LUMIPOD, the small prefabricated curved cabin designed to connect with nature

The French company LUMICENE has designed ‘LUMIPOD’, a prefabricated module designed to offer urbanites an idyllic retreat in a cabin in the middle of nature. The concept behind the project aims to allow people to reconnect with natural landscapes, achieving this thanks to a large glass facade of 5 meters in diameter that can be opened to the outside.

The LUMIPOD plane is enclosed in a simple circle only 5.45 m in diameter. In this small space of 17 m2, everything you need for a short stay is projected, including a bedroom, a bathroom and a shower.

LUMIPOD is built around a LUMICENE® window. This new concept uses curved glass in aluminium frames sliding between two rails, allowing the interior space to be occasionally transformed into an outdoor space.

Closed, LUMIPOD is a comfortable cocoon but fully immersed in Nature.

In a single gesture, LUMIPOD eliminates the boundary between interior and exterior for an unforgetable experience.

With the installation of a curved LUMICENO window that occupies most of the space, the compact area aims to immerse visitors in nature. The curved glass is placed in aluminum frames that slide between two rails, allowing the interior space to open up to the exterior space.

Foundations

LUMIPOD‘s structure is positioned on 4 ‘light’ foundations. Depending on the type of soil different options are possible. We recommend screw piles as they minimize the impact on the installation site. Water and electricity connections are prepared prior to installation.

Structure

LUMIPOD‘s structure is made of steel to guarantee the level of rigidity required by the LUMICENE window. It consists of a frame placed on 4 foundation plots; a rear module integrating all the technical equipment and totally manufactured within the factory; a front module bolted on the rear module directly onsite. The curved exterior wall is wood frame and incorporates 20cm of rockwool, a protective rain sheeting on its outer face, and a moisture protection film on the interior layer. The roof and the floor are insulated with 8cm of polyurethane insulation panels and 15cm of rockwool.

Waterproofing is made using a Firestone EPDM membrane installed in the workshop. Water pipes are incorporated within the rear poles.

Exterior cladding

LUMIPOD is wrapped into a dark wood exterior cladding. But it offers an almost infinite choice of coverings to fit perfectly into its new decor.

Window

LUMIPOD is equipped with a 5m diameter LUMICENE window made of curved glass. It consists of curved panels sliding on a circular rail.
The aluminum profiles are with thermal breaks and all RAL colors are available.
By default the LUMICENE window comes with a 6FE(20)6 (Ug 1.1 W / m2K) curved double glazing. Other options are available depending on weather conditions, including triple glazing 6FE(12)4(12)6.
The window is equipped with 2 locks at each end. LUMICENE is entirely manufactured by the Saint-Gobain Group in a factory based in Chambéry, France.

Interior Design

LUMIPOD has been designed as a luxury hotel room … in the middle of nature. The full height wall cabinetry between bedroom and bathroom is made of in Natural oak timber veneer with a mat finish. It includes a wardrobe positioned to the right of the bed. The bed is like suspended, and integrated in a shallow niche. A curved rod allows to accommodate blackout curtains in front of the entire glass surface. The ceiling is made of wool felt panels and the floor of light oak with mat varnish. Door handles and joinery pulls are coming in anodized sanded black finish.

Bathroom

The bathroom is equipped with a toilet, a basin, a shower.
Axor fittings come with a chrome steel finish by

default, but other finishes are possible.
The floors and walls are covered with ceramic mosaic tiles.

Heating and cooling

By default, a Mitsubishi reversible air conditioning system is used to manage both heating and cooling requirements. A disbursement in the roof accommodates the outdoor unit. Other options are available.
LUMIPOD can for example be equipped with a wood burning stove if there are no cooling requirements in summer.
A CMV is positioned in the bathroom, and the water heater is integrated in the technical space in between wardrobe and toilets.

Water and electricity

In its current version, LUMIPOD has to be connected to electricity, water and wastewater networks.

Transport and installation

LUMIPOD has been designed to be compatible with both road and maritime transport. The installation is coordinated by our teams, sometimes relying on local companies depending on the installation site. A LUMIPOD is assembled within 2 to 3 days (except foundations and networks which will have been prepared upstream).

In addition to connecting people with nature, the LUMIPOD also tries to impact the landscape as little as possible. To this end, the unit is constructed from two modules resting on four piles of screws to minimize impact on site, and the exterior is clad in charred wood so as not to stand out in a natural setting.

Designed and currently manufactured in the French city of Lyon, the complete cabin can be assembled in 2 days and delivered anywhere in the world in less than 6 months.

The next challenge for the LUMICENE team is to design a completely “Off the Grid” version of the LUMIPOD exploring new technologies for the bathroom, which they hope to have ready by the end of 2020.

More information: www.lumi-pod.com

Summer is nearly over, but as long as the warm weather remains, the urge of running to a swimming pool has never been more appealing and Inspiration and Ideas brings to you 11 sun-kissing ideas brought to you from all around the world! These outdoor swimming pools are utter modern architecture creations that level up all your expectations when it comes to contemporary design in general.

Los Vilos House, Chile, by Cristián Boza

The late 20th-century retreat of architect Cristián Boza nestles into a cliffside in Chile that overlooks the South Pacific Ocean. One of its key features is its circular, stone swimming pool that slots into the hillside, which is accessed via an elevated bridge that extends from a roof terrace. For residents who prefer wild water swimming, a large staircase leads down from the top of the site to the oceanfront.

Island Mansion, Capri, by Boca do Lobo Studio

Boca Do Lobo studio brings to life a dream property in Capri, an exclusive island that leads to a millionaire three-story house with world-class interiors, an extensive sun deck, a private heliport, and an infinity pool, all surrounded by the crystalline blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The stunning pool is all covered with the Portuguese tile technique, a true feat of modern architecture.

Casa Xólotl, Mexico, by Punto Arquitectónico

This outdoor pool weaves in and out of the stone walls of Casa Xólotl, a Mexican house that Punto Arquitectónico renovated after finding it in a state of disrepair. The water is accessed by steps down from an outdoor living area or it can be enjoyed from an overhanging hammock. On one side of the pool, a waterfall feature has been incorporated within the doorway of the home’s former cistern.

Casa B, Malta, by Architrend Architecture

A rooftop swimming pool is the focal point of Casa B, a concrete house that Architrend Architecture has slotted within a traditional terrace in the seaside town in Malta. The pool is visible from street level through a glass side that is framed by a square concrete arch, while its glass-bottom allows residents to observe bathers from inside the home’s double-height entrance lobby.

Oak Pass House, USA, by Walker Workshop

This picturesque infinity pool stretches 22 meters along the edge of the roof terrace of a Californian home, which Walker Workshop has carved into a hillside in Beverly Hills. The pool sweeps beneath and reflects the bough of one of the biggest of 130 protected oak trees abutting the site, around which the entire house was designed.

Casa Monterry, Mexico, by Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando‘s Casa Monterry features a long, linear pool that juts out from its hillside setting to provide uninterrupted views of the Sierra Las Mitras mountains. Its minimalist appearance complements the modern architecture of the house behind it, which is composed of various horizontal and vertical concrete planes that appear to emerge from the landscape at different heights – including the poolside patio.

Canal House, USA, by Studio MK27

One of the most unusual private pools in our list belongs to Canal House in Miami Beach. The natural swimming pool takes the form of a lagoon within which residents can swim with fish. It measures 30 meters in length and is surrounded by vegetation to provide an “authentically manicured” natural

Jellyfish House, Spain, by Wiel Arets Architects

This large glass-bottomed pool cantilevers from the roof of the Jellyfish House in Marbella to offer clear views of the Mediterranean Sea over neighboring houses. It overhangs a semi-enclosed terrace adjacent to the entrance of the home, bathing it in rippling light projections and shadows of overhead swimmers. It also shares a glass wall with the first-floor kitchen to provide glimpses of bathers inside the house.

Villa Molli, Italy, by Lorenzo Guzzini

Architect Lorenzo Guzzini designed a minimalist infinity pool for this grey-stone villa in Italy, which helps to retain focus on the panoramic views of Lake Como. According to Guzzini, the pool “is not a mere cliche, but it has an architectural and symbolic function, uniting visually to the wild ‘aqua dulza’ of the lake“.

Ruckers Hill House, Australia, by Studio Bright

The elongated outdoor pool at Ruckers Hill House in Melbourne is designed to mimic a “colonnaded Roman bath”, lined with tall, white-brick walls inset with upturned arches. It was built by Studio Bright as part of its extension of an existing Edwardian-era home and is framed through a large glass window within an open-plan kitchen and dining room.

Panorama, Argentina, by Fernanda Marques

A 10-meter-long pool shares a thick glass wall with the double-height living area of this Argentinan apartment, resembling a giant aquarium. It was sewn into a narrow space in the apartment’s garden while Fernanda Marques was carrying out an interior renovation. It is accessible from either the home’s second floor or a statement folded stair in the garden.