autoevolution
 

The Boeing 727 Home in the Woods Is an Iconic Example of Upcycling Done Right

Downsizing doesn’t necessarily have to mean living in a cramped space. Engineer and aeronautics enthusiast Bruce Campbell knows all about that, thanks to his iconic airplane home conversion, the Boeing 727 widely known as “the home in the woods,” or the Airplane Home.
Retired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woods 15 photos
Photo: AirplaneHome.com
Retired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woodsRetired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woods
Current spiking prices, the housing crisis, the international health crisis, and overall more alarming environmental concerns have – or should have – encouraged a novel lifestyle approach. “We simply can’t go on like before” seems to have been the wake-up call for many people over the past decade, and more poignantly so over the last couple of years. Bruce Campbell, for his part, has been saying this for more than two decades.

Campbell lives in the Airplane Home, or the home in the woods, a Portland, Oregon-based home unlike few others. It’s an old Boeing 727-200 that Campbell himself converted into a living space, which also happens to be an iconic (now-grounded) aircraft and one of the finest examples of upcycling of modern times. The conversion itself, though rudimentary by the standards of similar homes, pales in comparison with the story it tells.

Campbell bought the 1969 aircraft in 1999 for $100,000, after it was retired by a Greek airline. He spent another $120,000 on transporting it to his privately-owned piece of land in Portland (which he bought when he was still in his twenties and hadn’t used for anything yet) and the conversion, which he mostly did on his own.

Retired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woods
Photo: AirplaneHome.com
The idea was not to turn this gigantic aircraft into a space that would mimic a brick-and-mortar or wood home, but into a space that would retain the aircraft vibe while offering the minimum in terms of creature comforts. Think of it as an aviation enthusiast’s playground, with the possibility of living in it.

The 153-foot (47-meter) aircraft was moved to the woods with its wings and tails sawed off, and was then reassembled again. Its nose rests on an elevated platform and, from the outside, it almost looks as if it landed there by accident. The interior is surprising, to say the least: Campbell removed most of the seats and the original floor, which he replaced with see-through panels, but kept many original elements. He improvised a bedroom area, which consists of a futon, a kitchen area with just a sink, microwave and toaster, and a shower, and restored two original bathrooms.

The interior space is very generous, and that’s the highest selling point of the conversion. Campbell has 99 square meters (1,066 square feet) of space to do whatever he wants to, whether that’s tinkering with the original elements to restore them, or further exploring the hidden structures of the former jetliner. A playground, indeed.

As he puts it in the video below, when so many jetliners are scrapped, it makes no sense to spend money on a typical home. Jetliners are perfect as living solutions, because they’re more durable, more resistant to the elements since they’re storm-, earthquake-, fire- and insect-proof, more efficient and definitely more fun. “They're among the finest structures that mankind has ever built,” Campbell writes on his website AirplaneHome.com (republished with permission). “Jetliners are masterful works of aerospace science, and their superlative engineering grace is unmatched by any other structures people can live within.”

Retired Boeing 727 is a fine example of upcycling, after Bruce Campbell turned it into his home in the woods
Photo: AirplaneHome.com
Campbell’s home uses the existing 727 water system but is hooked to a private well, and to the grid for electricity. It offers incredible storage space and customizable living space; Campbell chose to keep his as close to the original as possible, which might not suit all tastes, but anyone could do whatever they wanted with this space.

That’s his proposition: don’t let jetliners go to the junkyard when you could turn them into the most unique and personalized home, turning junk into something useful – and beautiful. To that end, via his website, Campbell is offering tips and words of advice, as well as a list of things to look out for when starting your own project. He’s also offering tours of his home, when he’s in it: he splits his time between the U.S. and Japan, where he’s in the process of converting another Boeing, this time a bigger 747.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories