Whether at work or in our spare time, we’re always online. Even inside the car we’re hardly never offline, given that most of today’s vehicles are packed with technology. So how about a challenge for the summer? Would you cut yourself off from the world?
Going on a vacation is no longer the same experience as it was a couple of decades ago, and that’s not a “things were better in the old days”-type of statement. It’s progress, it’s natural, and it comes with the territory. But if you do feel nostalgic for the bygone days, you still have options of getting back to that. Since August is autoevolution’s Travel Month, here’s one such option: Wander 2.0.
Wander 2.0 is a relatively new project based in Mexico. Developed through a partnership between Rojkind Arquitectos, Amasa Estudio and TUUX, it proposes a new vacation experience – one that is far removed from what you can experience today in most hospitality locations, but also sustainable and still incredibly comfortable. It’s based on a prefabricated modular cabin.
The idea, of course, is not new. The year 2020 has seen a surge in glamping options, if only because of the travel restrictions and social distancing regulations imposed by the international health crisis. These have reshaped the way we travel for pleasure and the way we vacation. Prefab cottages are just one of the many ways in which you can go glamping, with countless advantages in addition to offering more luxurious stays in the (relative) wilderness. Prefab cabins are also movable (though not in a tiny house-type of way), greener and more Instagrammable – and, in today’s scenery, you can’t ignore that last part.
Photo: Rojkind Arquitectos
Of course, glamping has been around for years, even if we only started calling it that more recently. While Wander 2.0 doesn’t bring much novelty to the table, it is a gorgeous proposition worth considering if you’re ever in the country.
You can choose between three cabin types, of different sizes and accommodation capacity. The smaller one offers just 27 square meters (291 square feet) of living space, while the largest 63 square meters (678 square feet). Each cabin, regardless of size and shape, offers a combination of sleeping area, living area, kitchen area, and bathroom, and is modular so can be integrated within another structure. Each cabin also includes an upper level and comes furnished, equipped and fully-stocked (except for food) for guests to move in. Even stuff like shampoo and conditioner is included.
The idea with Wander 2.0 is that it proposes a different type of vacation, so you don’t get wifi and have only limited phone coverage. Basically, you’ll be going offline for whatever duration you choose to spend there. Cabins are situated in three locations, Valle Bravo, Malinalco and La Marquesa, and you’ll receive the map and indications on how to drive yourself there after you book a reservation.
“It is time to rethink our relationship with nature and with ourselves. We are convinced that through collaboration of talents we can expand the wander experience achieving, even more, focus on design, sustainability, and community impact,” Michel Rojkind, CEO of Rojkind Arquitectos, says of the project, which was inaugurated earlier this year.
Photo: Rojkind Arquitectos
Sustainability and community impact are achieved through what Rojkind calls “aggregated value.” The cabins are placed on private land, through business partnerships with local landowners. For each of the three camp sites, managers invest in preserving and maintaining the existing environment, respecting community traditions and regulations, and involving the community.
What tourists get with this prefab vacation site is more than the promise of an idyllic stay off the grid and assorted activities like hiking or horseback riding. They also get to experience a unique space with the knowledge that their stay there will have minimal impact on the environment.
The designers say that Wander 2.0 could serve as more than just a glamping site: it could serve a much nobler purpose, offering housing in areas where accessibility to it is limited for whatever reason. Being prefabricated, the cabins have lower production costs and times, higher movability and shorter assembly times. Because they’re modular, they can be mixed and matched by simply taking off a couple of walls, and thus suit different needs, or different terrains and climate conditions.
But until then, Wander 2.0 could be a suitable vacation option, if you’re ever in Mexico – and willing to disconnect from everything for a few days.
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
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