In collaboration with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and Swedish Refugee Housing Unit (RHU), Ikea designer a modular flat packed shelter that can be assembled and transported to remote areas with ease. The building is composed of a metal frame that holds lightweight plastic panels that make up the roof and walls. To make sure the shelter stays upright during storms that house’s frame is made rigid by guide wires.
While the structure of the IKEA shelter is an important aspect of the project, so it keeping the shelter cool and providing its inhabitants with power. To achieve these goals IKEA has covered the shelters roof with an aluminum shade that keeps the structure cooler during the day and warmer at night. To generate electricity the shelter is also equipped with a solar panel that is connected to both a light and an USB port.
Current IKEA’s current shelter prototype is being tested in Ethiopia by refugees living in the UNHCR’s Dollo Ado camp and their input will help guide IKEAs final design. Although IKEAs current prototype cost $10,000 (€ 7,670) IKEA believes that it can bring the unit price down to $1,000 (€ 767) if it were mass produced.
Between IKEA’s new shelter, Visible Good’s Rapid Deployment Module and the Global Vehicle Trust’s OX truck refugees across the globe stand a better chance of creating a life that resembled their own, even in the face of extreme difficulty.
Watch a Video about the IKEA Foundations Shelter Design:
Images and Video Courtesy of IKEA Foundation