If we weren't already impressed with Swedish discount furniture giant Ikea, we would be now. The Ikea Foundation teamed up with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to bring its signature democratic design and superior functionality to refugee shelters, creating the groundbreaking flat pack Better Shelter.
The 188-square-foot structures can accommodate five people for three years. Designed with refugee camp conditions in mind, they're lightweight for easy transport and can be assembled on site in four to eight hours with no additional tools or equipment. Lightweight polymer panels and thermal insulation provide warmth while a solar panel collects the energy needed to illuminate an interior lamp. In short, these shelters are far superior to the tents commonly issued in refugee camps.
In true Ikea style, Better Shelters are affordably priced at $1,150 each and are expected to drop to $1,000 in the next two years as orders grow. Forty refugee families in Iraq and Ethiopia used prototypes of the Better Shelter during the development stage to great success, and the shelters could be available to the masses as early as this Summer, as the UNCHR has already placed an order for 10,000.
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