Country: New Zealand

Organization: atelierworkshop

Year the initiative began: 2001

Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions:

• Main barrier addressed: Lack of collaboration
• Main insight addressed: Incorporate sustainable practices

Youtube upload:

What is the goal of your innovation?
The goal of the Port-a-Bach is to put the tourist in direct contact with the surrounding environment while maintaining a minimum ecological footprint.

How does your approach support or embody geotourism?
The Port-a-Bach forms a "blank canvas" which local cultures may adapt . It provides a minimum and portable dwelling for 2-4 people for short stays. Can generate electricity and tourism for the local culture.

Describe your approach in detial. How is it innovative?
The Port-a-Bach is essentially a shipping container, it folds out to form a minimum living unit. It folds back up to be transported like any normal container. We aim to work with scientists to form a new type of battery, a new micro energy generator.

What types of partnerships or professional developement would be most beneficial in spearding your innovation?
atelierworkshop is a design company that has developed the Port-a-Bach. We require Business (Financial) partnerships with large, international corporations as well as Scientists and Builders.

In one sentence describe what kind of impact, change, or reform your approach is intended to achieve.
Create an Energy positive holiday unit available to travelers throughout the world.

Describe the degree of success of your approach to date. Clearly define how you measure quantitative and qualitative impact in terms of how your approach contributes to the sustainability or enhancement of local culture, environment, heritage, or aesthetics? How does your approach minimize negative impacts?
We have had significant international media attention and people from around the world wanting the Port-a-Bach. Our prototype was built in 2007. The Port-a-Bach negates the need for large energy hungry Hotel complexes.

How does your program promote traveler enthusiasm, satisfaction, and engagement with the locale?
The Port-a-Bach provides a unique experience for people grown accustomed to large oversized houses. It can be put carefully into any cultural environment, where the locals want it. It takes the traveller camping in comfort.

In what ways are local residents actively involved in your innovation, including participation and community input? How has the community responded to or benefited from your approach?
As mentioned Port-a-Bachs can become power generators for the local community, when not in use by tourists. Locals can choose where and how the Port-a-Bach is positioned. The community could own and run the units.

Describe how your innovation helps travelers and local residents better understand the value of the area's cultural and natural heritage, and educates them on local environmental issues. How do you motivate them to act responsibly in their future travel decisions?
The Port-a-Bach can be placed within the local the community, allowing tourists and locals to interact. The design of the Port-a-Bach is based on the users direct contact with the surrounding environment through extensive glass and a large deck. The Port-a-Bach takes people back to the notion of camping. It is a compact unit for 2 Adults and 2 Children and therefore reminds people they do not really need so much space and so many resources to survive comfortably,

Is your initiative financially and organizationally sustainable? If not, what is required to make it so? What is the potential demand for your innovation?
The Port-a-Bach has the potential with the right business input and capital to be a sustainable business. The potential demand is large and international .

How is your initiative currently financed? If available, provide information on your finances and organization that could help others. Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff.
atelierworkshop is design company. We are searching for partners to finance the project in terms of putting the prototype we have built into production

What is your plan to expand your approach? Please indicate where/how you would like to grow or enhance your innovation, or have others do so.
In 2008 we would like to build 5-10 Port-a-Bachs. We aim to develop steadily a large organisation capable of delivering the unit anywhere in the world. We aim to build up a business capable of delivering approx 100 units per year in next 5 years.

What are the main barriers you encounter in managing, implementing, or replicating your innovation? What barriers keep your program from having greater impact?
Business expertise and capital.

What is the origin of your innovation? Tell your story.
Atelierworkshop is a design comapny formed by William Giesen and Cecile Bonnifait in 2000. They met when William was studying architecture at Bordeaux university in France 1998. Since that time they have been based in Wellington NZ designing and building innovative buildings architecture based around the principles sustainability. See: www. atelierworkshop.com. The port-a-bach is an innovation which continues that commitment.

Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers' marketing material.
Cécile Bonnifait, (1971) architecte DPLG, studied and worked in Bordeaux, France (89-95); Helsinki, Finland (1996); Wellington, New Zealand (from 2000). Granted scholarships from Ministry of Youth and Sport (94), Ministry of Culture (95-97), Foundation Besnard de Quelen (98) and Foundation de France (99) for operational and research projects in sustainable development in China and Tibet (93-99). She met William in Bordeaux in 1999.She moved to New Zealand in 2000 and together they have been running atelierworkshop since. She has tutored and lectured at Victoria School of Architecture, Massey University Design William Giesen (1972) B.arch  from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand 2000. William traveled to france in 1997 as a semi-professional rugby player. He studied at the Bordeaux school of architecture and landscape design, France (98-99) and worked on competition projects for large-scale urban developments.

Please write an overview of your project. This text will appear when people scroll over the icon for your entry on the Google map located on teh competition homepage.
The " Port-a-Bach" is a mobile holiday unit designed by atelierworkshop. Bach (pronounced Batch, with the alternative of Crib in the southern part of New Zealand) is the name given in New Zealand to structures akin to small, often very modest holiday homes or beach houses. They are an iconic part of New Zealand history and culture, especially in the middle of the 20th century, where they symbolized the beach holiday lifestyle that was becoming more accessible to the middle class.

Contact Information
MR William Giesen
Director- atelierworkshop ltd
atelierworkshop