BLUEPRINTS FOR A NOMADIC LIFESTYLE

Urban Nomad Inspiration 2

INSPIRATION
In the late 1940s a young design student in Chicago named Ken
Isaacs was confronted by a serious shelter problem. Needing
housing for himself and his new wife as well as enough space to
carry out his work but just barely able to afford a tiny two-room
city apartment, Isaacs needed a way to get more practical use
from limited space. With a leap of imagination that anticipated
the Lofting movement that would come some time later, he de-
vised a novel home-made structure of bolt-together wooden parts
which organized the one main room of his apartment into a
two level set of small stacked spaces of specialized function, ex-
ploiting the full volume of the limited room space. This Living
Structure, as Isaacs came to call it, combined lounge, office/study,
bedroom and storage all into its one cubical frame structure, its furnish-
ings all integrated and made from the same modular bolted-together
2x2 sticks and simple sheets of press-board. It was like a whole home
intergated into a single piece of home-made furniture which could be
spontaneously adapted to its inhabitants changing needs by
simply rearranging its parts. This immediately drew the atten-
tion of other designers and was soon featured in a number of
magazine article. Intrigued by the versatility of this structure,
Isaacs was soon obsessed with adapting the concept to an in-
finite diversity of uses, evolving it into a standardized system
of modular building he called Matrix which anyone could use
to build just about anything. Thus was formed one of the key
foundations for a brief but remarkable design movement that
would eventually be known as the Urban Nomad movement.
Urban Nomad Inspiration 3
Isaacs spent decades spreading the word about Living Structures and the light living

OPEN SOURCE
philosophy they embodied through seminars, articles, and courses conducted in design
schools around the US. Simultaneously, he and his followers continued to experiment
with an increasing diversity of applications, culminating in the development of what
Isaacs referred to as Microhouses; tiny simple buildings based on a stressed-skin ply-
wood structure and using an external support structure based on galvanized steel pipe
joined with modular pipe-fittings. (such as today’s Kee Klamp products) The applica-
tion of free-standing housing seems to have pushed the practical limits of the Matrix
technology. Isaacs succeeded in creating a variety of very interesting structures but he
was never able to devise any systems of weatherproofing which could withstand any
extremes of climate or last for long periods. Likewise, his volumetric use of space
tended to create habitats that would be fairly useless for the elderly or the disabled.
Isaacs apparently did not consider this a setback. He intended Microhouses for a no-
madic youth culture, not as anything which might compete with conventional housing.

The Urban Nomads were not designing static artifacts

for their aesthetic value or novelty but rather were culti-
vating a new kind of vernacular technology -a system of
DIY fabrication which could be freely employed by any-
one with simple tools and materials. So when they shared
the results of their design efforts it was in the manner of
sharing DIY instructions, not objects. In essence, these
people were the Open Source programmers of their day.
Urban Nomad Inspiration 4

THE
URBAN
NOMAD
The Urban Nomads were a scattered community of young designers who
shared a common image of an emerging highly mobile and very sophisticat-
ed youth culture which sought liberty through simple technologies of self-
sufficiency. It wasn’t a ‘back to the earth’ ideology based on recreating an
agrarian lifestyle. It was about living light for the sake of mobility with a re-
liance on self-made artifacts made from common materials and industrial
cast-offs for the sake of economy and efficiency, the off-the-shelf products
of the consumer culture simply being impractical -too expensive, cumber-
some, inefficient in their use of materials and space- for a nomadic lifestyle.
Urban Nomad Contemporary Context 5

WHAT IS HOME?
Urban Nomad Contemporary Context 6

YURT

Perhaps one of the most widely

known semi-permanent structures
is the Mongolian Yurt, or Ger. Such
structures are built using a basic
trellis structure covered in felt for
insulation and weather-proof can-
vas. They are transported on horse-
back, and vary in size from eight
feet in diameter upwards. They are
large enough for whole families to
live inside comfortably, and are sub-
stitutes for brick and mortar homes.
Yurts have proven their dynamism
through hundreds of years of test-
ing, and are made from entirely re-
cyclable and sustainable materials.
Urban Nomad Contemporary Context 7

COMPACT
Compact Living is a key element of Nomadism. In order to
carry your life around, your life must be more condensed.
Items carried are neccessities, and hence the space required
to live is lessened, more compact and ultimately, more por-
table. Indeed, for some, compact spaces are sometimes a nec-
cessity in themselves. Air Hostesses need rest quarters on long
haul flights, and enjoy an arrangement similar to a Japanese
pod hotel. Workers and researchers in harsh environments
(such as the antarctic) require structures that can withstand
the weather conditions, and these tend to be small, such as
the green pod here. Even entrepeneurs are making the most
of compact spaces. Left, a hotel room built inside a large
sewer pipe provides a compact and private space for guests.
Urban Nomad Contemporary Contect 8

PORTABILITY
Items must be chosen in terms of portability. This is a combination of both compact and
lightweight items. Often, as with the bed to the left, the construction of an item is such that
it may be packed into a small size during transportation, but can then be expanded for
use. Below, a trolley system is used to aid the portability of larger items for an individual.
Urban Nomad Contemporary Context 9

MATERIALS
Choice of material is crucial. In 1963, the director of
Heineken designed a bottle that, after use, could be
used as a building brick. Sadly, the idea was never re-
leased into the public realm, but the concept could have
changed the way we recycle goods. Innovative use of
materials, recycled or otherwise, can help the urban no-
mad to maximize usibility, durability and packability.
Urban Nomad Contemporary Context 10

MULTI-USE
One way of reducing the weight, quantitiy and dynamics of items is to
ensure that items have more than one possible use. A fine example of this
is origami, where one square of paper can form any of thousands of dif-
ferent models. Shown here is the art of Furoshiki, where a single square
of fabric utilised in various ways in order to wrap and carry objects of all
different shapes and sizes. After use, the fabric is simply untied and un-
folded back into a square, ready for another use. If this concept could be
adopted more widely, luggage could hold an entirely different meaning.
 Urban Nomad Specification 11
SPECIFICATION

It is my belief that a nomadic home built for the urban environment must fulfil the following specifications:

It must be tranportable on foot, by one person, and hence must weigh no more than 25kg (based on EU regulations for load carrying in the workplace).

One person must be able to contruct it up alone.

It must be large enough for two people to move freely inside

It must be inconspicuous in an urban landscape

It must be adaptable, and make use of forgotten spaces such as corners or rooftops.

It must be usable on an everyday basis, and hence must provide the means for basic needs such as cooking, washing, hygeine etc.

It must provide a private space.

It must be realtively cheap, so as to appeal to the target age range of 18-35 year olds.

It must be fairly sustainable in its construction, and have a small carbon footprint; it must touch the earth lightly.
Urban Nomad Concept 12

INITIAL CONCEPT
Designed to fit into corners and other unusual spaces, this shelter has multiple configurations,
ranging from a simple tube, a tent-like ridgeline shelter, or this wedge like tetrahedron. The
habitant would sleep toward the low end of the shelter, and work, cook and relax in the por-
tion with maximum headroom. The structure, made from a strong but light nylon could have
an insert, as visualised to the right, which could contain pockets, hanging rails or insulation
depending on the users needs. The structure needs no internal support, only a single tie off
onto another structure, such as a nearby building or mast. If such a structure is not available,
a single pole could be used as support. The shape of the shelter is not only structurally strong
but would also deflect wind or adverse weather condtions with ease. The upper plane would
be perfect for solar panels, mounted on the fabric, to gain maximum exposure to sunlight.
Urban Nomad Concept 13

CONCEPT MODEL
A scale model of the nomadic shelter concept sketched previously. The centre image shows
a configuration in which, still with only one fixing point, the shelter is able to have both
front and back areas raised, with the front open to the environment. The shelter fits neatly
into the corner space, with a protected rear entrance. The uppermost triangular plane of
fabric could be used to harvest rainwater, hence providing the shelter with a water-source.
Urban Nomad Concept 14

PROTOTYPE
A full-scale prototpe, shown here situated on a rooftop sourcing power from a wind
turbine. Rooftops serve the purposes of an Urban Nomad well, as they are largely
unused spaces, and tend to be of some size. Not only this, but they are by default
situated off the streets, and hence are sheltered from the problems one might en-
counter residing on the street. However, rooftop situations are not as sheltered from
the weather, which (especially with this type of shelter) could prove problematic.
Urban Nomad Concept 15

The exterior shape of this shelter defines the zoning of the internal space. At one end, the shelter is low
and wide; a perfect sleeping space. In the middle, the shelter is of medium width and tall enough to sit; a
workspace, then. Further toward the entrance, although narrower, the shelter is tall enough to stand ful-
ly; an entrance hall or showering area. Nearest the door one may sit or stand, though the space is only
wide enough for one. This space may be used for general seating or perhaps a hygeine area. The central
spine allows for items such as lamps to be fastened to the structure of the tent, and a variety of inner shells
could be designed to suit the needs of each individual user, and to further differentiate zones within the tent.

INTERNAL SPACE
 Urban Nomad Communications 16

COMMUNICATIONS A code system designed to assist Urban Nomads in sharing knowledge of their habitats with
other Nomads. The code is decifered in the image to the left, while the linked image below will
take you to a digital version of how the code might be used. Essentially, the white area is E-Paper,
a digital screen with qualities much like paper. These will have an adhesive backing, and a chip
allowing them to be wirelessly updated. Nomads will upload information about sites using their
phone or over the internet, and the site host will then update the relevant information on the
e-sticker, which will be stuck on a lampost or suchlike at the location in question. All a user need
do is look at the sticker, and navigate its various screens to determine the suitability of a site.

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Urban Nomad Initial Aids 17

TOO
MUCH/
ENOUGH
A set of aids designed to help an individual condense their
possessions into only the most necessary items, hence en-
abling them to become more nomadic, more easily. The
‘Too Much’ bin bags will display the message until all of
the bags have been used (although the contents would hope-
fully be recycled, not thrown away). The ‘Enough’ boxes
would come as a set, with different sized boxes for differ-
ent sets of things. The box shown here is designed to con-
tain just the right amount of clothing for one person. No
more, no less. When the box is sufficiently full, the message,
‘Enough’, becomes apparent. Less want means less need,
which in turn means one needs less money, hence one can
work less and have more time for the important things in life.
Urban Nomad Catalyst 18

STIMULUS
HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE
HERE

HERE HERE

As with any social movement, there must be some cat-

alyst. In many cases, the roots of a movement can be
traced back to a particular book or speech that inspired

THE NOMAD LECTURES
A LECTURE SERIES SEEKING TO REDEFINE HOME
12 - 18th JULY AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS
people to act. With this in mind, this poster advertises a
series of lectures, ‘The Nomad Lectures’, which travel
(nomadically) across a city. Each location means a new
speaker, and each speaker covers a different topic that
is of concern to someone seeking a more nomadic
lifestyle. With any luck, this set of lectures will mark
the beginning of a new Urban Nomadic movement.