Israeli designer Ohad Lustgarten designed Shade and Shelter as part of his final project at Shenkar College of Design, the same center that spawned living lace made from bacteria. The six foot tall prototype constructed out of cardboard looks like a giant centipede when it is unwound but then coils up to provide a lightweight shelter against sand, sun and wind.
A lightweight modular design that can be easily transported, Shade and Shelter stands at six feet and has enough space inside to fit few people lying down. When it is unravelled on a flexible central fiberglass pole, the shelter creates a barrier on one side, and wrapped completely it functions as a complete shelter.
The upper slats are slightly narrower and have grooves that direct rainwater into collecting pools. Although the part of the shelter that is open is bound to allow some water to pass inside, remaining water can be purified and then used for cooking, drinking and whatever other needs the inhabitants might have.
Lustgarten harbors some plans to outfit the shelter with photovoltaic solar panels that could be used to power small devices. He is also working on a new metal material that can detect temperature changes and unravel on its own as necessary.
As the folks at A/N Blog note, this is great for desert environments like our own in the Middle East, but it can also be used in other settings such as emergency response.
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