Deriving its name from what’s widely considered to be the first modern-day battleship — the 1906 Dreadnought — Dreadnort Boats is a New Zealand-based company that was born out of a collaboration between Transformarine Naval Architects and Altech Marine. Aiming to revolutionize the world of modern powerboats, the Auckland outfit has thus far designed a variety of different small, open cockpit and enclosed vessels. After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, however, the Dreadnort team began developing a multi-use tsunami survival shelter that would eventually evolve into what is arguably one of the most impressive and versatile mobile off-grid dwellings we’ve ever seen.
Christened the P.O.D. — short for “Point Of Difference” — this mobile shelter borrows design elements from both travel trailers and campers, as well as geodesic domes with its overall origami-esque profile and bevy of polyhedron-shaped windows. Boasting a 16.7’ X 8.2’ floor plan, the P.O.D. is extraordinarily modular, offering over 100 square feet of living space that can be configured in a variety of different manners. This includes dinettes that can convert into full-sized beds, small kitchen spaces, and an optional bathroom. Dreadnort is also producing a larger model that spans 29.5’ x 14.7’ and offers significantly more square footage. Available with optional off-grid solar systems, the entire P.O.D. weighs in at just 2,200lbs, too. These structures will also be ideal for use as small guest houses, home studios, or office spaces.
What really makes the P.O.D. unique, however, is the number of applications that it lends itself to. On top of being able to function as a regular shelter, it can also be towed behind a vehicle on a trailer, serving as a camper, or even be launched on water where it can operate as a boat. What’s more, thanks to the addition of lifting lugs, the P.OD. can also be transported via helicopter in order to be dropped just about anywhere on the planet. Despite its origins as a tsunami survival shelter, the P.O.D. is not capable of withstanding tsunami conditions due to its massive windows but is nonetheless an incredibly rugged shelter that can handle just about any weather short of a full-on monsoon, hurricane, tornado, or tsunami.
The Dreadnort Boats P.O.D. will be available for order in the coming months with planned pricing starting from NZD $98,000 (~ $61,375+).
