See How An Indian Designer Created Emergency Shelter For Refugees

“Design can provide a sense of permanency in a temporary environment”

This Indian girl has come up with a concept that could work wonders for the refugee settlements. Sanjana Paramhans, who graduated from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in interior designing, created the prototype while working on her undergrad thesis in 2016.

She designed a make-shift set up which would have a sense of permanency in a temporary situation.

The system I have created (a prototype) can be easily packaged and shipped. It is made from fiberglass reinforced gypsum which makes it extremely lightweight, while not compromising its structural stability. It has been created in such a way that it can be easily built by two people within an hour without using and electrical hardware.

Here’s a video that explains the prototype.

She achieved this using two Panels and a slotting system. After a lot of deliberation, she created a system that could be combined to create a community space. The system has a bed and a storage space and the bed can also be converted into a chair. To enforce permanency, she tried to pay attention to privacy, not only for the inhabitants, but also their goods.

When fully operational, the module starts behaving like a house with an incorporated roof. It was designed in such a way that it allows for a number of possible permutations in terms of arrangement to accommodate individuals as well as large families.

“I decided to make a sanctuary for those who are temporarily displaced. An emergency shelter, to settle in before the legalities take place. Although intended to last a few days, sometimes these process’s take up to months, leaving the refugees in extremely temporary dwellings”