With a director who was willing to go along, Hank designed and outfitted the bus in a semester… and than took a 5000-mile trip to see how well his design actually worked. He and his grandfather had discussed the idea of building a cabin out of a bus for a piece of land the elder Butita owned, and Hank decided to make that kind of project his thesis. Hank Butita needed a final project for his Masters of Architecture program… fast. Bus Conversions through an Architect’s Eye The one downside: you wouldn’t have to be particularly tall for this set-up to be uncomfortable. From my tour, I remember an earth berm on the north side, a greenhouse on the south, and lots and lots of sheep’s wool insulation. Aubergine (pictured above) was the initial creation of Rabbit Liat, who moved, stripped, and repurposed the abandoned bus. My first live experience with bus conversions took place at Dancing Rabbit. Aubergine – a stationary bus conversion at Dancing Rabbit Bus Conversions: 8 Ways to Turn an Old Bus Into a Home 1.
Thinking about a bus conversion? If you’re not, you will be after checking out these examples of bus houses from around the world.
Either way, you’re a long way towards a viable living space with walls, windows, and roof already in place. If you decided to take on such a project, you may want to maintain the bus’ mobility, or you may want to remain stationary. Yep, buses make a lot of sense for living space, as they’re already structurally sound shelters… just ones also designed to move. And one of my favorite forms of this kind of reuse: bus conversions. That’s one of the reasons I love checking out tiny houses online, or even making a trip up to Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage: these folks are often taking things that already exist, and converting them – or, if you prefer, upcycling them – into living spaces. But if you were to watch the building of a green home, it probably doesn’t look a whole different from most new construction. The bathroom area has gold furnishings and a faux marble interior on the renovated bus.Could you live in an old school bus? Check out these awesome bus conversions for upcycling a junked vehicle into a living space.Īs I’ve heard from numerous builders in recent years, “green building” has largely just become “building”: incorporating efficiency features, renewable energy systems, and natural lighting and air flow elements just make sense. “We wanted to give the owner a really big kitchen because she said she likes to entertain people,” Manny said. The majority of the first floor is the bus’ kitchen. Interior photos of the first and second floors of the bus after renovations.Īrrows point to the benches in the renovated bus. The exterior and interior of the finished renovation. Their most recent project involved a vintage, 280-square-foot, double-decker bus originally from London.īefore and after a paint job on the exterior of the double-decker bus. You can see pictures of Hope and Manny’s amazing double-decker transformation below and do not forget to follow them on social media as well. The bus even has a tiny corner with a wood stove which is the fireplace that warms the entire place. The first floor of the bus hosts the living space, the kitchen, and the bathroom, and the top floor was reserved for the bedroom.
The interior of the mobile home was decorated in white with blue accents, combined with natural wooden elements which make everything more elegant. The couple even shares their adventures on the road on Instagram and TikTok where they have a large fanbase. The two spent seven months in 2020 renovating the bus and the results are truly stunning, as the interior looks incredible. The entire conversion project cost $32,000 and the 280-square-foot bus is now a cozy home that also comes with a lot of freedom and mobility. Hope and Manny Hernandez, convert buses into homes for a living and they recently transformed a 1957 double-decker and transform it into a tiny house. But what about living in a red double-decker bus? London’s double-decker buses are iconic, and everyone visiting the city wishes to take a ride on these special vehicles.