Bach in a box: The classic Kiwi bach gets a make-over
06 Nov 2007
The traditional Kiwi bach is being brought into the modern day.
Wellington design house Atelier Workshop has created a "port a bach"using a 6 metre shipping container which automatically unfolds into a 36 metre living space.
Inside the bach is a fold-down double bed, composting toilet, shower, kitchen and an option to have a further two bunks protruding from the end. The bach is power, water and sewer independent and is designed to have minimal impact on the environment.
The concept is the result five years work between French-Kiwi business partners, Cecile Bonnifait and William Gieson.
Gieson said the idea was inspired by his family’s small Northland bach and the desire to reclaim the original concept of an affordable New Zealand holiday home.
''The idea was to get back to basics. The concept of the bach is unique to New Zealand, it's simple and low-cost,'' he says.
''You don't have to spend millions to have a nice piece of architecture.''
The bach uses bamboo plywood and a glute-free composite from renewable resources. With solar panels, the structure could also be self-sustainable.
The structure can be easily refolded to create a secure unit for storage or for relocation.
At 6 metres long, the port-a-bach weighs four and a half tonnes and will set you back NZ$85,000.
Manufacturing will begin as soon as Atelier Workshop receives the first orders.
Background
Bach (pronounced ‘batch’) is the name given in New Zealand to small, often very modest holiday homes or beach houses. They are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the midst of the 20th century, where they symbolised the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class. In the southern part of New Zealand, the term 'crib' is also used.
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