Deployable temporary housing for emergencies

Abstract

The objective of this research is the development of temporary buildings that can be available for emergency situations and implemented quickly and efficiently in the affected area. The methodology adopted consists of the design of a system of collapsible modules that can be easily stored, taking up as minimal space as possible. When needed, they can be transported in compact blocks and installed wherever they are required, with minimal site preparation and means. The designed modules are reusable, which can be folded and stored away when they are no longer needed. The basic idea is a container in which the facades fold up towards the roof, the side walls fold up in the form of a gusset, and the interior partitions fold down towards the floor, in the space left to contain them. It is a novel solution that considerably improves on previous proposals. This module has been built at the Architecture School of A Coruña (ETSAC), which has served as a prototype to analyse its viability in practice. Finally, a critical review of the results and the possible improvements detected is made. © 2025 RIBA Enterprises.