craig j gordnier turns a blue bird school bus into a compact house on wheels

on may 10th 2020, craig j gordnier began an ambitious solo project to transform a 1999 blue bird school bus into a portable living space. after buying the bus in south dakota, the US coast guard veteran drove it all the way back to massachusetts. then followed 200 days of hard work to create a surprisingly spacious and cozy home, complete with artificial fireplace and espresso bar. 

the bus before and after

images courtesy of craig j gordnier

craig began by raising the original roof by 20 inches, resulting in a maximum ceiling height of 8ft 6 inches. the interior is split into kitchen, living, and sleeping accommodation, with the bed located at the rear of the bus and the kitchen counter positioned at the front. 

the kitchen space features an 11ft poured epoxy kitchen counter

partitioned off from the bed is a rainfall shower with skylight above. the bus also features a tiled hearth to match the shower, an artificial fireplace, an 11ft poured epoxy kitchen counter, a full espresso bar, a queen size pull out couch, and stainless steel appliances. everything is 100% powered by the sun thanks to solar panels on the roof.

there’s plenty of storage space

the new home was designed and built by craig and he now lives and travels full time in the 1999 blue bird. to see more pictures of the transformation, and to follow craig on his journeys across the US, you can check out his instagram page here, where he posts to over 11k followers.

the bus includes an espresso bar so craig can get his coffee fix on the road

video of the shower and skylight above

the shower

view of the shower and sleeping accommodation, complete with skylights for natural light

an artificial fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere

the finished bus

solar panels on the roof provide green energy for appliances inside

the design features a platform for craig’s motorbike

project info:

design: craig j gordnier