The KU Mobile Collaboratory (moCOLAB) is a repurposed 1972 31-foot Airstream Land Yacht designed as a university and community classroom on wheels. The project grew from the recognition that many KU faculty and staff work closely with community partners on issues ranging from design and urban planning to public administration, public health, and clinical child psychology. The mobile classroom provides a flexible setting for collaboration between the university and the communities it serves.

The primary design challenge was fitting a complex, adaptable program into the trailer’s limited space. Movable carts provide storage and work surfaces, while articulated panels serve as both seat backs and work surfaces. Another cart houses audiovisual equipment while providing additional workspace. An awning extends activities outdoors, and a new rear hatch and ramp improve accessibility.

Digital modeling guided the fabrication process, from producing scaled prototypes to operating a CNC router that cut a new wooden rib system designed to reinforce the existing aluminum structure. The model also informed the fabrication of plywood panels using vacuum bags. Prototyping and testing were essential to the design process: students mocked up built-in components with corrugated cardboard and developed test seating to refine ergonomics before construction.