August 14, 2005
White box homes for global disasters
Those of you who remember the foldup yurt I was working on a few years ago might find this interesting: Global Village Shelters is now sending foldup cardboard emergency shelters to places like Grenada that were recently hit by hurricanes.The design is pretty simple: it's a foldup box with a pyramid roof. The design relies on a newly developed material for its strength and for sound/thermal insulation. The material is three-layer corrugated cardboard that has been chemically treated to resist moisture and fire. The design team (Ferrara Design) has partnered with Weyerhauser to make this new material.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
There's something kind of creepily reassuring about the idea of sending these things to a region recently struck by disaster. The design aesthetic is, well, white and sterile, like a nurse's uniform. The iconic house shape (one front door, one window at the back) says "This is a safe house" to people seeking shelter in a time of need. Posted by todd at August 14, 2005 08:18 AM