile home, while travelling back from Berlin to Helsinki, crossing Denmark, Sweden and Norway to Finland, and explore how a person driving and living in a motorhome with a size of less than 16 sqm, comes with limitations. It has to be rearranged how a person lives, what resources are being used and what is luxury and what is a basic need. Those changes are set in mind very quickly and can be executed in different ways. A living in a recreational vehicle as a single or couple is possible, and the biggest challenge is the weather conditions and temperatures.

But considering the reduced living costs, the sized down carbon footprint, even though using a fossil fuel, less space, fewer belongings and a more considering lifestyle, the living, working and travelling in a motor home could be seen as a good alternative to a one room flat.