The Liina Transitional Modular Shelter Needs No Tools for Assembly

The <a href="http://blogs.aalto.fi/shelter/">Liina Transitional Shelter</a> is a completely prefabricated, modular shelter created for refugees and recovery situations. Designed and built by students of the <a href="http://arkkitehtuuri.tkk.fi/engl/woodprog/" target="_blank">Wood Program at Aalto University</a>, the shelter is a temporary building that adapts to colder climates, and aims to provide a sustainable solution for displaced individuals. The shelter consists of modular, insulated panels made with Finnish wood, and the structure can be put it together byt two people in about 6 hours without any power tools. The jointed panels are fit together to form frames, which are then tilted up and stacked together.

This design is specifically for a family of 4-5 people for a period of up to 5 years intended for use during the post-crisis reconstruction period.

Inside, the 18 sq meter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_shelter" target="_blank">transitional shelter</a> features two semi-private sleeping spaces, a galley kitchen and dual purpose eating/living/workspace.

A loft can be used as additional sleeping space or storage, while an outdoor sheltered patio provides extra outdoor living or working space.

The student team originally designed this shelter for the climate of the <a href="http://www.allaboutturkey.com/ararat.htm" target="_blank">Ararat</a> region in Turkey, which is known for its large share of natural disasters and political turmoil.

The shelter's design however can be modified to fit a wide range of climates and its modular design can be adapted to fit a variety of situations or needs.

The building block for the <a href="https://blogs.aalto.fi/shelter/about/the-project/" target="_blank">Liina Shelter</a> is a prefabricated, wooden sandwich panel built from plywood and LVL (laminated veneer lumber) panels with wood-fiber insulation.

The panels are lightweight and joined together with simple, repeated wooden-dowelled joints to form a house-shaped frame.

Nylon straps ('liina' in Finnish) are wrapped around the frames to hold them together tight before each is tilted up and stacked in line with the other frames.

After all the panels are in place, the shelter is covered with a tent-like canopy to protect it from water and UV damage.

No power tools are required to assemble the frames and they are light enough that two people can easily assemble them and move them into place.

Assembly time is estimated to be around 6 hours.

Model of the Liina Transitional Shelter.

Assembly diagram for the Liina Transitional Shelter.