How to experience Nature?
TENDO
Tendo is a small one person Tent, that can open up to a Tent-Lounge. Due to the patented folding mechanism Tendo has the comfort of a two person tent with the weight of a single person tent. The tent includes a mattress and is completely inflatable. The mattress is part of the tents static structure.

Summer 2017

What makes an interesting project?
Motivation and Inspiration
I love time spent traveling. I prefer lonely place without many tourists. I love exploring, being surprised and letting your soul drift. At places like this there is no hotel. So I wanted to design something that invites you to stay longer in such environments.
What does the market look like?
Tents and Bivys
Analyzing the market I realized quickly, that it is way more saturated than I thought. I looked at the different attributes of tents on the market. I then proceeded to look specifically at person tents and bivys. There is a huge difference between different solutions. from thin one layered plastic covers up to high-tech soltutions that last down to -30 degrees celsius.

Quality of material
low weight
small pack size
spacious
low price
Is there potential for innovation?
Briefing
Looking closely how different users spend time with their tent I realized that the use is roughly thirds. 1/3 Sleeping, 1/3 daytime activity, 1/3 spent close to the tent. There is a shape for sleeping and a different shape for transport. So why not add a shape for the time you don’t sleep and don’t carry your tent? A tent-lounge for cooking, enjoying the view, being closer to nature, sitting upright, tying your shoes or staring into the bonfire?

Roughly 7 hours are spent close to the tent, while not sleeping
So… I need a tent that can shift between two shapes.
Shape for sleeping
Daytime Lounge
What is the minimal suitable space?
Empirical Study
In the next step I build an experimental space to figure out how big the sleeping space needed to be. Then I tried to use the same amount of material to build a daytime space that was comfortable and spacey enough to do small activities like cooking or packing the backpack.
The inital Brainstorm.
Ideation & rough models
Which shape could possibly provide the needed ability for transformation? I looked at Origami, Kitesurfing, Rain ponchos and so much more.
Eventually I found a mechanism that seemed promising…

Pushing the idea.
Concept development
Once I decided to use this opening mechanism a lot of questions needed solving: How does a person sleep comfortable in it? How do I maximize the space in both shapes? How does it lift up? How are the beams shaped (Graphics above)?
Does my concept really work?
1:1 experimental model
Then I proceeded to build full scale Mock Ups. I welded air-tubes inspired by kitesurfing, tried different bending techniques and eventually build a tent model to check for errors and to find the optimal shape.

So, what does it look like in the end?
The Finale
Tendo is a small one person Tent, that can open up to a Tent-Lounge. Due to the patented folding mechanism Tendo has the comfort of a two person tent with the weight of a single person tent. The tent includes a matress and is completely inflatable. The matress is part of the tents static structure.

One-Pump Valve
Additional zipper
for easy access
Skyview
semi transpartent window
Opening mechanism
Anchor flaps
for an easy setup without tent pegs
Airbeam

TentLounge

OnePack

Windresistant

OnePump

Comfort/Kg

No pegs
While creating Tendo my focus was always on the folding mechanism: How can you use nearly the same amount of material as a regular one person tent but still have the opening mechanism? Because Tendo is completely inflatable and doesn’t use any rods the assembly is easy and fast.
