Inspired by the cosmos, Jupe is a prefab escape pod for the urban nomad

With the fifth planet in the solar system, Jupiter, as its namesake, the prefabricated, light weight structure designed for you to carry to and deploy at your next escapade to the wilds or your next camp site decidedly finds the roots for its design in the aesthetic of a number of modern science fiction representations. The shelter is designed as the ideal in-tow getaway for modern travellers seeking to escape from their busy, dense urban lives to natural avenues. Each Jupe unit is shipped as part of a chassis foundation that can be flat-packed to travel anywhere, irrespective of an electrical grid and the worry for electrical supply, and can be assembled in hours. The company announced the unit’s availability for pre-orders, starting at a small refundable amount of $99, with first deliveries scheduled in spring 2021.

Designed as a hybrid between a “cut diamond with angular edges” and an “interstellar shuttle”, Jupe’s structure is supported by interconnected aluminium masts, with its distinct geometric edges having incorporated illumination for the great outdoors, in line with its science fiction-cosmology inspired roots. A simple assemblage and chassis foundation make the shelter adaptable to the context of nearly any terrain or landscape that one might wander to.

According to the team of designers behind Jupe, the pod’s design merges utility and surface beauty, with every unit built to withstand the outdoors with resilience and endure age. Its linear yet undulating geometry lends it the impression of being cavernous while compact, with an actual ceiling height of 11 feet at its highest point. Totalling to 111 sq. ft. on ground, Jupe’s entirely aluminium framework is cloaked in fire resistant canvas, at once making it sturdy yet lightweight, adding a facelift to the conventional camping tents. The visually airy unit on the top is grounded with finished Baltic birchwood tile flooring, and beneath is where true engineering magic happens. Its modular chassis packs all the mechanical elements of a home into a flatpackable foundation block, containing all the wiring and electrical connections. The floors also impressively open up to individual storage cubes totalling 38.1 cubic feet of storage, enough space to store nearly ten large suitcases. The fenestrations in Jupe too are carefully planned to maximise avenues for natural lighting, viewing and ventilation. Along with two windows on either side, the unit’s front facing façade can open up into a single large panoramic window to enable residents inside to fully soak in the view in the midst of the natural environ they are residing in.

Each Jupe unit is planned to be a completely transportable and self-sustained short-term residential unit, coming with its solar panel and 200 Ah battery system, and a Wi-Fi route ensuring connectivity in the most remote locales. Jupe’s interiors are drawn up in slightly contrasting yet muted, warm desert tones that highlight its overall minimal aesthetic. Along with functionality, Jupe spends considerable thought on occupant comfort, housing a queen sized bed with Nectar mattresses, a designer desk with a chair, and an Ottoman. The units are capable of utilising their solar panels, battery and another panel system to power four power outlets and USB charging stations. A private Wi-Fi network and dimmable LED lighting are incorporated within the framework as optional facilities, while add-ons upon extra payment and modification to your original unit include a Sonos Move speaker with integrated Alexa, a lock safe, a cooler, and a small, extendable porch.

Jupe was developed by Jeff Wilson, a modular housing and design innovator and an expert in small and mobile spaces. With a passion for functional design, Wilson assembled a team of multidisciplinary experts from across the housing, architecture, and engineering industries. Its interiors were designed in collaboration with renowned boutique hotelier Liz Lambert and sustainable architecture expert and former head of social innovation at AirBnB, Cameron Sinclair. Jupe pushed out its first production unit out the door on December 21, 2020, the day of the ‘Great Conjunction’, wherein Jupiter appeared in the night sky closer to Saturn than it had in the last 400 years: an auspicious day by all means. Jupe units are now available for $99 pre-order at a starting price point of $17,500, fulfilling its first orders in early January of 2021 with mass production and deliveries starting in March of 2021.