VDL Hapro Verno roof box

What if convenience could be combined with minimized ecological impact. Roof boxes offer much needed extra space when going for leisure activities. The downside, however, is that these products also take up a lot of space during transportation, warehousing, and storage at home.  

VDL Hapro had the vision to create a smart space-saving design that does not compromise user comfort. After all, a smaller shipment size of the roof box would reduce packaging material and CO2 emissions, by allowing more roof boxes to be loaded per truck. Also at home, storing the roof box would be easier, as long as the assembly is simple and carefree to the consumer.  

As Modyn we were keen to support in achieving this ambitious goal, creating an overall premium product. And our efforts haven’t gone unnoticed, being awarded the Red Dot Product Design Award 2026!

The request for a nestable design changed the design parameters vs conventional roof boxes. It required us to think differently. To fully understand the challenge, we started with extensive product and market analysis looking at design, product use, materials and manufacture. One outcome was that nesting implies a new form factor for the roof box design, with top and bottom shells having the same size. Moodboards were presented to capture the stylistic potential of this concept, thereby looking at the latest (automotive) design trends. 

Our goal was to create a roof box that not only meets Hapro’s high standards but also stands out in the market. We explored various bold premium looking designs, searching for the optimal solution combining modern aesthetics, user convenience, durability, manufacturing, and of course the ambitious nesting goal. In all, 40% of the storage volume and packaging material were reduced, leading to significant reductions in transport emissions and material use. Another key feature in the design is the double–sided opening, that greatly improves ease of use, when assembling the roof box on the car and loading goods. 

From the start both the Modyn and VDL Hapro teams worked in unison, bringing together our collective expertise and creativity. Only in this way we were able to marriage the eye catching stylistic design with the hard technical requirements.  

Virtual Reality proved a very useful tool for communication and to identify potential issues, supporting decision making before moving to the next stage. Once the design was refined through design iterations and VR simulations, more comprehensive 3D models were developed. These documents served as blueprints for our client to perform checks on manufacturing, providing precise specifications and guidelines for production. 

The roof box design concept underwent rigorous analysis to ensure it could be efficiently manufactured. We implemented material and production specifications into every aspect of the design, to enable seamless integration into Hapro’s existing manufacturing processes. 

We performed precise engineering to achieve the nestable design, a tough challenge but all the more rewarding having reached the 40% reduction in storage and transport volume. Components were also cleverly engineered to allow the end user to assemble the roof box at home, without the use of any tools. 

The culmination of our efforts was a detailed 3D model and a comprehensive set of drawings. These deliverables provided a clear and precise representation of the product, facilitating smooth communication with Hapro’s manufacturing partners and ensuring that the final product aligns perfectly with our design intentions. See Hapro Verno