The Sustainability of Minimum Space: Removable Off-Grid Architecture for Outdoor Tourism

Outdoor tourism represents a form of vacation immersed in nature, characterized by a pronounced seasonality linked to the summer season. In recent years, the sector has experienced significant growth due to introducing a hybrid housing system known as the maxi-caravan, produced industrially. This housing unit is considered an ideal solution due to its removable nature, portability, and comfort. The growing ecological awareness and the expanding market for this product require an enhancement of interior spaces to make the mobile unit more efficient in terms of environmental and spatial comfort and flexibility. This article proposes a maxi-caravan project designed for year-round use, characterized by innovative experimentation for interior spaces. Beginning with a study on ergonomic principles, the research explores the debate on rationalist and metabolist minimal living. The study identifies a multifunctional internal organization through versatile spaces. Regarding the mobile unit's sustainability, an off-grid plant systems are proposed. The project’s envelope, combined with the technical systems, allows the maxi-caravan to be used year-round. The sustainability of the maxi-caravan extends beyond materials, assembly, maintenance, and disposal, aiming to become resource-independent. Furthermore, the project aims to reconcile the paradigm of outdoor living with a high level of comfort, creating internal environments that surpass traditional camper and trailer standards. The research distinguishes itself by developing a specific methodology for studying minimal spaces within the maxi-caravan. The research combines literature reviews with empirical approaches, providing methods applicable to a comfortable and off-grid mobile unit resulting from collaboration between researchers and industrial producers.