This Chevy Camper Van’s Wondrous Wooden Interior Will Make You Look Twice

An Ecuadorian couple are taking their new traveling home to remote communities to raise awareness for sustainability.

Aug 24, 2021 - 23:51

This Chevy Camper Van’s Wondrous Wooden Interior Will Make You Look Twice

An Ecuadorian couple are taking their new traveling home to remote communities to raise awareness for sustainability.

Tatiana likes to work with communities, schools, and other organizations, with the purpose of creating environmental consciousness to younger groups, as well as underprivileged ones, while Diego likes to cooperate in those missions. The Dodo Van is intended to give them a mobile home while visiting these remote communities.

Ecuadorian couple Diego Sayago and Tatiana Salas—a lawyer and an environmental engineer—bought a 1993 Chevy van with dreams of turning it into a place where they could live while traveling to remote communities for their work. At first they planned to refurbish the van themselves, but they soon realized they needed design expertise to successfully transform the tiny interior space—so they approached Juan Alberto Andrade, Cuqui Rodriguez, and María José Váscones.

When Tatiana and Diego bought the second-hand 1993 Chevy Van, it was completely unfurnished. The first intervention—done by the clients—was to add a pop top to create a more spacious dwelling. — When Tatiana and Diego bought the secondhand 1993 Chevy Van, it was completely unfurnished. The first intervention—done by the clients—was to add a pop top to create a more spacious dwelling.
Photo by JAG Studio

"They wanted to equip the van with basic living needs—a place to rest, work, cook, and eat," says Andrade. "Our purpose was to solve the architectural program by designing and implementing flexible furniture that can produce different configurations according to these needs."

Diego and Tatiana named their vehicle the Dodo Van—after the late bird species—to remind themselves not to let their dreams become extinct. "Diego’s plan is to travel around the country, getting to know new places, while Tatiana wants to educate people about a sustainable lifestyle and ecological materials," says Andrade. "They were able to bring their wishes to life through the van, and the name reminds them to keep their dreams alive."