Reminding us about the high-art of origami, social entrepreneur Alastair Pryor has incredibly designed his ‘Compact Shelter’, an emergency habitable unit that is lightweight, portable and easy-to-assemble. Coming in its simple yet innovative flat packed, paper-like form, the ‘pop up’ design is tailor-made for those calamitous scenarios where fast responsive measures become the order of the day.
In terms of structure, the 275 cubic ft (6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 feet) Compact Shelter is crafted from UV stabilized polypropylene, a durable material that is known for its resistance to weather extremities and heat. In fact, its thermal insulation properties endow the collapsible tent with a mirco-climate of its own that is independent of the outdoor conditions. The habitable scope is further improved with the inclusion of strategically placed air-vents (manually operable) that allow hot air to escape and cool air to tepidly flow inside.
However, the definitive feature of the Compact Shelter is arguably related to its easy usability factor. To that end, the habitable unit only weighs a paltry 35 lbs (around 16 kg), and can be set up under 2 minutes from its flat packed form, by just using our bare hands. Moreover, there is a modular side to the whole affair, with the ability of the individual units to co-exist in a collectively arranged group – thus allowing shelter to a larger number of emergency victims, and that too in a communal manner.
The overall ‘societal’ advantage is accompanied by the ambit of recycling. According to Pryor, the polypropylene can be melted down and then wholly reproduced for other purposes. So, at the end of the day, the scope is not only about the conscientious pattern of usage, but also entails the low-impact nature of shelters that rather complements the diligent communal side of habitation.
For more info, follow the launching product page for Compact Shelter.
Via: Inhabitat
