The CHI 2008 Student Design Competition is, broadly described, about designing for the homeless. A Wired News feature today focused on the need for short-term housing following disasters that create large populations of suddenly homeless—such as the 800,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina two years ago, or the 130,000 residents similarly affected by an earthquake in Indonesia last year:
State-provided housing is expensive, too temporary and can be potentially harmful to residents. A growing number of architects and designers is exploring humanitarian design for people displaced by a natural disaster or other emergency.
Wired published a gallery of the twelve most promising quick-fix shelters. Most emphasize use of readily available or easily transportable materials, ranging from wooden pallets to inflatable concrete tents to polyester on an aluminum frame.
California architect Gregg Fleishman‘s portable DH1 Disaster House doesn’t require a single nail to build. Rather, it uses tabs — like a 3-D puzzle — to fit together without fasteners or other hardware. The simple design uses slotted plywood to provide durability and flexibility. Panels arrive pre-cut, and recipients just need to unpack and snap them together to create a 14-foot-square insta-home.
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