As the apocalypse approaches, the inhabitants of the DistrictHive shrug their shoulders. Completely self-sufficient and free, the intelligent capsule, currently positioned in the dusty nowhere of the Spanish desert of Gorafe, supplies itself with energy and water. The clever minds behind the small design hotel: the Berlin interior design studio Atelier NOVONO.
Photos © Gonzalo Botet, Dani Guindo
“So intelligently divided and modularly designed that the DistrictHive also crosses the threshold to the future.”
Atelier Novono
Interior designer Nora von Nordenskjöld is the heart and driving force behind the Berlin interior design studio Atelier NOVONO. Since 2011, she has been responsible for several interior concepts, including numerous gastronomy concepts in Germany as well as various residences, lofts and country hideaways in all corners of the world. Atelier NOVONO’s passion: historic buildings and antique and classic modern furniture. novono.com
Dust and steppe – there’s not much else to see in the Spanish desert of Gorafe. At least so far, because the DistrictHive has added another attraction to the wasteland. The first self-sufficient capsule hotel is the brainchild of interior designer Nora von Nordenskjöld and Atelier NOVONO. Their task: to create a sustainable design object that can be replicated anywhere in the world. On just 35 square meters, the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom are so intelligently divided and modularly designed that the DistrictHive also crosses the threshold to the future. Stone, wood and glass were used as materials to perfectly integrate the futuristic home into nature and bring as much light into the interior as possible. No pipes, no sanitary facilities, no foundations: this means that the DistrictHive can be taken out of the desert at any time and inserted into any other environment. The fact that the Hive produces its own water from the air and electricity from solar energy, and also turns its waste into ash, makes the intelligent capsule completely autonomous.
