Instant Alert: IKEA designed easy-to-build shelters for refugees — here they are in action

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IKEA designed easy-to-build shelters for refugees — here they are in action

by Adam Banicki on Nov 30, 2015, 1:19 PM

The IKEA Foundation partnered with Better Shelter to create safer, more durable shelter for Syrian refugees.

What they came up with a sort of tent that costs around $1,000 and can house a family of five. Just like an IKEA bedroom set, the entire structure ships in two boxes and takes only four to eight hours to assemble. No additional tools are required.

Not only are the new shelters easy to build, they are safer, more cost effective, and bigger than a typical refugee tent. The 57-square-foot shelter will also last up to three years — compared to the current UN tents' three-month average.

The panels used are lightweight and can withstand rain, wind, and sun. Additionally, the roof is made with a light, reflective fabric that helps reduce the desert heat.

Powered by solar components, the new structures provide refugees with light and electricity — something the old tents did not have. They also have doors that lock, giving added protection against intruders and sexual assault.

The United Nations has already ordered 10,000 of the units to to use in the refugee crisis: 2,600 of the new homes can be found in Iraq, and another 775 across Europe.

Story and editing by Adam Banicki

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SEE ALSO: A dad used an IKEA hack to turn a regular bed into a secret hideout for his son


 
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