Design must always have a role in providing solutions for societal and humanitarian issues.
In 2017, I've has the honor of collaborating with Kevin Nieves of Headroom. As a team we participated in Designer’s United: Shelter for Displaced Humanity, a competition between designers in various fields for the benefit of displaced Rohingya people. Hosted by SoFA Design Institute, in partnership with the Goethe Institut, this competition sought to produce shelter designs that are unique, feasible, and maximizes livability for people seeking refuge from war and civil unrest.
Our entry, Chrysallis, is an efficient one-pack emergency shelter kit for a stand-alone family unit. When combined with similar kits, it can form community shelters that is humane, dignified and easy to install and use.
An efficient emergency shelter must be durable, lightweight and easy to use and install. The Chrysallis emergency shelter kit, from material selection to its installation system, is designed with these principles at the core.
The finished shelter provides 120 sq.m of space but its small initial size allows for more kits to be transported and delivered together at a time. It's packaging, made of 3/4" thk Phenolic board, also serves as a bed, table and additional storage, generating zero packaging waste.
The structural frames are made out of Aluminium Alloy 7075, having the strongest strength-to-weight ratio among metal alloys. Its perforations allows for a universal connection system that enable users to build a shelter without external tools and special training. Just insert, snap and lock.
For the side covers, Thermo Bi-metal fabric, that opens up when hot and closes when cold, is used to allow ventilation while protecting from moisture. Coated Ripstop Nylon, made from Dyneema thread, 15x stronger than steel, makes up its roof and skin, ensuring resistance from water, tears and abrasions.
These modifications, along with careful consideration of material specs, may seem tiny and invisible at face value, but are crucial to giving displaced people temporary homes that are safe and livable, at the soonest building time.
