During Hovsepian’s time at school she explored architectural skins and came up with the idea to design a cheap, transportable emergency housing shelter specifically for the homeless. After many iterations and design ideas, she settled on using recycled cardboard as the material because it was inexpensive, lightweight, sustainable, naturally insulated and had structural properties. Origami was the basis for the structure because it gave the cardboard even more structure and could easily be folded down for transport.
Hovsepian has built larger pavilion type shelters as well as smaller ones for individual use, and she is currently in talks with a non-profit organization called Everyone Deserves a Roof to find a manufacturer to develop the concept into a real product. Field research and testing of the current homeless shelter has already occurred on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Hovespian also hopes to refine the design so it becomes waterproof, fire-retardant, more comfortable and more portable. Eventually, the shelters would be distributed through EDAR to those individuals who need them.
Tina Hovsepian, a 2009 graduate from the USC School of Architecture, has designed and developed a foldable, portable, emergency housing shelter based on the principles of origami. Her Cardborigami shelter is constructed from recycled cardboard and into
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The cardboard origami homeless shelter was designed to be portable, lightweight, sustainable, naturally insulated and inexpensive.
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While exploring architectural skins during architecture school at USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, Hovsepian thought up the idea to create the shelter and determined that the principles of origami could help her create it.
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The cardboard already has some of its own structural properties, but folding it gives it even more structural support and transforms it into a cardboard tent.
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The cardboard is easily expanded and unfolded from its flat, transportable mode and it can be set up within minutes.
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At this point, the prototype is just made from recycled cardboard, but Hovsepian wants to make a fire retardant and waterproof version for more durability and greater comfort.
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Cardborigami also features a floor so inhabitants of the shelter are not resting directly on the ground.
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A flap can be folded up in the front to gain entrance and then it can be folded down for privacy.
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Here Hovsepian is conducting field research on Skid Row to test out her prototype in order to make improvements to the design.
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This version is for individuals and can house two persons inside laying down flat.
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Hovsepian also designed and built a larger model that can act as a pavilion for multiple people.
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This model is based on the same principles of origami but was more challenging to design because of its size.
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Hovsepian is currently working with the non-profit organization Everyone Deserves a Roof to help develop the idea further, find a manufacturer and eventually distribute them to individuals who need them.
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Cardborigami is made from a cheap, recyclable, sustainable, self-insulated, and structural material that becomes a portable, flexible, lightweight, structural skin and enclosure.
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