Towards the end of the build I realised it needed to be a little more than just my personal hideout. I’m hoping to attract folks who will share the hideout with me, taking their broken stuff to fix, while making a fire inside or outside and having a tea or beer. I’ve added a website too, www.repaircave.com, inspired by the popular ‘Repair Cafes’ (where people go and repair broken things together). It’s in Dutch, but that’s much like English 😉
The site is about what’s happening in the Cave and through it I try to motivate people to repair and recycle and to use free stuff in a creative way. So far no one has come, but nevermind, it’s still my retreat too. And it’s still fresh, who knows what will come of it.
About the Repaircave; It’s built on the frame of an old foldout caravan that a friend of mine gave to me. I had vague plans about mobile things like saunas, forrest bathrooms, workshops, chill-out-zones, pizza ovens. During the build (most of 2012) it turned out to become a combination workshop/studio and retreat, with possibility to accomodate a guest. The ‘dirty’ tools (grinders, welder, etc.) cannot be used inside, the interior has become too nice for that. There was no real plan, but inspiration came from things like old sheep wagons and wooden boats.
The hull is made of relatively cheap pinewood (unfortunately not salvaged) and took shape on the fly. I’m very happy with the final result. Most of the interior is from recycled pallets and leftovers. The woodstove is made from a broken down compressor that was given to me and some second hand bits of stainless steel pipes. The stained glass windows were made by my mother, who started her own glass workshop, also in a wagon, but an original one.
The roof is a canvas roof, like they used to have on wooden decks, painted to waterproof with a linseed based paint. The whole thing is still mobile and handles very well when towed. I think it is even street legal(<750kg), but I don’t think I’ll be using it on the road a lot, although friends say I should be taking it to fetivals, selling vegan sandwiches from the pop-out side window. Maybe some other time.
Well I hope you like my design!
Best regards,
Wouter from Groningen, the Netherlands
