The Castaway Pods were home to 36 people who took part in the BBC series. Carpenter Oak & Woodland were contracted to fabricate and erect these contemporary timber framed homes.
The Castaway series was publicised as a social experiment with a purpose and threw together whole families to live on the remote island of Taransay off the coast of Scotland for a year. As one can imagine it was not without its eventful episodes as they learnt to live alongside each other as well as with the often inclement weather.
The pods were constructed from several curved ribs each made from sections of green oak and joined with traditional scarf joints. The clean internal lines create a good sense of space in what are essentially small living areas.
The early designs had a central post and braces to support the roof but this was later removed to open up the interior. Back in 2000 this was a major endeavour and something of an achievement in the use of green oak in curved structures.
Because a crane could not be transported to the island a helicopter was used to take the frames from the mainland and then assisted in the lifting of each section during construction.
