WaterBed – floating asylum for refugees from the urban bustle

June 23, 20182min read

Daniel Sod (Daniel Durnin), artist and designer from London, has created a “nomadic” floating asylum WaterBed, which may be coupled with the bike. This is a simple and very cheap cover on the water, by which Sod wants to return to the life of urban and suburban waterways. To give people the opportunity to relax in your own water, camping, being at one with nature – where the want.

“The WaterBed was inspired by nature and the network of urban canals, especially in London,” says Daniel Sod. “This idea can serve as a platform to restart our relationship with nature in which we live, but frequently overlooked”.

WaterBed offers a completely easy to turn country walks, camping and even Hiking if you want, inside a small house you can spend the night, and even paddle down a slow river.

“There is something magical when, after you travel off the bike, drained the WaterBed to the water and climb aboard. It’s so relaxing and soothing – immersion in the environment,” said Sod.

Being a designer in the field of furniture, Daniel Sod created the first prototype of the WaterBed with the use of wooden materials. He focused on simplicity and low cost, and also ensuring the minimum requirements for the comfort and ease of operation. Indeed, floating the structure on the presented photos does not seem complicated.

It has many Windows through which to observe the surrounding nature in at least three directions. If you want privacy, you can use curtains and awning. Move “safe haven” in the water only one person. To avoid being carried away by the current, it can be “docked” with the help of ropes.

With two wheels and mounts WaterBed can be towed by Bicycle. Its weight is close to 75 kg (165 lb), which, of course, more difficult trip, but in water this design feels stable and confident.

“As this is the first prototype WaterBed will probably be redesigned. In the meantime, I used the traditional methods of building ships,” said Sod. “I checked it in Oxfordshire in the summer, it was comfortable and exciting. It’s like sleeping in a tent, but you are on the water.”

With the help of WaterBed designer strive to inspire people to revisit the once-popular suburban hikes. He hopes that his “asylum” will become popular and reach commercial production. Sod also does not exclude that to give it to people for free self-modernization. In parallel, he is working second version of the WaterBed.