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In the Asia-Pacific region alone, the percentage of natural disasters is reaching an eerie figure: 42.9. Over the past 20 years, hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes have displaced 25 million people. To make matters worse, experts predict that this figure will only grow in the next 5-10 years. Now people are saving themselves by pitching tents. Yes, they are cheap and light, but they cannot protect from the heat, they cannot be supplied with electricity or furniture.
The Singapore-based architecture firm WY-TO came up with an interesting solution. The Living Shelter is an inexpensive foldable house that is easy to transport from place to place, assemble and disassemble. The Living Shelter prototype has everything a homeless person might need: ventilation, clean water, solar panels and even practical 3D printed furniture.
“Our architects and engineers live in Singapore, and we know firsthand about the dire consequences of natural disasters. We decided to apply all our skills and come up with a variant of a shelter that would match the climatic and geographical features of Southeast Asia, ”explains a WY-TO representative.
The idea for a similar dwelling came to the minds of WY-TO's architects and engineers when they looked at the traditional Kampung. This unusual type of dwelling is originally from Malaysia, and its main feature is that its construction takes into account the surrounding natural conditions (for example, in Malaysia, such houses are built on stilts to protect residents from flooding and wild animals). And at the same time, the term denotes a village and strong communal ties.
Living Shelter epitomizes both: it is a shelter that adapts to the environment and protects its occupants, and a way to help affected people reunite and rebuild together. The latter is vital for disaster recovery.
The Living Shelter has a water collection tank, a built-in solar panel on the roof, an elaborate ventilation system, and even foldable furniture (beds and hammocks).
To create the folding furniture and Living Shelter mechanism, the WY-TO team used 3D printing technology and composites to ensure durability without weight.
At the heart of the Living Shelter is a collapsible and foldable design, so it is packaged in convenient flat boxes and can be assembled without special tools, such as Ikea furniture. When the need for housing is no longer necessary, it can be easily disassembled and then reassembled if necessary. Another advantage of the Living Shelter is that it can be assembled on uneven surfaces, which are common in the Asia-Pacific region.
Living Shelter is still at the prototyping stage. WY-TO has filed a patent for the entire development and simulation process, as well as for individual specifications.
