Episode C; cart shelter This episode is visual – a response to an open architectural design competition in 2006, for a shelter for homeless people in their cart. It got a 2009 OAA Award in the category of concepts/ proposals. Homelessness is a complex issue encompassing multiple facets of society. Considering the North American context, especially Canada, we are faced with shocking figures: the federal estimate of homeless people in Canada was 150,000 in 2005, [0.5 percent of the population], while homeless advocates estimated it to be closer to 300,000. Clearly homelessness is growing in size and complexity.
In this design proposal design itself is a tool that brings social awareness and discussion to society; both people and institutions can contribute to the solving of this phenomena. The objective was to create some sort of a shelter out of the only possession of many homeless people, the very cart that they carry all the time. The shelter had to be easy to manufacture [simple joints and details] and to use recycled and waste materials for the frame and the base. Fabric for the transformable shelter had to be flexible and waterproof [easy to shrink and expand]. A folding/sliding bed-frame supports the shelter/tent, and it had to be affordable, to function well, and to be feasible in its manufacture. v
[day time] shrunk
container
frame
cover
transformable shelter (fabric with aluminum structure)
sub-container, paper, newspaper, recyclables container base shelter supporter main base wheel frame
wheels
[night time] expanded
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On Site review 23
Small Things
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