Dodo Van Is a ‘93 Chevy Van Conversion That Aims to Prove Artsy Minimalism Is Functional

That said, how much of your comfort are you willing to go without just so you can get all these benefits? The Dodo Van, one of the most striking projects of last year, could probably answer that question, albeit somehow unintentionally.

The Dodo Van is a 1993 Chevy G20 Van conversion that aims to show that artsy minimalism can also be functional or, put it differently, that you can up the artistic factor tenfold and still retain basic functionality for a home on wheels. Its designers are also architects, and this project is a real build created for everyday life.

The Dodo Van was completed and delivered in 2021, and the owners declared themselves happy with how their “dream” mobile house had come out. At the end of the day, this is all that matters or should matter, but the build is still able to generate debate and controversy whenever it re-emerges online. This is also why we’ve chosen to have a second, more exhaustive look at it, to further encourage discussion on its merits and downsides.

The brains behind the Dodo Van are Ecuador-based designers Juan Alberto Andrade and María José Váscones. Its owners are Diego, a lawyer, and Tatiana, an environmental engineer, both residents of Guayaquil, Ecuador, and both involved in a variety of projects with underprivileged local communities. They already had the ‘93 Chevy Van, and they were adamant that it be used for their temporary home on wheels, which they would use for their charity work. But they needed someone to handle the conversion, so they chose the architect duo.

Andrade and Váscones’ portfolio is packed with visually striking projects, from ADUs (accessory dwelling units) to city office spaces, but this was their first mobile home. It retains the styling of their earlier works but is adapted to a much-constricted space and meant for multiple functionalities. They call this a “design exercise in limitations, transformations, and spatiality,” one that is capable of adapting to changing needs while keeping the same clean and airy lines.

“Design strategies were developed that allowed the space to be transformed into various configurations according to its needs, based on the decision to liberate longitudinal circulation and maintain the interior morphology of the vehicle,” they say.

In concrete terms, this translated into sheathing the interior in wood of variable thickness and slightly different tones: 6 mm (0.2-inch) plywood boards for the lining, and thicker 12 mm (0.4-inch) and 15 mm (0.6-inch) boards for the floor and furniture modules. Underneath the wood, they added mineral wool for thermo-acoustic insulation.

The interior is compact, offering just 5 square meters (53.8 square feet) of living space, so they had to get creative. The sides of the fan are utilitarian in essence, holding the kitchenette and storage, while the center part becomes the actual living area. The small kitchen holds a sink and a small block for food prep, while the dining area can become an office during the day, and a two-person bed at night, by means of a three-fold custom mattress kept in storage when not in use. Cabinets and drawers are in keeping with the clean and sleek interior by means of small cutouts instead of handles.

Other features include an independent battery connected to the vehicle’s alternator to run interior devices and gadgets, a 110 V transformer, and several outlets. In travel mode, the vehicle can seat between four to six passengers, though there are no seatbelts in sight in the photos. The Dodo Van has plumbing and a water system with tanks, but no specifics on either were made public – neither was the price of the project.

At a first glance, the Dodo Van is the perfect example of artsy minimalism rendered functional, but is it really? As noted above, whenever this project resurfaces again online, it almost always draws the same kind of criticism. The wood adds too much weight to the conversion, especially if you consider that this is a (perhaps stock) ‘93 Chevy Van underneath. Those plywood seats can’t possibly be comfortable, as neither is the interior too welcoming or suitable for everyday life, despite the clean look. Certain features, like the stowaway table, are not the most efficient in terms of maximizing the use of space.

To many, this feels like a compromise in favor of aesthetics to the detriment of everyday functionality and efficiency.

“The clients were very moved with the completed project,” Andrade tells Dwell in an older interview. “They liked that you could still perceive the shape of the van, and how comfortable and spacious it felt.” Which is to say, de gustibus non disputandum est.