SOS …. The Emergency Shelter project.

At Federation square in Melbourne from May 2nd till May 5th is an exhibition that proposes emergency shelters that could not only protect people from rain and other elements in emergency situations but also provide a space to feel secure and comfortable in a disastrous environment, which is fundamental to the recovery process. The Emergency Shelter Exhibition is a unique, charitable event supported by some of the world’s leading architectural innovators to explore solutions to emergency shelters in disaster-affected locations around the world. So if your in Melbourne come on down and check out the innovative designs that explore this interesting subject. Below are projects from Woods Bagot Melbourne and Geyer Melbourne just 2 of the 10 studios involved.

Above and below -The EN-FOLD design team from Woods Bagot said, “We welcomed the challenge of creating a shelter that is suitable for disaster-struck communities and also provides a level of comfort during such a desperate time.We set out to address the myriad of issues that surround emergency shelter design, and in understanding them, we were able to appreciate architecture’s role as both home and healer during a natural disaster. As designers we were keen to explore the forms generated by simply folding and manipulating flat planes, in this case A4 sheets of paper, with the potential of folding the structure into a flat-pack arrangement .The skin and bone approach evolved as the inherent strength of the folds informed an expandable lattice frame between which a translucent skin is stretched. The result is an expandable modular shelter which expresses structure, skin and enclosure in a single entity.

Below – Team Parashelter : “Our concept is based around the delivery method of a parachute. We focused on bush-fires, a local emergency situation that has touched so many around us.The vision is to deliver the shelter to those located in isolated areas when other transport means are unavailable. Every aspect of the design serves a purpose, from the high visibility materials to the delivery ‘bag’ which unfolds to form the shelter base.”

Below Geyer Melbourne – “Wrapped: A place for protection, a blanket, a hug”. Geyer proposes a shelter in the form of a ‘cocoon’, a small scale place to climb into and feel protected. The shelter is not oversized, it is not something for a long time. The scale therefore is intimate, human scale, for one person to pick up and own.The Geyer shelter proposal is organic, tactile, and creates a warmer, softer approach to the construction of a temporary shelter. It is lightweight to be unfolded on site, and can be easily moved to join together with other shelters helping to form small communities.Geyer are mindful of the need to ensure the shelter can support connections and interaction with the wider community. Using a fabric panel construction, the shelter allows for occupants to own their shelter by being able to pin information, signs, names on it, to not only identify their shelter, but to utilise an opportunity for communication and connection at this vulnerable time. (plywood prototype below)

To see the finished shelters come along to The Emergency Shelter project.