In architecture school I was tired of drawing buildings that would never exist, for clients that were imaginary, and with details I didn’t fully understand. I prefer to work with my hands, exploring details thoroughly, and enjoy working/prototyping at full scale. So for my Masters Final Project I decided to buy a school bus and convert it into a tiny living space. This was only possible because I was fortunate enough to have an instructor, , who encourages working at full scale, and allowed me take on such an ambitious and unorthodox project.
The bus was purchased on Craigslist for $3000, and has had about $6000 in improvements. It’s not pocket change, but it’s less than a down payment on a home, and it’s less than I paid in tuition for my last semester of grad school. The majority of the work was completed in 15 weeks, just in time for my final review (although the first seven weeks were almost entirely design and prototyping, with the bulk of the construction completed in the last month and a half of the semester).
It’s not an original premise, but I don’t feel the opportunities have been explored very thoroughly and I wanted to show people the the potential in converting an existing vehicle.
I also thought it was important to demonstrate the value of full scale iteration in architectural education. There are too many architecture students who don’t understand basic physical limitations of materials or how they can be joined. This project was a way to show how building a small structure with simple detailing can be more valuable than drawing a complex project that is theoretical and poorly understood. I think we need more making in architecture!
There are some great shots of the bus in the
that document our journey, but the full extent of functionality and flexibility isn’t apparent from just those images. This gallery elaborates on how the space is organized to create an environment that is comfortable, functional, and flexible.
The even spacing of the window bays allow for the volume to be broken down into modular units of 28 inches square, leaving an aisle that is also 28 inches wide. The modular units are then grouped to create four primary zones: Bathroom, Kitchen, Seating, and Sleeping.
One of the primary goals during the design phase was to develop a living space in 225sqft that is as open and un-restricting as possible. In order to accomplish this, I set self-imposed guidelines that eliminated any furniture or structure above the bottom edge of the window. This allows the space to remain continuous, and maintains clear sight-lines from one end of the space to the other, even while seated. In order to accomplish this I developed a thin wall system integrating structure, insulation, electrical, lighting, and facing, leaving the interior open for occupation. The ceiling is covered in plywood flexed by compression, and the floor is reclaimed gym flooring, complete with 3-point line.
The windows also contribute greatly to the open feeling in such a small space. Many bus conversions cover a majority of the windows to aid in privacy and insulation. This results in a dramatic reduction in natural lighting and obscures the fantastic panoramic views, not to mention compromising the embedded energy of the windows already in place. In order to mitigate issues of privacy and insulation, drop-down translucent insulation panels were built into the lower walls, and can be raised into place with the aid of magnets. Additionally, two skylights are placed where emergency hatches once sat, bringing a fantastic amount of light into the space.
The space is lit simply by LED strip lighting, hidden in the reveal where the ceiling meets the wall. The lights are switched by zone, and are of course dim-able to achieve the proper mood.
In order to help remove the inhabitant from the reminders and connotations of its former life as a school bus, entry into the space is reoriented to the rear. Upon entering the space, the occupant first encounters the bathroom. In this zone, one side of the aisle is walled off to enclose the toilet. This space currently houses a yet-to-be-used portable toilet, but will hopefully be replaced by a plumbed toilet in the coming years. The opposing side of the aisle is unoccupied, and is currently serving as overflow storage.
The kitchen occupies two window bays, and currently features a foot-pump sink as it’s only true utility. There are plans for one of the bays to become a chest fridge, and for a gas cooktop to be installed, but for now we are surviving using a cooler and a portable propane stove. The cabinet frames are fully assembled, but the planned drawers and faces have yet to be constructed. For now they maintain a stripped-down aesthetic and storage bins are used to hold goods and supplies.
The seating space is one of the most versatile, and as it occupies four bays, it is also the largest. In it’s neutral state, the zone features four large seats on either side of the aisle. The two seats nearest the kitchen occupy the space over the wheel wells, and as such have no storage underneath. However the faces of these seats fold out into the aisle to create a platform that can be covered with neighboring cushions to create a queen-sized sleeping area. The next seat down on either side of the aisle can be raised or lowered to create a table surface for eating or working. This allows for up to four people to have table space without having to climb over each other. The final seat features a large lockable storage bay underneath. The flexibility of this zone allows it to accommodate a large number of conditions and situations.
The sleeping space is comprised of two narrow beds, of equal width, on either side of the aisle. There are drawers beneath each each bed, deep storage underneath the mattresses, and built-in shelves facing the seating area. In order to accommodate varied sleeping arrangements, the port-side bed rolls into the center aisle, creating a queen-sized sleeping area, with a third mattress revealed in the vacated space. This allows for a total sleeping capacity of up to six adults.
The cabin of the bus almost entirely untouched, except for the rats nest of wires from the added electrical systems. The cabin can be separated from the living space by a sliding door panel, which is left open while on the road to communicate with the driver.
As a whole these elements come together to form the ultimate road trip vehicle, if not yet a fully livable space. I’m looking forward to pushing this project further, continuing to build out the necessary systems and modifying the elements that need more iteration, in order to better understand living in tiny spaces, and expand discussion about living small.
In August of 2013 we embarked on a 5,000 mile journey and documented our travels. You can read about and see photos of our experiences by checking out our .
Your conversion looks very interesting! Look forward to meeting you and touring the bus on your journey through Kansas City.Remain calm at all times. There may be lots of frightened, desperate people wandering in the aftermath of a breakdown of the social order: this is the greatest danger of all. Do not give in to panic -- it impairs rational thinking and adds to the overall chaos.
Make sure that the social order really has broken down, rather than some local disturbance, such as a riot, uprising, or strike.
If you have access to media, check local radio and television news stations, or dial to an emergency station. The government, if communications systems are still functional, should be broadcasting emergency information alerting its citizens of the danger.
Remember: a social breakdown is not caused by a specific disaster, but arises out of the actions of individual people
Take measure of your overall surroundings.
Ask yourself: What resources do I have access to? What do I need? Where do I go to get what I need? What don't I need? A clear list of essentials is vital to making a solid survival plan.
Consider storing 2 weeks to 3 months supply of items that will make your life easier during a period of social breakdown. If you are stockpiling supplies, you may not want to make it publicly known. You don't want everyone converting your house into the new local grocery store.
Warm clothing is essential if you live in a climate where it gets cold. Electricity and natural gas may become unavailable for weeks. Have good coats, warm blankets sleeping bags, winter boots, gloves, hats, etc.
Water: If you can stay warm your next essential will be drinking water. The water pressure may fail for any number of reasons. Of course, your hot water heater is one source of drinking water but it may be filled with sediment. Consider storing water in food grade containers in case of an emergency. 5 gallon (18.9 L) containers can be moved if needed. 55 gallon (208.2 L) barrels are great but impossible to move in an emergency. Store 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water per person per day. A family of 4 will need at least 120 gallons (454.2 L) to survive 30 days.
Sanitation: You're warm and have plenty to drink. The next essential is keeping clean or sickness will quickly become devastating. If there is no water pressure, the toilet can be flushed by dumping a gallon of water into the bowl after use. Try to use old dish washing or bathing water. Don't waste your drinking water. If there is no no water or functioning sewer establish a latrine or a waste bucket far from sleeping eating and living areas. Use a bit of that drinking water to wash hands. It is worth it to stay healthy.
Defense: Often, in social breakdown, there are people who may be very dangerous and violent due to the lack of law enforcement. One must defend what resources they have from theft. During the 1992 Los Angeles riots, Korean business owners were able to defend their businesses with firearms from being looted and burned by rioters. Owning a weapon and sufficient ammunition may be critical for survival. Also, one must know how to maintain and use the weapon in case a situation might arise. Just make sure that the weapon is legal and if applicable, registered.
Consolidate your immediate support networks: friends, close coworkers, family, and neighbors.
N it is crucial to remain connected to a community if one is to survive a breakdown of government. Make sure that your loved ones are safe by keeping them close by.
Venture out to procure your needed supplies.
Be aware: in the immediate aftermath of a disastrous breakdown of the social order, if you are in an urban area, there will likely be many, many people looking for the same thing. Looting will be rampant and widespread, and in the chaos, you may not be able to reach your ideal supply centers.
Have contingencies in mind: cast your net wide, but locally. Do not venture too far from your base of operations in search of needed supplies, and if other people are willing to fight you for it, back away. The key is to be adaptable and to survive.
Having secured your supplies, it will be time to consolidate things back at home. This will call for you to become an effective leader: oftentimes even a well-prepared group can break down due to internal tensions.
Keep a level head and try to be fair and impartial in dealing with difficult or stressful situations between people.
You will all be under a great deal of stress: try to encourage stress-relieving activities, such as plenty of exercise, board games and puzzles, reading, and investing time in learning useful practical skills.
Delegate resources efficiently and according to need. Although some will obviously want special treatment, remember to keep in mind that your resources are limited. If necessary, use triage.
Give everyone a useful task. Idle hands are the devil's plaything.
Resolve arguments before they can occur. If you sense tension or anxiety growing between two people, try to get the issue out into the open before it can turn into a potentially deadly confrontation.
If conflicts are unavoidable, try first negotiating a compromise: speak to each person involved on a personal basis -- don't try to be a dictator. Calm spirits by speaking in a firm, but soothing tone. If the situation continues to degenerate, get friendly, neutral parties to restrain the combatants.
Having created your small community, secured a supply of resources, and taken charge of its leadership, you will be well prepared to wait out the social breakdown until the rule of law is restored.
If it is truly catastrophic, resulting in national destruction and a regression of civilization, you will need to take further steps to ensure that your community becomes the nucleus for the rebirth of society.
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The worst case scenario is one in which the whole of society breaks down, irreparably, and retrogresses into a new Dark Age. In this case, the little band that you've drawn together will not be enough to make it alone: it will still be drawing upon what supplies it can scavenge from the area around, and those will dwindle in the following weeks.
You will need to forge your community into an effective micro-society, self-sufficient in all respects, in order to begin rebuilding civilization from the ashes.
For this, urban survival will not nearly be sufficient. Most urban areas do not have enough fertile land to support gardens and agriculture that can feed even a modest community. You will need to branch out from your safe shelter to the countryside.
Take steps to ensure that you maintain the knowledge of the past society, or, at the very least, preserve the seeds for a future Renaissance. Invest time in educating the future generations. Preserve useful books, such as those on medicine, engineering, agriculture, mathematics, philosophy, literature, and the sciences.
Resist the urge to conquer competing nearby tribes. Collaboration is a must, else, it may doom yourself and future generations to hundreds of years of endemic tribal warfare. Exhaust all other diplomatic options before deciding upon the use of force.
Keep in mind the long-term future goals. Assess your current situation and try to envision the current level of economic activity extended fifty or a hundred years hence. Remember: rebuilding society's former glory is your goal - hence, invest in cottage industries and infrastructure that can later expand.
Choose an effective, efficient form of government for your given culture and its needs. Do not press heedlessly to a single ideological dogma. Be flexible.
Remember to have a sufficient amount of weapons and ammunition (hunting bows, hunting rifles, pistols, and pepper spray for personal defense against wild animals or violent persons) to support yourself and others. Though you may never use them it is better to have them and not need them than to not have them at all.
Get hand tools in case the power is gone, rendering electric tools useless (For example, hand saws, hand drill, hand planes, and hammers).
Don' do not risk your life needlessly
Devote your leisure time to learning useful skills, such as carpentry, archery, mechanics, mathematics, plumbing, engineering, medical, or agriculture
Remain in communication with community leaders and local authorities
Wear comfortable clothes
Have some cash on hand as ATM machines may empty quickly.
"From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" may be a tired slogan, but it is essentially practical in this situation.
Have access to a stockpile of supplies, such as first-aid, batteries, and food
R get plenty of fresh, clean water
Try to acquire enough medication and medical supplies, at least 6 months worth if possible, try to get 4-6 times the first-aid supplies for your family as you would normally have on hand.
Disease will be extremely dangerous in the anarchy, with restricted access to medical supplies and medical professionals: be extremely cautious, as even a slipped disk, broken limb, or pulled muscle or tendon can be life threatening. Learn first aid and consult medical manuals if possible.
The human body can survive at least a week without food, but less than three days without water. A good, clean water supply is crucial.
Stay away from armed people or people who seem to be behaving erratically: the most dangerous animal on earth is the human being.
If you engage in illegal activities like looting, you may be held accountable by law enforcement if order returns
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