With two million residents recently forced to evacuate the Gulf Coast, the need for emergency housing has never been more evident. There’s nothing flimsy about the intricate folds of the reCover Shelter, which can sustain a family of four following a disaster for up to a month. As you may suspect, the oversized origami structure can be entirely collapsed into not one, but two different shapes (either horse-shoe or flat) depending on which is easier to transport. Plus, it’s composed of polypropylene, meaning no harmful gases go into the production of the shelter and it is 100% recyclable after use. Set-up takes minutes and only requires one person on deck.
We’re watching Tropical Storm Gustav in hopes that no one will have to put the Accordion reCover Shelter to good use anytime in the near future, but it’s cool enough that we just might consider pitching the folded structure on a campsite just for the fun of it.
The Accordion reCover Shelter was designed as a first response shelter – “something that could be transported to the site when infrastructures such as roads were unusable”. Once the temporary residence is unfolded, the functional ridges can be used to collect drinking water, and local materials or even ground cover can be used to better insulate the structure and keep harsh weather at bay. As a sustainable and inexpensive solution to an unfortunate situation that seems to arise more and more often these days, the Accordion Shelter provides a quick roof over victim’s heads and lets them start planning immediately for better days to come.
The Accordion reCover Shelter was designed by Matthew Malone, Amanda Goldberg, Jennifer Metcalf and Grant Meacham. They have successfully constructed and tested two full-size prototypes and have found them to hold up well against heavy winds and snow.
Via Yanko Design
