Going wild in the eco-way

Philip Crewe is the designer behind Rural Space, a revolutionary temporary living space which promises to transform British tourism

Rural Space | Photo courtesy of Philip Crewe

Comfy as a hotel and environment friendly as a tent, Rural Space is an innovative design for a temporary living space that Philip Crewe conceived some years ago to enter a design competition for a company called DesignHUB. Even if he won that competition, his idea never materialized and it has remain a concept ever since.

“I grew up on the Isle of Wight, where tourism is the main industry, so I felt I knew quite a lot about the subject”, says Crewe, whose design was inspired by the British countryside. Having so many heritage-listed sites and national parks in Britain, the restrictions to what is built and where are very tight. “Minimum impact design means it can be put in places traditional houses can’t, by being a temporary structure it avoids much of the greenbelt and national park planning regulations” claims Philip. 

Rural Space was an investigation into creating a temporary living space to help rejuvenate British tourism. When Philip Crewe was designing it he clearly had seasonal holidaymakers, festival-goers and school trips in his mind. The designer affirms that “Rural Space is built and maintained using traditional rural craftsmanship, and made out of sustainable, locally sourced materials such as beech and ash trees”. 

Philip Crewe | Photo: courtesy of P. Crewe

The tower is self-sufficient. Philip explains that “energy comes from a turbine and solar panels, whilst solar water heaters provide warm water for the shower. The toilet is a compost type toilet, which doesn’t require a flush. Runoff tanks for the shower and cesspit for the compost toilet are buried in the ground under the floor, or could be connected to temporary surface tanks”.


A graduate from Coventry University with a degree in Transport and Product Design, Crewe currently does freelance design and works at the design technology department of a school. “Well, I guess I try to be an eco-person, although I do have to drive a car to get to the school I work in, as the buses don’t run at the right times” says Philip. His pangs of conscience about using the car make him seem like an authentic eco-person. “I think most designers have been quietly working ‘eco-ness’ into their designs for years”, affirms Philip.

Rural Space | Photo courtesy of P. Crewe

For Philip, one of the main advantages of this design is that it can be easily transported from one place to the other. “The building is designed to come apart so it can be taken down and stored during the winter, or moved to a new location” says Philip. Taking into account how lively and ageless the summer festival season in Britain is, Crewe’s design could be a perfect solution for those who want more comfort than a tent, but still want to be part of the action. “The ability to open up the walls and admire the view connects the user with the countryside; this is a key selling point over a traditional hostel or holiday cottage”, says Philip, “when people visit the countryside they want to be in the countryside, admire the views, smell the air, etc”. The building is split up into four sections, so the whole thing can be loaded onto one truck.

To the date the designer has no record of his project, Rural Space, having been built. Nevertheless, now that being eco-friendly is in vogue, it will most likely not be long until the British landscape is packed with this inventive creation.