Humanitarian intent: Urgent Architecture from ecohomes to shelters – in pictures
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Conflict, natural disasters, climate change, population growth, urbanisation and poverty all demand that people think differently about housing and shelter. As many as 100 million people are homeless, so structures must be deliverable, affordable and suitable for devastating conditions. Urgent Architecture, by Bridgette Meinhold, looks at sustainable solutions ranging from basic shelters to ecohomes. Some are prototypes, others are being tested and some are common in disaster areas
All photographs: Urgent Architecture/WW Norton & Co
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The Habihut
US architect Bruce Sterling has designed a lightweight flatpack shelter made out of plastic sheeting. Up to 72 can be loaded into one standard container and each can be erected in an hour. Tested after the Haiti earthquake and expected to last 10-15 years
Habihuts
According to the makers, thousands of could be made and stockpiled around the world in vulnerable areas. Cost: $2,500
The Life Cube
This portable emergency shelter for four people can be erected at the push of a button in five minutes using the same technology as inflatable boats. The five-foot cube with its own foundations and flooring is said to contain everything that a family of four might need immediately after a disaster, including a first aid kit, portable toilet, sleeping bags, and food and water supplies
The Life Cube
can be dropped by parachute and rolled on to site. It is designed to be reused up to 50 times. It can be packed up in 30 minutes, so it is possible to use it as an emergency clinic. One is deployed by the Red Cross. Cost: $10,000
Bamboo shelter
Bamboo is ideal to build strong, simple shelters that can be erected quickly and easily. It can be harvested locally in some areas then split, or it can be imported. Tarpaulin, plastic sheeting or branches and leaves can be used to make these shelters waterproof. Cost: depends on availability of bamboo
Reaction Housing System
This shelter is easily deployable and can be assembled without tools or specific skills, and is big enough to house large numbers of people. Based on the idea of stackable coffee cups, each ‘shell’ can be carried by four people, and stacked and linked in rows, or clusters
Reaction Housing System
The has not been used in an emergency, but the designers say the shelters could be used in 10 or more types of emergency. Cost: $5,000
Recovery Huts
These hard-shell shelters were designed by architect Harry Skinner after the Kashmir earthquake in 2005. Designed to be erected within an hour by a single adult, they are reusable, cheap and tough. Each hut has four sections that snap together. They can be connected together to create separate rooms
Recovery Huts
are tougher than tents, and the shelters are easily transportable because the sections nest together on lorries. Cost: $1,200
Shelter Box
This compact British-made emergency box was first deployed after the 2001 Gujarat earthquake in India. More than 100,000 have been used so far in 140 major disasters in more than 70 countries
Shelter Box
Each is 2.5 cubic feet and contains a tent for 10 people, a children’s pack, thermal blankets, toolkit, stove and whatever is specifically needed for an emergency. Cost $1,000
Drash (deployable rapid assembly shelter)
This emergency shelter system was used by the US national guard and police after hurricane Katrina in 2005. Originally intended for military use, Drash can be erected by four people in less than 15 minutes
Drash
Designed for the harshest environments and said to last for 10 years, have been used to set up hospitals and schools, and have been bought by the Red Cross and other humanitarian NGOs. Cost: unknown
WheelLY
This rolling portable and expandable shelter can serve as a mobile home for homeless people. The Italian-designed structure can be pushed around using its rubber-covered aluminium wheels, turned into a seat, and at night parked and expanded to make sleeping areas
WheelLY
There is room for a pet and the can even earn money if its sides are plastered with advertisements. Prototypes only so far. Cost: $1,040Explore more on these topics