Pop-Up Shelters May Help Solve Problems of Homelessness and Aid Relief

Australian social entrepreneur Alastair Pryor was inspired to create an eco-friendly, element-proof shelter after an encounter with a homeless man.

Image via Gizmag

“I used to work as a ‘tradie’ building scaffolding, and one morning we were drilling and it woke up a homeless man below us. It really made me think about how poor his living conditions were. I thought if I could design a shelter that he could fold up each day, or fold into a box, it would be highly beneficial,” said 24-year-old Australian social entrepreneur Alastair Pryor.

As he worked on his project, it turned into something bigger—aid relief. The resulting product, dubbed the Compact Shelter, is a waterproof, windproof, collapsible dwelling that can be assembled and disassembled in around two minutes. The shelter can comfortably fit four people, and is equipped with air vents on the sides to help regulate internal temperature. When erected, the structure measures 6.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 feet, and when it's collapsed, it measures 70 x 40 x 2.75 inches. It weighs in at 35 pounds. The structures are made from a UV stabilized polypropylene that is 100% recyclable. Because of their modular design, they can be connected to one another to make larger units.

The structures run at about $150 a piece.

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[via psfk]

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