2023

Name: 2023
Start: 2023

Wooden interior with a red sofa, dining table and chairs

1. We turned a rusty pig trailer into a living space

We bought this old trailer and renovated it using as many recycled materials as possible. For the outside we found some old coloured panels, and let our members vote on the pattern. It is the first non-van and non-tent living space in Kamp.

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Pig trailer clad in colourful recycled panels

Rusty blue pig trailer before the renovation

Interior of the renovated pig trailer with wooden shelves and drawers

2. We renovated an old van

This old yellow van from the German Post got a makeover. It doesn't drive anymore and was slowly degrading inside due to the harsh weather at the Kamp. We fixed it up with a new roof, cork insulation and an old basketball floor.

Renovated van interior with wooden walls and a mattress

Old yellow post van before the renovation

3. We turned an old shipping container into a storage pace

We needed more space for materials, tools and food. Shipping containers are easy to set up and great temporary, waterproof structures. So we got a third one and turned it into a well-structured space, even with a roof.

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Shipping container storage with a roof in the forest

Crane truck delivering a shipping container

Shelves with containers and food supplies inside the storage container

4. We restored old water reservoirs

Usually we have a lot of rain during winter and very dry summers here. This contrast makes the land and region very prone to fires. So we started redesigning and clearing the existing water reservoirs. We dug a lake and cleaned up a lagoon around the waterfall. Our first steps towards water management.

People working in a muddy reservoir while an excavator digs a lake

Aerial view of a small water reservoir between shrubs

Old water reservoir with a yellow sluice gate, surrounded by trees

5. We researched, tested and experimented

We've been researching many new things to tackle some of our fundamental questions about waste, short-term accommodation, reforestation and energy consumption. We built a biodigester, made a roof out of old cans, tested different approaches to remove mimosa trees and prototyped a small tent.

Person lighting a gas flame from a biodigester test setup

Close-up of a roof made from flattened old cans

Prototype canvas tent on a wooden platform

6. We supported our neighbours to harvest

It's becoming part of our yearly calendar: the harvesting moments with our neighbours. They all say "It's like the old times!" when a group of 15 or 20 people come together to harvest potatoes, grapes and corn. We don't aim to live self-sufficiently but embedded in the local surroundings in a sustainable way.