Design 21: Social Design Network

Judging Feedback

FIRST PRIZE: Lightweight Emergency Shelter by Patrick Wharram

Ghassem Fardanesh: An effective approach to sheltering victims of disasters where the beauty, practicality and ease of living has received attention with great savings in transport and logistics of this product.
Nicholas Goldsmith: I liked this design because of its tremendous simplicity – it’s really a camping tent on a larger scale which shelters more than one or two people. Fabric and aluminum rods are integrated which is great, however I’m not sure how the doors work and a prototype would be most useful. Different fabrics should be considered for diverse climates, since a mesh is often not appropriate.
Emilano Godoy: An easy to build, simple, unified design is very appealing, as is the two material construction. The proposal is, however, not fully resolved and there are many issues regarding stability, weatherproofing, manufacturing, locking mechanisms and its ability to resist severe environmental conditions that should be developed to fully evaluate this design.
Mia Ferrara Pelosi: Patrick’s design is clean and efficient. The simple pop lock mechanism could be used by anyone and is standard technology, cutting manufacturing costs greatly. In shelter design, standard parts are great because it can allow for manufacturing flexibility; this thoughtful design is not only environmentally responsible but also very useable.


SECOND PRIZE: Reed Woven House by Javiera Barrientos, Ignacio Burgos Vargas, Jorge Henriquez Camus

Ghassem Fardanesh:An effective and culturally friendly shelter that is built with available material withstanding below zero temperatures with beauty and practicality.
Emiliano Godoy: This proposal responds magnificently to a specific scenario using local knowledge and resources, which translates into a design that is both feasible and context appropriate. It is not completely clear why existing local housing doesn't resolve the needs of this communities though, and why emergency shelters should be considered instead, especially when the proposed design cannot be manufactured in large quantities quickly or in advance.
Nicholas Goldsmith: Great sustainable solution for a very specific local problem, which I didn’t even know about. The solution reminds me of the old French farmhouses where animals on the ground floor heated the farmers on the second floor.
Mia Ferrara Pelosi: The use of indigenous material is so important, both giving people their livelihood and providing shelter simultaneously. The complete picture of a successful life, and how to sustain it, is addressed beautifully by the designers. The inclusion of the animals is something often forgotten, even though it is the most important part of most societies. This design could be used throughout most of the world.


THIRD PRIZE & MOST POPULAR: Sanctuary by Jonathan Kim, Thomas Herrström, Calle Uggla, Magnus Sparrman

Ghassem Fardanesh: A practical and effective way to address the need of affected population with ease of production, low transport cost and simple assembly.
Emiliano Godoy: The Sanctuary is the proposal that best resolves the ease of manufacturing, storage, delivery and reuse factors of the shelter, with great potential for mass production. Overall it is a great design for emergencies that require fast, large scale and short-term relief, and where transitional housing may be provided shortly afterwards.
Nicholas Goldsmith: What I liked about this solution was its quality of a life preserver and not a building. It could store flat in large quantities at decentralized locations and be ready to use quickly for a tsunami when needed.
Mia Ferrara Pelosi: The Sanctuary Shelter is a solid example of a quick response shelter. It is superior to a tent structure but encompasses both the shipping ease and set up qualities of the standard tent (albeit improved greatly without poles, stakes, and ropes). The aid supplies are well thought out, particularly the footwear option (could be made from recycled tires).
Cynthia E. Smith: Overall, I was struck by the large number and variety of innovative solutions submitted, which is an indication of the expanding interest in socially responsible design. The selected finalists reflect the range of thinking for what is required; not necessarily one approach for any geographical area or situation. Local materials are used for low cost appropriate solutions, while the latest textiles and lightweight frames ease mass deployment to disaster zones.