In August 2010 a flood hits a remote part of Northern Africa causing countless homes to be destroyed. Temporary shelter is needed fast to protect the survivors from the harsh surrounding climate. The shelter must be adaptable enough to house the increasing number victims due to the flood progressively taking its toll. Drop, Pop, and Lock shelters provide an innovative solution to such a crisis by offering individual units (capable of housing up to 6 people) that can be flat-packed inside a standard shipping container. When an appropriate area is found to set up the emergency community Drop, Pop and Lock units can be unloaded from the delivery truck and popped into position using an integral tensioned arm/lever. Virtually no setting up is required; once it is erected all that needs to be done for the most basic shelter is tether the units to the ground.
The DPL unit forms a 2.3m cube utilising removable hinged joints so that setting up is fast and more than one unit can be joined together to create larger structures. The hinged frame of the cube is made from recyclable polypropylene to maintain structural strenghth and square panels made from corrugated plastic to reduce weight. A sheath is provided to waterproof the structure, which also provides a space to post information (missing persons etc.) and for visual customisation to create a sense of home.
DPL shelters are supplied empty so that function specific equipment can be added later. The sheaths act as a colour-coding system so that the function of each unit (sleeping quarters, sanitation etc.) can be easily identified. The aim of DPL is to provide a quick and easy-to-assemble shelter to create an adaptible and flexible community that can support survivors for the duration of their turmoil.