I
recently read about a man paying over $500 a month (Rs 30,000) to live in a box in San Francisco. If you’re saying, “That’s no big deal, we have rents like that in Mumbai and Delhi,” wait just a minute. The Box I’m talking about is a literal box — not a figurative one. This is something like a home in the slums of Dharavi, only classier.
Peter Berkowitz was faced with the problem of not being able to pay rent in the city of his dreams. So, for him the solution to the sky-high rent problem in San Francisco has been to build a box or a “pod” as he calls it, in the living room of a friend’s apartment. The pod cost $1300 to build, and he pays $400 per month for the space, making the total cost roughly $508 per month.
Peter writes a blog and in it he says, “Yes, living in a pod is silly, but the silliness is endemic to San Francisco’s absurdly high housing prices — the pod is just a solution that works for me.”
This idea may seem novel, but it is not. Peter explained to Fortune that the inspiration behind the pod is the Japanese idea of capsule hotels, which allows guests to essentially rent beds.
“If you just make a plywood box, it probably isn’t going to be that great,” says Peter. The key is to make the space practical and comfortable, something the 25-year-old illustrator says he spent a lot of time doing in his previous, traditional bedrooms as well.
“People are typically surprised that I would want to live in a pod, but I think they tend to underestimate how pleasant a pod can be if it’s designed smartly. It’s the cosiest bedroom I’ve ever had. It’s the only bed I’ve had with a fold-down desk, a slanted and cushioned backboard, and uniformly ideal light for reading.”
Capsule hotels
So, what are these capsule hotels in Japan that proved to be the model for the pod home? Capsule hotels were first built in 1979 in Osaka. Architect Kisho Kurokawa designed the hotel, which was an extension of the Tokyo residential and office tower. This structure, built in 1972, offered tiny, capsule-like apartments.
During the 1960s, the word ‘capsule’ started appearing in Japanese. Sometimes English words change meaning when absorbed into Japanese, but the word capsule carried a similar meaning to what it does in English. Most capsule hotels are for men only and are traditionally geared towards businessmen.
How-ever, there are capsule hotels with women-only floors. Some of the newest (and nicest) capsule hotels are aimed at both male and female guests. Different capsule hotels have different rules, but there are some basic ones.
Generally speaking, most capsule hotels have shoe lockers near the front desk. If you see a rack or cubbyhole of slippers when you enter, take off your shoes, put on the slippers, and carry your shoes to the locker. When you check in, you might have to give the shoe locker key to the front desk clerk. After checking in, you’ll usually get another key, mostly attached to a wristband.
This is a locker key in the changing room that you can use to store your belongings. It should have the same number as your capsule. Do lock your valuables. While Japan is generally safe, it still does not mean that it is free of crime. Keep that in mind. In the capsule hotel, guests are usually given a gown, a robe or even sweats. Change into the robe (or whatever).
Unlike at a business hotel, it’s not considered okay to walk around in your robe. Many capsule hotels put a lot of effort into their bathing facilities, giving guests a sento or communal bathing experience. So, yes, you'll be bathing with strangers. Capsule hotels are segregated by gender, so if you are a man, you’ll be bathing with men.
After your bath, you might want something to drink. Capsule hotels usually have snack bars; the food and drink will be charged to your bill. Some hotels have reclining chairs with TVs, while some even have newspapers you can check out. If you smoke, there might be smoking sections present; but don’t smoke in your capsule.
Each capsule usually has a shutter or blinds that you can close. The walls are thin, so be a courteous neighbour. ‘9 Hours’ in Kyoto is one of the swankiest capsule hotels Japan has to offer. It offers accommodation for both male and female guests — with separate elevators for each. At this hotel, the capsules are called ‘pods’ and even feature a ‘Sleep Ambient Control System’ and specially-designed pillows to help you sleep.
Depending on your pocketbook you can choose the bed you can afford. Living in a pod is not such a bad idea, is it?
Peter Berkowitz was faced with the problem of not being able to pay rent in the city of his dreams. So, for him the solution to the sky-high rent problem in San Francisco has been to build a box or a “pod” as he calls it, in the living room of a friend’s apartment. The pod cost $1300 to build, and he pays $400 per month for the space, making the total cost roughly $508 per month.
Peter writes a blog and in it he says, “Yes, living in a pod is silly, but the silliness is endemic to San Francisco’s absurdly high housing prices — the pod is just a solution that works for me.”
This idea may seem novel, but it is not. Peter explained to Fortune that the inspiration behind the pod is the Japanese idea of capsule hotels, which allows guests to essentially rent beds.
“If you just make a plywood box, it probably isn’t going to be that great,” says Peter. The key is to make the space practical and comfortable, something the 25-year-old illustrator says he spent a lot of time doing in his previous, traditional bedrooms as well.
“People are typically surprised that I would want to live in a pod, but I think they tend to underestimate how pleasant a pod can be if it’s designed smartly. It’s the cosiest bedroom I’ve ever had. It’s the only bed I’ve had with a fold-down desk, a slanted and cushioned backboard, and uniformly ideal light for reading.”
Capsule hotels
So, what are these capsule hotels in Japan that proved to be the model for the pod home? Capsule hotels were first built in 1979 in Osaka. Architect Kisho Kurokawa designed the hotel, which was an extension of the Tokyo residential and office tower. This structure, built in 1972, offered tiny, capsule-like apartments.
During the 1960s, the word ‘capsule’ started appearing in Japanese. Sometimes English words change meaning when absorbed into Japanese, but the word capsule carried a similar meaning to what it does in English. Most capsule hotels are for men only and are traditionally geared towards businessmen.
How-ever, there are capsule hotels with women-only floors. Some of the newest (and nicest) capsule hotels are aimed at both male and female guests. Different capsule hotels have different rules, but there are some basic ones.
Generally speaking, most capsule hotels have shoe lockers near the front desk. If you see a rack or cubbyhole of slippers when you enter, take off your shoes, put on the slippers, and carry your shoes to the locker. When you check in, you might have to give the shoe locker key to the front desk clerk. After checking in, you’ll usually get another key, mostly attached to a wristband.
This is a locker key in the changing room that you can use to store your belongings. It should have the same number as your capsule. Do lock your valuables. While Japan is generally safe, it still does not mean that it is free of crime. Keep that in mind. In the capsule hotel, guests are usually given a gown, a robe or even sweats. Change into the robe (or whatever).
Unlike at a business hotel, it’s not considered okay to walk around in your robe. Many capsule hotels put a lot of effort into their bathing facilities, giving guests a sento or communal bathing experience. So, yes, you'll be bathing with strangers. Capsule hotels are segregated by gender, so if you are a man, you’ll be bathing with men.
After your bath, you might want something to drink. Capsule hotels usually have snack bars; the food and drink will be charged to your bill. Some hotels have reclining chairs with TVs, while some even have newspapers you can check out. If you smoke, there might be smoking sections present; but don’t smoke in your capsule.
Each capsule usually has a shutter or blinds that you can close. The walls are thin, so be a courteous neighbour. ‘9 Hours’ in Kyoto is one of the swankiest capsule hotels Japan has to offer. It offers accommodation for both male and female guests — with separate elevators for each. At this hotel, the capsules are called ‘pods’ and even feature a ‘Sleep Ambient Control System’ and specially-designed pillows to help you sleep.
Depending on your pocketbook you can choose the bed you can afford. Living in a pod is not such a bad idea, is it?