A Green Mobile Home: Illac Diaz Transformed His 1977 Volkswagen Van Into An Eco-Friendly Vehicle

Illac Diaz, Executive Director of Liter of Light Global Foundation, shared the details of his Green Mobile Home that was created in collaboration with Philux owners and sisters Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez and Jessica Kienle-Maxwell.

 

 

“During the early part of 2017, I talked with Philux owners Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez and Jessica Kienle-Maxwell because I wanted to transform my Volkswagen ’77 van into a green mobile home. I cover around 50 schools a year and I wanted to have a setup that kids and adults would find interesting and, at the same time, would teach them about sustainability and eco solutions through the materials that they can see and touch in the green mobile home,” says Illac.

 

 

Eco features

The green mobile home, which was restored after a year, is a vehicle that enables Illac to reach and teach various schools and communities about sustainability. The interiors of this well-designed vehicle makes use of sustainably sourced materials, thus making it a good showcase for educating people.

 

Using sustainably sourced wood and materials, the creative and design-oriented sisters Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez and Jessica Kienle-Maxwell transformed the interiors of this van into a cozy and functional space.

 

The acacia wood furniture in the green mobile home are all sustainably sourced and the side panels are made of natural materials that were customized to fit the vehicle panels. Apart from this, the vehicle has solar panels on the roof that can provide 600 watts of solar power. The van has a water catchment system that can allow one to use rainwater for washing the vehicle with a detachable flexi shower hose, which is housed in the exterior top side panel near the driver’s side.

The space inside the vehicle is flexible. The chairs at the back can be converted into a comfortable bed. Plus, the van’s roofing has a pop-up feature, which can also be used as a space where kids can sleep.

 

 

One also gets the convenience of cooking and having meals since the van has a two-burner stove, a TV, a small refrigerator and a sink. When the vehicle is parked, one can simply pull out the wood panel at the back and use it as a table. And when evening comes, the LED lights inside the van can be turned on.

 

 

Collaboration with the Kienles

“Through the use of the green mobile home, I am able to show people the beautiful, sustainably sourced materials and craftsmanship that we have locally,” says Illac.

Using locally sourced wood and materials, Philux’s creative and design-oriented Kienle sisters transformed the interiors of the Volkswagen van into a cozy and functional space. Acacia wood and light green fabric were used for the furniture. Side door panels were also covered with natural materials that blend well with the overall look of the interiors.

 

 

With this green mobile home, Illac is able to comfortably reach various places to educate various communities about sustainable living. This showcase on wheels helps people learn about the importance of taking care of the environment and how they can help contribute.

 

Photography by Paul Del Rosario for Metro Home & Entertaining