Tag: SHELTER

Cantilevered Cabin: Dizzying Alpine Shelter Hangs Off the Edge of a Cliff

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

Even someone brave enough to overcome fears of heights and climb a mountain may not have the stomach to spend the night in this suspended shelter on the edge of a vertigo-inducing abyss.

Designed by OFIS Arhitekti (images by Janez Martincic), this precariously-perched space sits on Slovenian-Italian border and boasts 360-degree views over the landscapes of both countries. Inside, a series of resting platforms and a few pieces of minimalist rustic decor are the extent of the amenities provided.

Despite its fragile appearance, the cabin was (of course) constructed to deal with the extreme conditions of the location’s altitude and weather exposure on Mount Kanin. Indeed, it took multiple attempts for a helicoptered construction crew to get the prefab structure in place and tether it to the surrounding stone.

The cozy refuge from wind, snug and landslides (overnight guests may not want to know) is intended in part as a test of the materials, to see how they will stand up over time.

“The challenge is to install real objects remote sites … and study their response to extreme weather, radical temperature shifts, snow and rugged terrain” say the designers. “The harsh conditions of wind, snow, landslides, terrain, and weather require a response of specific architectural forms, structures and concept.” Despite those daunting challenges, the space is intended to “become a destination for hikers, climbers, cavers, mountaineers, nature lovers and romantics.”

Mountaintop Tent: Airlifted Alpine Retreat Built at 8,000 Feet

Created as a tribute to a mountain guide killed in an tragic avalanche, this tent-shaped shelter of wood and steel was helicoptered in pieces and assembled at an elevation of 2531 meters in …

Fossilized Retreat: Log Cabin Remnants Recast in Concrete

Using the existing logs from a previous cabin structure as formwork, this retreat manages to retain the scale and textures of its predecessor in a dramatically modern new …

Extreme Cliff Living: Modular House Dangles Precariously

Only the uppermost portion of this ambitious five-level home is visible when approaching from land, preserving the views for others and making for one dramatic way to live adjacent to the sea. …

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

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WebUrbanist

November 28, 2016
Water Bed: Tow an Amphibious Mobile Shelter Behind Your Bike

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

Combining the cheap convenience of a hostel with the outdoor access of a tent, this wheeled micro-dwelling can be carted behind a bicycle then lowered into the water for a night of floating fun.

Created by Royal College of Art (RCA) graduate Daniel Durnin, the shelter features a watertight bottom, canvass walls and operable wood-framed fenestration for viewing and circulation.

The tent-on-the-water approach renders urban lakes, rivers and streams suddenly more accessible, creating alternative campgrounds that take up no space on land. It is designed with city’s like Durnin’s own (London) in mind, places where waterways are more prevalent than unused grounds.

“I hope that the work will reawaken our connection with nature using the waterways as a catalyst and restore balance to the more networked living space that we now inhabit, not just in London but across the globe,” says Durnin.

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Bike Tire Tent: Compact Travel Shelter Wraps Inside Wheels

For the cycling nomad, this design uses space you never knew you had, and helps free up room in front-of-handlebar baskets or on above-back-tire racks for …
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Modified Water Bike: Inventor Commutes San Francisco Bay

Both the first person to bike across the San Francisco Bay and over the Hudson River is great, but being able to skip traffic jams and cycle to work over the …
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H2O to Go: Bike Bottle Makes Water from Thin Air as You Cycle

Using air flow and solar energy, this ingenious device creates up to 16 ounces (a half-liter) per hour of drinkable water via condensation as you ride, …
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[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

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November 27, 2015
Typographic Shelter: Most Obvious City Bus Stop in the World

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

If you cannot spot this giant bus shelter in Baltimore, you may have bigger problems than missing the bus and getting to work on time.

Standing 14 feet high, the signage-plus-bus-stop spells out B-U-S in big capital letters, providing spaces to sit (on all three characters) as well as overhead protection from the rain (in the B and S). Each letter is also seven feet wide.

Created by mmmm, “BUS is a place to enjoy, interact, and meet while waiting for the bus. It is a leisure space in the middle of the rhythm of the city, a fun place for the inevitable waiting at a bus stop. BUS is made with wood and steel, materials that are typically used to build urban furniture.”

The idea is to work with simple, conventional and durable materials to create something both functional but potentially iconic – a place that anyone will know when you mention it. Like other guerrilla bus stops and functional urban shelters, it certainly stands out, but also seems more straightforward and civic.

“The three letters of BUS are big enough to accommodate two to four people each and protect them from rain, sun, wind, and inclement weather. They allow people to assume different postures of sitting or standing while waiting for the bus. The S allows people to lie back while they wait, and the B provides shelter.”

From their website, this is “a permanent public art project supported by Creative Alliance and Southeast Community Development Corporation in conjunction with the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC), and SPAIN arts & culture. It is part of the initiative TRANSIT, Creative Placemaking with Europe in Baltimore.”

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The Bus Stops Here! 34 Bus Stop Guerilla Marketing Hacks

Most bus stops are… less than stellar. Unfortunately, the only way most bus stops generate excitement is through advertiser-driven guerilla marketing.
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Green-Roofed Shelter is Urban Curbside Lounge for Paris

This ‘rest station’ for a busy Paris street offers chairs with desks and electrical outlets, a touch-screen information center, free wi-fi and a green roof.
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Transcending Tags: 16 Typographic Works of Urban Art

Graffiti tags have blossomed into letters and words that celebrate typography itself, applied to urban settings like shutters, fences and streets.
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[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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WebUrbanist

September 1, 2014
Brandalism: Replacing Bus Shelter Ads with Art in the UK

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

Over three hundred bus shelter ads across the UK have been replaced with thought-provoking works criticizing capitalist culture by 40 street artists. The ‘Brandalism‘ posters were installed in high-traffic areas, from the busiest shopping district of London to the Leeds Half Marathon route and even outside Scotland Yard, right under the noses of the police officers lambasted by several of the designs.

“The large print giveth, the small print taketh away,” reads one, while another parodies Harrod’s department store with “Horrids – trite gewgaws, trinkets & trash, the cluster bombs of consumerism.” “The market is dead, long live the market,” a third repeats.

The campaign is a response to the fact that the UK’s advertising industry pays just under 250 per person each year to reach the ears and eyeballs of the citizens i the hopes of selling things like “adjustable mops and leather sofas.” Plus, the industry relies on manipulation ranging from the subtle to the overt, convincing us that we won’t be happy until we make more money in order to purchase all of this stuff. It’s not about catering to our needs, it’s about creating new desires.

The campaign explains, “The fight against advertising is not a fight against desiring. We should want more from life not less, and we should demand it. The question is more of what? This exhibition is about trying to open up questions about the ills created by advertising, the false needs and destructive desires it attempts to distill in us, and it is about trying to reclaim some of the spaces taken from us.”

Brandalism even has a suggestion for anyone who isn’t a big fan of the work their artists produced: “Swapping them is easier than you’d imagine. All you need are some o the magic cabinet keys and a trusty hi-viz vest to remain hidden in plain sight. So if you don’t like what we’ve put up, check out our guide to opening the cabinets, and replace it with something you prefer. Because after all, they’re your streets.”

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Making it Rain: Eco-Friendly Ads Disappear Like Magic

Advertising firms are always finding new ways to grab our attention. One Dutch company is using an environmentally-safe method to temporarily tag the sidewalks.
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Unbelievable Advert: Augmented Reality Bus Shelter Window

Taking over a single bus shelter on New Oxford Street, guerrilla advertisers threw everything they could think of at commuters, including (but not limited to) …
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Where the Fishes Sleep: Underwater Homes Shelter Wildlife

Underwater wildlife has been rendered homeless by the rapid dying off of coral habitats. An artist has re-homed those creatures by sculpting houses for them.
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[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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WebUrbanist

June 17, 2014
Unbelievable Advert: Augmented Reality Bus Shelter Window

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

Taking over a single bus shelter on New Oxford Street, guerrilla advertisers threw everything they could think of at commuters, including (but not limited to) flying space aliens, underground squid monsters and giant city-crushing robots.

The campaign, created for Pepsi Max, takes a real-time projected display and adds (almost) impossible scenarios seamlessly to convince viewers of their authenticity.

From its creators: “Watch their reactions as unbelievable scenarios unfold before their very eyes; from a giant robot crashing through the street to a passer by being abducted by flying saucers.” With over 5,000,000 views and counting, it is safe to say that Pepsi can clearly count this one as a success.

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Gravity: Augmented Reality Tablet Lets You Draw Ideas in 3D

Using a handheld stylus and tablet set combined with an existing augmented reality headset, this invention allows users to sketch in three dimensions and see …
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More Real Than Reality: 7 Artsy Augmented Reality Projects

Technology is taking over nearly every part of our lives, not that we’re complaining. These augmented reality projects add another layer to the everyday world.
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Virtual Interior Design: Augmented Reality IKEA 2014 Catalog

Imagine no more: now you can scan items right out of a physical catalog and watch them pop up in your own bedroom, kitchen, living or dining room at home, …
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[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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April 16, 2014
Bike Tire Tent: Compact Travel Shelter Wraps Inside Wheels

[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

For the cycling nomad, this design uses space you never knew you had, and helps free up room in front-of-handlebar baskets or on above-back-tire racks for other uses in the process.

Designed by Chung-Jung Wu, Pei-Chun Chen & Li-Fu Chen, a specially-reinforced tire creates a void into which a biker can clip their travel tent for extended rides.

The easy-to-access clasps make it simpler and speedier to deploy the tent when you reach your temporary destination, rather than unwrapping it from a pack or unstrapping it from a fender platform.

Of even greater value to long-distance travelers: precious cargo space on your back and elsewhere on your bicycle is freed up for clothes and other essential gear.

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City Cycle: Curved Urban Tread Wraps ‘Round Bike Tire

Rough around the edges, we rarely notice the unique landscape that evolves from regular wear and tear on our bicycle tire – even our ordinary ones.
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Walking Shelter: Sneakers Expand Into Human-Frame Tent

The next time you need a portable shelter, you could just pull it out of your sneakers and expand it into a tent using your own body as a frame. The Walking …
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Rough Sleeper: Mobile Backpack Shelter for Urban Homeless

Amid the various conceptual designs for addressing large-scale homelessness, this working prototype stands out as refreshingly realistic, practical and …
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[ By WebUrbanist in Technology & Vehicles & Mods. ]

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January 29, 2014
Rough Sleeper: Mobile Backpack Shelter for Urban Homeless

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

Amid the various conceptual designs for addressing large-scale homelessness, this working prototype stands out as refreshingly realistic, practical and applicable to the everyday needs of those sleeping on the streets: mobility, storage and shelter.

Ragnhild Lübbert Terpling, who studied both design and journalism, created the pack both for homeless populations and ordinary campers, the latter purchasers subsidizing the former group that is in greater need.

On its functionality: “the hybrid backpack expands into a fully retractable tent-like structure, providing extensive shelter for both those in need or for encampment purposes. Once compressed, the bag supplies enough space for storing essential living supplies; blankets, shoes, and other toiletries.”

Additional items, like spare shoes or a sleeping roll, can be lashed to the exterior of the pack, while more essential and personal possessions are tucked into compartments that are less easily accessed or removed for additional security.

While it by no means ‘solves’ the problem of homelessness, this product adds a layer of comfort and durability absent from typical de facto shelters like cardboard covers or sleeping bags. In short: it is more short-term patch than long-term problem solver, but at least it is a place to start.

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Second Skin: Kevlar Backpack for Life & Travel in War Zones

For many of the world’s citizens (and travelers), the threat of bodily harm from war or terror attacks is a daily fact of life. Constructed of … Click Here to Read More »»

Urban Fabric: Stretched, Stitched & Suspended Mobile Home

Imagine rooms that expanded and compressed depending on occupancy, then stretch your mind to conceptualize a whole home that works the same way – it … Click Here to Read More »»

Details & Diagrams: $ 1,000 IKEA Flat-Pack Refugee Shelter

Emergency shelters are designed to be short-term solutions, and many cannot withstand rain, wind and sun for more than six months. Yet the average stay in … Click Here to Read More »»

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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December 25, 2013
Details & Diagrams: $1,000 IKEA Flat-Pack Refugee Shelter

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

Emergency shelters are designed to be short-term solutions, and many cannot withstand rain, wind and sun for more than six months. Yet the average stay in refugee camp is over twenty times that duration.

The IKEA Foundation, in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has developed a longer-term solution to this problem, turning their experience with flat-pack furniture and language-free instruction manuals toward disaster relief efforts in and around war-torn places like Syria (they are already testing in Lebanon and Iraq). Sticklers for detail should scroll carefully below for a step-by-step deconstruction of what goes into this remarkable dwelling.

The problem, in part, is building the most universal unit possible in a world where emergencies happen globally, spanning regions both hot and cold and with vastly different cultural norms. Their solution is much like an ordinary IKEA product: flexible, adaptable, modular and packed into cardboard boxes of components. Naturally, they require no tools that are not included.

While the structures themselves are still only expected to last a few years, they are made to be modified, enhanced and expanded in various ways. For instance, earthen walls and corrugated metal roofs can be pushed up against, fastened to and ultimately help reinforce the core buildings, or even eventually replace the need for underlying framework entirely, rendering it redundant.

The shelters are constructed primarily from polymer panels that clip into a wire frame. On top sits an aluminum-mesh roofing sheet that is designed to reflect sunlight by day and retain heat by night. Solar energy charges a USB outlet for electrical needs. The target price range for mass production is under $ 1000, making it affordable in bulk to international organizations. Images and diagram via The Telegraph, IKEA Foundation and Graphic News.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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October 28, 2013
Walking Shelter: Sneakers Expand Into Human-Frame Tent

[ By Steph in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

The next time you need a portable shelter, you could just pull it out of your sneakers and expand it into a tent using your own body as a frame. The Walking Shelter packs a lightweight nylon tent into two net pockets integrated into a pair of shoes. Pull it over yourself and you’ve got a rain-proof structure that will keep you dry and comfortable, as long as you don’t mind sitting up for extended periods.

Designed by SIBLING, a collective based in Melbourne, Sydney and Amsterdam, Walking Shelter can be customized by the user to adapt to a variety of contexts and environments. While it may not be the most practical tent for real-life use, it makes an interesting statement on the nature of human shelter in the modern urban world.

The design calls to mind other shelters, made for both practical applications and as statement-making thought pieces, that could make life more comfortable for the homeless. Could such a simple design help address a chronic global problem, in a small way?

[ By Steph in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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WebUrbanist

August 8, 2013
Origami Shelter: Instant Flat-Pack Architecture on Demand

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

Take a structure, strip away all of the non-essentials, and squeeze out every last unused bit of air space, and what do you get? Something a lot like a folded sheet of paper.

This folding shelter designed by Doowon Suh is as elementary as it gets – a series of sheets that unfold like origami to form a robust but basic building.

Like nesting paper cranes, in its most compact form, each module can be stacked on its siblings, making it easy to pack and ship in containers or store until deployed.

The modules are bare bones for maximum adaptive capability – they can emergency homes or hospital pods, temporary stores or community rooms.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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April 19, 2013