PORTABLE accommodation specialist Bunkabin is manufacturing a further seven of its bespoke diner solutions, after the innovation became the firm’s ‘go-to’ product – with a growing waiting list and all 16 currently out on hire.
The firm is targeting further growth in the Scottish education sector, with the units capable of being used to house students while refurbishment work takes place.
The company was founded to address some of the difficulties construction workers face when trying to have sufficient rest after shifts whilst working away from home, often in remote areas. The bespoke diner accommodates 8-12 people and features a fully-equipped kitchen, as well as a large dining table and breakfast bar – allowing workforces to cook and eat in a comforting, homely environment.
“It was something we had an inkling would work,” Benjamin Rothwell, business development officer at Bunkabin, told Project Scotland. “It was a risk to produce it; we thought we might have some sat in the yard, but no, it’s been a fantastic product.”
The company unveiled the solution at ScotPlant 2024, where queues formed for guided tours of the facility. Bunkabin will be exhibiting at the event again in April at the Royal Highland Centre, with Benjamin revealing he’ll be looking to provide visitors with an entertaining experience whilst showcasing what the future of living on site will look like.
“You’ve got to (provide) a comfortable environment to make it enticing to your employees, when hotels and other facilities are available,” he added. “Times are changing – people expect and want more. They want smarter accommodation, en-suites as standard, and our units are all built to that spec.”
Project Scotland spoke to Benjamin at the recent Learning Places Scotland exhibition in Glasgow, a one-day event dedicated to Scotland’s Learning Estate. He revealed particular interest had been shown in Bunkabin’s ability to provide a quick response – particularly for sleeping accommodation units for universities while refurbishment work takes place within existing accommodation complexes.
“Rather than forcing refurbishments over the short period over the summer, universities can put students into our units and move the rotation of refurbishment along throughout the whole year,” Benjamin explained.
The firm’s accommodation units – which feature double beds, en-suites with showers, kitchen areas, and lounge configurations – can be used either as a temporary measure or as a long-term solution, with Bunkabin anticipating them to have a lifespan of at least 15-20 years.
“We’ve had colleges and universities that have originally come to us and said we’re going to need this for a year, maybe two, and then 13 years they’re still there,” Benjamin concluded.
