‘the portal’ toilet camouflages in the woods like a sci-fi doorway

The Portal by Jupe

Taking a dump or using a public toilet in the woods during a hike or forest wandering might not sound comfortable, but Jupe has changed the narrative by conceiving The Portal, a sci-fi restroom in the middle of greenery that takes bathroom gaming to the next level.

Creative camping might have just found its new exciting companion since The Portal can be brought to places by its users. The team, comprising former Tesla and SpaceX designers, has already introduced their sci-fi-inspired cabin here, but it’s not complete without a luxurious porta potty made of reflective mirrors.

With The Portal, users enter a box-shaped spaceship and are greeted by an all-white interior. As they sit on or use the toilet, they feel like they’re in heaven (or another dimension, depending on how they see it). The Portal also includes solar panels in 200 watts, a battery, and an inverter that all allow for stadium-like lighting and an always-on fan to eliminate odors. The panels can be positioned close to The Portal, or in a spot where the sun hits their surface and soak in its solar power.

Natural skylight from the hole above

Jupe understands the challenge of small-spaced porta potties found in the wilds, so the team expands the area inside The Portal. No more bumping knees into the public toilet’s door or brushing skin against whatever bacteria has infiltrated the surfaces.

The team has devised the space to have at least three times the interior volume of a normal portable toilet. Aside from the spacious interior, light takes the center stage in the portal-to-heaven toilet. Not because users can truly see heaven, but thanks to the natural skylight that the team has carved on the roof.

The Sky Portal cutout in the ceiling turns the sky into a canvas and the experience into an immersive optical illusion. It is seemingly a perfect circle from the perspective of sitting, while in reality, it is an ellipse. The hole also brings in so much light from the outside and offers users a view of the sky as they take care of their business. Full of light comes through as one of the main premises why The Portal is built, and the skylight grounds this testament. Talk about meditation and unhurriedness in the bathroom. 

Using human waste as fertilizer

What makes The Portal look like it’s hiding from the viewers is drawn from its mirrored glass that Jupe intentionally picked. As the team writes on their site, ‘a full-length mirrored window opens up panoramic, yet private, views of mother nature. A retractable-privacy shade draws down when you’re feeling shy.’ Just to confirm, there’s a thin window blind that users can roll down in case they don’t feel like gazing at nature as they use the public toilet.

The Portal seems to also detect users as soon as they step in, drawn from the instant-on LED track lighting that runs along the ceiling. The bright light gives a homey feeling inside and it looks like the team has also placed some house plants inside The Portal to sell those feel-at-home aesthetics.

Jupe is also integrating circular-waste transformation technology with its composting partner that can turn human waste into an Earth fertilizer. As of publishing the story, The Portals are currently sold out with the next production to run in early 2023.

project info:

name: The Portal

company: Jupe