Ikea creates revolutionary shelter for refugee camps
Published: 2013 June 27 07:45:30 (4961 Views)
Thousands of desperate souls, huddled together in ripped, tatty tents, providing little shelter from the heat of the day or the bitter cold of night could become a thing of the past, thanks to the king of flatpack furniture – Ikea.
The Swedish company has created a self-assembly 'shed', with solar panels, insulation – and a front door.
Paul Spiegel, an official with the UN Refugee Agency, said: 'This is a better solution than tents. It has potential to be better in the elements and the weather.'
Ikea's charitable foundation arm worked with the UN to develop the alternative to tents and tarpaulin.
The UNHCR estimates that 3.5million refugees, or ten per cent of the world's refugee population, live in tents.
The solar panels on the shelter generate electricity for lighting and the shelter's walls and roof are composed of a laminated polymer material that offers UV protection and insulation.
Each shelter costs about £4,500 to make – compared to a £300 tent – but Ikea is confident it can get the price down if manufactured on a large scale.
Johan Karlsson, a representative with the refugee housing unit, said: 'It is designed this way, like an Ikea bookshelf, to be easy to transport and to be easy to set up in the field.'
Some of the flatpack structures are being tested at UN camps in Ethiopia, Iraq and Lebanon.
It could be some months before full production is started, depending on feedback from the field.
- Metro
The Swedish company has created a self-assembly 'shed', with solar panels, insulation – and a front door.
Paul Spiegel, an official with the UN Refugee Agency, said: 'This is a better solution than tents. It has potential to be better in the elements and the weather.'
Ikea's charitable foundation arm worked with the UN to develop the alternative to tents and tarpaulin.
The UNHCR estimates that 3.5million refugees, or ten per cent of the world's refugee population, live in tents.
The solar panels on the shelter generate electricity for lighting and the shelter's walls and roof are composed of a laminated polymer material that offers UV protection and insulation.
Each shelter costs about £4,500 to make – compared to a £300 tent – but Ikea is confident it can get the price down if manufactured on a large scale.
Johan Karlsson, a representative with the refugee housing unit, said: 'It is designed this way, like an Ikea bookshelf, to be easy to transport and to be easy to set up in the field.'
Some of the flatpack structures are being tested at UN camps in Ethiopia, Iraq and Lebanon.
It could be some months before full production is started, depending on feedback from the field.
- Metro
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