The Caravan Club unveils the 'Caravan of the Future'
For immediate release: Saturday 17th February 2007
The Future is Here, and it is called Cargo S…
The Caravan Club, which celebrates its Centenary this year, is unveiling the prototype of the winning vehicle in the Caravan of the Future – Design Concept Competition. The grand public unveiling will take place at the National Boat, Caravan and Outdoor Show at the NEC at midday on Saturday 17th February.
In 2005, Europe's premier touring club, The Caravan Club, invited designers, engineers, caravan fans and enthusiasts to enter this unique competition. The response was fantastic with people from all walks of life submitting designs of their interpretation of the Caravan of the Future. The designs took into consideration the changing ways in which we enjoy our leisure time and the new technologies and materials at our disposal.
Over 300 people submitted entries, and it was indeed a diverse mix. The Club received entries from individuals, teams, caravanners, design students, schools, architects, interior designers and even one from a six-year old. The standard was incredibly high and showed great thought and detail. Some included detailed technical specifications, models and video animations. One entry, which took the old saying at face value, arrived on the back of an envelope! Two of the entries also had poems accompanying them.
The judging panel comprised: The Caravan Club's Technical Committee Chairman, Ted Holt; renowned designer, Wayne Hemingway; The National Caravan Council's former Director General, Graham Beacom; Professor Robert Kronenburg who holds the Chair of Architecture at Liverpool University; and Jason Rowe, Chief Materials Engineer from Lotus Engineering. Due to the high standard of entries, the judges had a hard task in deciding the overall winner. But, after much deliberation, they all agreed on the winning design which has been made into a prototype.
The winners of the competition are Bristol-based design collaboration duo Paul Burchill – (Stride Treglown architects), and Hervé Delaby – a freelance industrial and interior designer. Their winning design, the Cargo S, is stylish, modern and displays carefully thought-out elements to enable users to make the most of their caravanning holidays.
Paul Burchill designed the futuristic yet highly functional interior of the Cargo S, and Hervé Delaby designed the innovative and eye-catching exterior of the vehicle. The design duo shared the first prize of £20,000, presented to them by Ted Holt from The Caravan Club.
The prototype of Cargo S was built by Bailey of Bristol. Bailey is currently the UK's best selling caravan brand, and accounts for one in three new caravan sales. The company also already has experience of working with The Caravan Club on special design projects, having recently produced their bespoke Practical Caravanning Courses fleet units.
Company Director Nigel Mattfield, who has been overseeing the build process, commented, "We've been delighted to be involved in this project for The Caravan Club, as it has really allowed us to push the boundaries in terms of caravan prototyping and construction techniques."
The caravanning industry is at the centre of one of the UK's greatest manufacturing success stories. Ninety percent of caravans sold in the UK are UK made and touring holidays are one of the fastest growing leisure pursuits in the country. One and a half million people actively participate in caravan or motor caravan holidays each year.Ted Holt, Vice Chairman of The Caravan Club and Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee stated, "New technology, materials and concepts are continually emerging and environmental issues are playing an increasing role in the way people enjoy their leisure time. With Club membership increasing year on year, it is an exciting time to launch this prototype. We were delighted to receive so many entries of such a high calibre; some of the designs were truly inspirational."
For further information please contact The Caravan Club Press Office on 01342 336797 or 01342 336768, or email press@caravanclub.co.uk or visit www.tcc100.co.uk
Note to Editors
- Fourteen other entrants were awarded cash prizes for exceptional competition submissions or elements of design thought to be noteworthy
- A DVD featuring a selection of the entries will be shown at the NEC from 17-25 February
- Pupils from Heathbrook Primary School in London, and Tiverton High School in Devon, were awarded special merit prizes and will be attending on 17th February
- As Europe's premier touring organisation, The Caravan Club represents the interests of nearly 1 million caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tent owners. For more information visit The Club's award-winning website at www.caravanclub.co.uk
Quotes from Hervé Delaby and Paul Burchill, winners of the Caravan of the Future Design Concept Competition:-
Paul Burchill
"I am really pleased to be a winner for this exciting design concept competition – 'The Caravan of the Future' – with our entry; Cargo S."This follows on from a collection of achievements which include appearing in a film with Johnny Depp, exhibiting my work at the Royal West of England Academy and the Architecture Centre, having my works reviewed in the Designers Journal and attaining an Art scholarship."
Hervé Delaby
The inspirational sources of Cargo S (outer concept, closed and extended)
"I dedicate my outer design to my parents, my father who gave me an opening on this world of extraordinary machines which are aircraft and my mother who is as creative as me."
"Je dédicace le concept extérieur de Cargo S à mes parents; mon père Serge qui m'a donné l'opportunité de connaître le monde de ces machines extraordinaires que sont les avions et ma mère Josiane qui est aussi créative que moi."
"When I started working on the outer concept, I read the brief many times and carefully, I loved the idea of the extension to supplement the volume of the living space, and also the familial purpose."
Rationale for selecting the winning entry of The Caravan Club Design Concept Competition ‘Caravan of the Future'
The entries were considered by five members of the Caravan Club's Technical committee to ensure that they conformed to the design brief and to identify technical innovation.
Each judge, working individually, then considered the total entry and produced a shortlist of between 20 and 30 entries. They then met at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders headquarters in London to double check the entry and discuss each others shortlists. They were then refined to ten entries, the democratic process took over and the winner was chosen.
Judges' reasons for selecting the winner were:-
- Its use of the pitch area when sited without the need of an awning
- It was light and airy with the rear terrace open
- It had good towing dynamics with access to all facilities for transit and overnight stops
- The design could facilitate the use of alternative materials and production methods during construction.
Ted Holt (Chairman of Judges), Vice Chairman of The Caravan Club and Chairman of the Technical Sub-Committee
I was looking for a design that was both innovative and practical – but which also strongly conveyed the spirit of romance and adventure that independent travel generates. I hoped to find a designer that also showed wit and ingenuity – someone who recognised and could build on the long and interesting history of the mobile dwelling.
Professor Robert Kronenburg BA, Dip Arch, M.Phil, Ph.D, RIBA
The winning entry certainly hits the spot …it's cool, modern, aspirational, head turning and takes caravans into the 21st century without destroying the intrinsic qualities of a traditional caravan.
Wayne Hemingway
I was interested in the balance of customer configuration (with the living space) and manufacturing complexity. A lot of designs we saw tried to minimise the towing module but then, through a series of complex systems, maximise the living space once the unit was in situ. The winning design could probably be identified as one solution that had the right balance between the two.
Jason Rowe BEng (Hons) MSc
ends.