Mobile Living: Modern Shed – ‘The DW’ (Dwelling On Wheels) – “An Amazing Off-Grid Tiny Home”

Having provided customers with small backyard spaces for over two decades, Modern Shed has taken the next step in small space innovation. One that can be taken with you wherever you go. Introducing the DW (dwelling on wheels). This is more than a mobile shed on wheels.

Modern-Shed was born from builders and dreamers—idealists and pragmatic problem-solvers. The Modern Shed team was inspired to embark on a creative project in 2020–creating their first-ever portable dwelling. Drawing on their design/build expertise, the team created a beautiful, self-contained space big enough to call home, yet small enough to take anywhere: The Dwelling on Wheels –the DW– was born. A classic gable form creates a recognizable home, with wall-to-ceiling window placements maximizing landscape views and sunlight.

The Details

The resilient, low-maintenance envelope is contrasted by a bright and spacious wood interior and sustainable linoleum flooring. The DW offers room for three with a large bed–just a few inches short of a queen–tucked below a twin in the sleeping area. Thoughtfully designed, built-in storage accommodates small living while the glass wall orients the structure to capture the horizon in the living room.

With a solar array on the roof equipped with batteries, and a wood stove to provide warmth, the DW is equipped to be used off-grid. The dwelling comes with two electric wall heaters as a backup, and is ready to accommodate water tanks or a composting unit.

The DW exemplifies Modern-Shed’s values: creating beautiful dwellings efficiently, sustainably, and cleverly.

Website

Travel: ‘Montpellier In Southern France’ (Video)

Montpellier is a city in southern France, 10km inland from the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The town’s stately Gothic Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, distinguished by conical towers, dates to 1364. The city’s Antigone district is a chic, modern development inspired by neoclassical motifs. Paintings from French and European Old Masters hang at the Musée Fabre.

Interview: Fareed Zakaria – ‘Ten Lessons For A Post-Pandemic World’ (Video)

Fareed Zakaria of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” discussed his latest book “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.” The discussion covered the consequences of the pandemic and how COVID-19 could reshape the nation and the world, globalization and the digital age.

Video Profiles: French Architect & Designer Charlotte Perriand

In 1938 architect and designer Charlotte Perriand (1903-1999) designed a mountain shelter able to withstand the harsh elements of any mountaintop yet still light enough to be carried by hand.

The “Refuge Tonneau” (“barrel shelter”), her piece of nomadic architecture designed with Pierre Jeanneret, consists of just 12 main prefabricated panels light enough to be manually transported. Once on location, the panels lock together to resist wind, snow, and cold. The tiny barrel-shaped structure sleeps up to 10 people and while it was never constructed in Perriand’s lifetime it was just one of her many designs created for the masses.

In 1934, after 7 years working with Le Corbusier, Perriand began a five-year study of minimal shelters, like the prefab aluminum Bivouac refuge and the affordable, elegant prefab “House at the Water’s Edge”. Hoping to improve upon her easily-transportable, aluminum Bivouac shelter she found inspiration in the merry-go-round. Counting on the dodecagon shape’s ability to withstand strong centrifugal loads (and high winds), she made it the basis for her Refuge Tonneau.

All her tiny shelters were works of studied elimination. “Her mission was to eliminate anything unnecessary,” explains her daughter Pernette Perriand-Barsac, “but always to concentrate on the flow of light and air. Then you can live in the smallest of spaces.” Sébastien Cherruet gave us a tour of Perriand’s minimal structures and apartment design at the Louis Vuitton Foundation’s exhibit he curated: “Charlotte Perriand: Inventing a New World”.

Walking Tours: ‘La Jolla, San Diego, California’

La Jolla is a smart seaside area, known for its rugged coastline. Trails wind past pine trees and sandstone canyons in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, while the 2 courses at world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course sit atop sea cliffs. La Jolla Cove has sweeping ocean views, and the Shell Beach tide pools are home to anemones and crabs. Posh boutiques and waterfront restaurants dot walkable La Jolla Village. 

Foods: ‘Expert Beekeepers Harvesting Honey From Two Million Bees’ (Video)

Zach & Zoe Sweet Bee Farm owners Kam and Summer Johnson started keeping bees after learning how raw and local honey could benefit their son, who suffered with asthma and seasonal allergies. After studying how to best keep bees, harvest honey, and keep up their own bee farm, they were able to sell their local honey to restaurants around NYC, and even have a shop in Chelsea Market. https://zachandzoe.co/

Travel & Tourism: ‘Hong Kong’s Junk Boats’ (Video)

The Dukling, a traditional Chinese junk boat frequently spotted around Hong Kong’s picturesque Victoria Harbour, has readjusted its tour routes to survive the coronavirus pandemic, now mainly catering to locals.

Aerial Travel Video: ‘Seattle, Washington’

Seattle, a city on Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests, and contains thousands of acres of parkland. Washington State’s largest city, it’s home to a large tech industry, with Microsoft and Amazon headquartered in its metropolitan area. The futuristic Space Needle, a 1962 World’s Fair legacy, is its most iconic landmark. 

Politics: ‘The U.S. Elections Explained’ (Video)

Dr Thomas Gift, Visiting Fellow at the LSE United States Centre, provides explanation and commentary on some the key questions about government in America: what are the separate branches of government, their responsibilities, and how do they work (and not work) together?

Walking Tour: ‘Heidelberg – Southwestern Germany’

Heidelberg is a town on the Neckar River in southwestern Germany. It’s known for venerable Heidelberg University, founded in the 14th century. Gothic Heiliggeistkirche church towers over the cafe-lined Marktplatz, a town square in the Altstadt (Old Town). The red-sandstone ruins of Heidelberg Castle, a noted example of Renaissance architecture, stand on Königstuhl hill. 

Date recorded: September, 2020