Refuge for Refugees

2018. Proof-of-concept for a cheap, warm, weather-proof pop-up shelter for use by refugees, victims of natural disasters and the homeless. Supported by a single structural pole, it would be 23 feet long and seven feet high and could house a family of six.

I chose to form the walls from two layers of Tyvek laminated with mylar (the thin reflective material sometimes used for emergency “blankets”) and heat-sealed to form air pockets that can be inflated on site with a bicycle pump.
The Tyvek alone is durable, waterproof and somewhat insulative. Mylar is a radiative insulator. Having it on the tent’s top surface keeps the shelter from overheating during the day, while having it on interior helps retain body heat for survival in cold conditions. With the air pockets inflated, it achieves a 10.5 R value, at a cost of $0.10/sf.

Materials: Heat-sealed Tyvek and mylar

Collaborators: Louie Adamian