‘the cave’ by frackenpohl poulheim for heimplanet image © designboom
as an alternative to traditional tents, german duo frackenpohl poulheim (thorsten frackenpohl & andré poulheim) have designed ‘the cave’ for hamburg-based company heimplanet. this system offers a highly efficient and stable structure – an inflatable geodesic dome. with the help of the IDG (inflatable diamond grid), it allows for pitching in less than a minute. the IDG is a self-supporting airframe formed out of 5 modular double-layer air beams. they can be divided into five separate air chambers to provide a stable stance even in case of damaged parts. inflating the tent with a normal hand pump takes less than minute. to deflate simply release all five valve openings and the air will remove itself on its own. its round ground design offers space for three to sleep and up to six to sit together. the five point-symmetrical roof slope that offers several run-offs for rain. the IDG also allows for great stability in wind up to 120km/h.
outer tent made with waterproof, durable lightweight polyester material image © designboom
valves for inflating and deflating image © designboom
storage bag image © designboom
water repellent nylon interior with mosquito net image © designboom
sloped roof for water run-off image © designboom
full exterior view
IDG top view
close up of IDG
‘the cave’ at night
clockwise: outer tent, inner tent, ground concept, grid
dimensions
first prototype
prototype connecting frame to tent
testing water run-off
‘the cave’ – set-up
‘the cave’ – deflating the tent
