Deployable Emergency Shelter

Extreme environments are hostile, often with unpredictable and uncontrollable conditions. Preparation becomes essential to survival, when there is little visibility, no cell phone coverage and sub-zero temperatures. The Deployable Emergency Shelter provides a shelter design that embraces and utilises these extreme conditions to its advantage, rather than fight against them. The shelter was tested at five different locations in Alaska during a month-long expedition. The shelter is inspired by local flora and fauna, snow caves and the traditional Inuit igloos. It uses snow capture as an insulator – snow is a building material rather than a burden. It can be deployed in seconds and provide a 24°C difference between the interior and exterior. The original water droplet form of the shelter is optimised to further improve aerodynamic performance, anchoring the shelter and dispersing wind forces. Mylar is used on the inside of the origami skin to reflect heat into the interior. The lightweight and strong fibreglass lattice holds up the structure of the shelter and is connected to the origami skin, thereby allowing for simultaneous deployment. All these features combine to produce a cost-effective structure that is instantly deployable, lightweight, rugged and enables human survival in extreme weather conditions. Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Concept | Sports & Recreation