A couple who built one of the most popular Airbnbs in the UK 'just for fun' have revealed that the unique structure only took them 10 days to put together.
Architect Roderick James, 75, and his interior designer wife Amanda Markham designed and constructed the unique-looking AirShip 002 in 2018.
The "remote, cosy, compact, aluminium clad capsule structure" has the appearance of a high-tech spaceship, while also offering gorgeous floor-to-ceiling views of the natural Highlands landscape.
Situated in Drimnin, the unusual accommodation costs £165 a night. It was the most wish-listed Airbnb rental in the UK in 2020, with bookings being secured more than a year in advance, reports Daily Record.
Roderick and Amanda, who live in a nearby home they designed themselves called Eagle Rock, built AirShip 002 as part of their company Out of the Blue Ltd. It cost approximately £100,000, though has already made its money back since first opening five years ago.
Roderick commented: "We designed the AirShip 002 just for fun at first, but then a perfect plot came up and we decided to build on it. At first we weren't intending to let it. We just thought it would be an ideal location but then it became incredibly popular.
"It was a brand new design and it had never been done before. We wanted to build something that could be built anywhere and any part of the structure can be carried by two people.
"It has over 3000 components which were computer laser cut in the factory which took three to four months.
"But then the actual structure went up in ten days on site. In future all housing will become increasingly modular.
"The structure has everything you could need. It can even be off-grid with a compost toilet and rainwater can be collected from the roof and stored under the floor panels.
"The dragonfly window breaks up the view in such an extraordinary way. Everyone who stays here wishes they could stay for longer.
"It really is a special place."
In response to the major success of AirShip 002, the pair have since completed two further Airbnb tiny house projects. The first of these was PilotHouse PH5—an aluminium structure with 360-degree views that was completed in September 2020—which was followed by the opening of the Captain's Cabin in January 2021.
Just like AirShip 002, both of the properties have unique features that set them apart from other Airbnb rentals. The PilotHouse PH5 is a one-bed, two-storey aluminium structure with a distinctive corrugated aluminium wall finish, while its sheet aluminium exterior walls have a resonance of a submarine ‘Conning Tower’.
Meanwhile, the Captain's Cabin is located on the large balcony deck on the roof of an old chapel building. Though the the exterior is similarly clad in corrugated aluminium, the inside is more textural and cosy—featuring reused timber and a nautical theme.
All of Roderick and Amanda's quirky builds feature stunning views and fresh spring water, but their unique shape is what Roderick attributes some of their success to.
He commented: "One of the key things we work on, even in our own house, is that they're all based on elliptical, oval, shapes.
"We have discovered that people feel very comfortable in these plan shapes. Sandi Toksvig described it as ‘like a womb with a view!’ There are no sharp corners and as a result people feel very secure.
"The views add an enormous amount too. If you have a very small space, but a big view, it works very well."
A stay in the Captain's Cabin also comes with the gift of a novel titled 'The Captain's Cabin' by Alexander McCall Smith, which was published by Out of The Blue. All profits from the book will go towards "transformational" charity Jamie’s Farm, which hosts disadvantaged children for residential farm stays.
