May 8, 2016 | By Kira

A staggering 42.9% of natural disasters occur in the Asia Pacific region alone. In the past 20 years, these natural disasters, including typhoons, tsunamis and earthquakes, have left more than 25 million people homeless, and at risk of starvation, disease, and death. To make matters worse, the intensity of natural disasters is expected to increase in the next five to ten years. The current common solution for emergency relief is to deploy tents. While cheap and lightweight, tents lack security, they aren’t adapted to hot and tropical climates, and they can’t provide energy or basic furniture.

Looking to marry design and technology as a solution for disaster relief, Singapore-based architecture firm WY-TO has designed the Living Shelter: an affordable collapsible capsule that is easy to ship and assemble, and optimized for disaster relief in Southeast Asia. The Living Shelter prototype provides everything devastated communities require following a natural disaster: security, climate-adapted ventilation, clean water, solar energy, and even practical, 3D printed furniture for daily use.

“As world citizens and professional architects and engineers based in Singapore, we felt the urge to support the populations affected by these catastrophes. We decided to use our skills to create a shelter solution designed specifically for the climate, geography, and cultural habits of Southeast Asia,” explained WY-TO Architects.

During the design process, WY-TO’s architects and engineers were inspired by traditional “kampung” housing. Originating from Malaysia, kampung can refer to the houses themselves, which are adapted specifically to their environments (for example, many Malay kampung houses are built on stilts to avoid wild animals or floods). At the same time, the term can refer to a village defined by its strong community ties.

The Living Shelter is also about both: it is a refuge that is adapted to its environment so as to keep individual inhabitants safe, while at the same time helping communities re-connect and re-build—an absolutely essential part of the recovery process.

The Living Shelter’s features include a water bag for collection, a built-in solar panel on the roof to provide basic energy, clever openings for natural ventilation, and even built-in, foldable furniture such as beds and hammocks.

To achieve both the foldable, portable furniture and the custom-made folding mechanism of the structure itself, WY-TO has been exploring 3D printed and composite materials that can provide stability without adding extra weight.

Because it is based on a collapsible design, the entire structure ships in convenient flat packs and can be assembled without special tools, just like Ikea furniture. When no longer needed, the components can be just as easily dismantled and each piece can be re-used for other purposes post-emergency. Another advantage is that the Living Shelter can be assembled on uneven terrain, which is often the case in these regions.

Though still in its prototype stage, the Living Shelter is currently being patented in Singapore for its overall engineering and design, as well as particular technical features. Looking to take it beyond prototype stage and into the real world of disaster relief, WY-TO will be exhibiting the 1:1 Living Shelter Prototype at the 15th Biennale de Architettura, taking place in Venice this May—and they are raising funds via an Indiegogo campaign to help make their debut as powerful and effective as possible.

“The project is ready to bring its innovative solution in the disaster relief market and start to help the communities in need,” said WY-TO, who has found initial funding from the Design Singapore Council. “Even with the great support of our sponsor, Living Shelter requires additional funding. Every dollar counts to bring the prototype to the Biennale.”

The Indiegogo campaign, is currently seeking $40,000 to help prototype new materials, including 3D printed composites for the portable furniture, as well as pay for workmanship, shipping, and marketing fees. Rewards include personalized recognition, as well as 3D printed keychains and even a 3D printed model miniature of the Living Shelter.

3D printed housing may still be several years, if not decades, away for most of us, however those in disaster-prone areas may not have that long to wait.

In addition to WY-TO’s flat-pack shelter, 3D printing has been a part of several other disaster relief efforts: Field Ready has used 3D printing to help Nepal’s earthquake recovery, while 3D printer drones are being developed to build emergency shelters around the world.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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