Spaces that are constantly in use—think airports, data centers, and university libraries—must meet occupants’ need for rest at all hours. Previously, we showcased products that allow office workers to take a quick nap without leaving their desks. In this piece, we’re aiming higher—err, bigger—with architectural enclosures that integrate shuteye into projects of all sizes.
Sleepbox
Travelers with a long layover at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow can rest up in one of the Sleepboxes installed in its Aeroexpress terminal. Each box can be clad in wood, metal, or plastic and holds up to three beds with a table and space to store luggage. Other amenities include power outlets, LED-reading lights, and remote-controlled privacy curtains. Users can stay in a Sleepbox from 30 minutes to a few hours with hourly payment rated on a progressive scale.
Podtime
Take a break from busy spaces inside this range of nap-friendly, human-sized cylinders from U.K.-based Podtime.The sliding canopy door reveals a mattress and a work surface illuminated by internal LED lighting. Power outlets let pod users recharge their electronic devices. Standard front- and side-entry units measure 47 ½” wide, 47 ½” tall, and 86 ½” deep. Single- and double-bunk models are available, as are small and large outdoor models.
NapCabs
Weary travellers passing through Munich Airport in Germany have a new place to doze off. NapCabs, installed in one of its two terminals, provide comforts including a mattress, desk, and charging station for rental by the hour. The eponymous company developed the enclosures for use in high-security spaces. Measuring 43 square feet, they can be arranged in lines or clusters. A touchscreen on the front of each manages check-in, check-out, and payment for use of the space.
CalmSpace, Haworth
This self-contained sleeping pod is designed for use in offices but also has applications in communal spaces such as university libraries. Equipped with a pre-set lighting system, the CalmSpace capsules use research backed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering in Stuttgart, Germany, and the European Sleep Centre in Paris to induce sleep with the longer-wavelength red light and wake occupants up with the shorter-wavelength blue light, Designboom reports. An internal touchscreen offers preset usage periods of 10-, 15-, and 20 minutes, during which the occupant can rest uninterrupted on the single mattress inside the pod.
GoSleep
Available at two airports in the United Arab Emirates, GoSleep capsules can be rented by the hour for a layover catnap or a little bit of quiet amid the airport hubbub. The interior of each pod measures roughly 79″-long by 28″-wide and includes a power outlet and USB port as well as a seat that can be flattened to create a sleeping surface with room to store carry-on luggage underneath. But a full night’s sleep isn’t cheap: Prices start at $14 per hour.
EnergyPod, MetroNaps
Google and the Arizona Diamondbacks are both clients of the MetroNaps, which makes reclined seating for the workplace. The company’s EnergyPod features a synthetic leather seat with an ergonomic form, a rotatable privacy visor, an integrated speaker, storage, and a waking system that uses vibration and light. Each unit can also be specified with LED indicators showing when the pod is in use and when it will become available, and can deliver usage tracking reports.
