A pivotal institution in the early development of Modernism, the iconic Bauhuas school in Germany has been renovated to match its 1926 look and feel, complete with studios and sleeping spaces now open to the public.

The student rooms, now available for rent, are small, minimally appointed and feature private balconies, designed as spaces to sleep, hang up one’s clothes and work a bit in a chair at a desk, but mainly austere to drive people to collaborate in studio spaces.

Today, for around $50 a night, designers and fans alike can visit this place in Dessau and marvel at the proto-Modernist architecture, enjoying designs made both by and for students and teachers.

In the early 1900s, Walter Gropius pioneered a few form of functionalism and minimalism that would go on to shape not just Modern architecture but also graphic, industrial, furniture and interior design.

Combining an Arts-and-Crafts ethos with an industrial aesthetic, the school attracted talent from around Europe, and molded young minds to think about design in new ways. The institution itself moved around over the decades, from Weimar to Dessau and Berlin then back again.

At any given time, teachers like Vassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee taught around 200 students to fuse ideas from diverse disciplines including art, advertising, manufacturing and construction. The building itself features an innovative curtain wall system, and while it may look like a familiar form of Modernist design today, it was an early example of a movement that would become the International Style.

Hotel rooms in Manhattan cost hundreds and even a cheap hostel-style hotel with partition walls in the Bowery runs nearly $100 per night, but starting around $20 you can stay on the streets in style in a plush converted van found via Airbnb. For adventurous travelers on a budget the rates are impossible to beat.

One such Airbnb ‘host’ (Jonathan) has a fleet over of 50 vehicular conversions and his pads get remarkably high reviews (many with 4.5 out of 5 stars). Fans seem to appreciate the affordability as well the views and locations, often central or at least along subway lines.

At these prices, it is better not expect breakfast with your accommodations or even a restroom, though the vehicles are generally parked close to public bathrooms or otherwise accessible facilities. Some do come equipped with wifi, perhaps provided by a nearby building, but few can even charge your electronics.

One enthusiastic listing reads more like a room in a fancy hotel than space in the back of a truck: “Super spacious. All brand new furnishings. Only 3 Stops from Times Square – less than 10 minutes to 50 major attractions. Located in Super Safe Community. Quiet at nighttime. Best Views of NYC. Sleeps 2 comfortably.”

And while Airbnb continues to face legal challenges, political difficulties or public backlash in many cities (including the Big Apple), it is apparently not technically against the law to sleep in vehicles in New York City. For now, at least, the car-centric business model appears safe – whether guests are as well is another question (ride at your own risk).