Inspired by naturalist and “bird charmer” Émile Plocq, Mr. Plocq’s Caballon is an egg-shaped camping pod situated on the banks of the Loire river estuary. Architects Aurélie Poirrier, Igor-Vassili Pouchkarevtch-Dragoche and Vincent O’Connor took inspiration from the naturalist’s expeditions to Africa, for which he allegedly built a ship and relied on the help of migrating birds.

Fittingly, the pod has a naval vessel’s wooden hull, while the top half is covered in white canvas with clear plastic in the “cockpit” area, so guests can sleep with a view of the stars. The structure was built as part of the annual Imaginary Nights event hosted by Loirestua, the local tourism board, which allows visitors to stay in extraordinary quarters along the Loire estuary.

At 161-square-feet, the pod is strategically designed to maximize space. Guests enter through a horizontal double-swing door, the lower half of which brings down the stairs. The cockpit holds the bed area, and hidden at the other end behind a rotating, curved door is a bathroom with a sink and a dry toilet. Storage space is concealed within the bathroom door, while the headboard in the cockpit area also contains cubbies. The vessel is connected to the outdoors via a terrace, where guests can do some of their own birdwatching.