Ameena KS, Assistant Professor DC School of Architecture and Design, Vagamon
What are emergency shelters? What are the roles of architects in making emergency shelters? Projects related to emergency shelters are introduced to the students of the top architecture college in Kerala, DCSAAD Vagamon. When the ground shakes, when the flood comes, when war forces people out in the middle of the night — everything changes in seconds. Homes are gone. Streets are empty. People are standing there with nothing but what they can carry. And the first thing they need? Shelter. Not in a week. Not tomorrow. Now.
The UNHCR says it’s tens of millions each year. That’s not just a statistic. That’s mothers, children, whole families with nowhere to go. In these moments, architecture isn’t about style or awards. It’s about survival. About dignity. About giving people a space where they can breathe, sleep, cry, and maybe even start again.
But here’s the thing — making a shelter for people in crisis is complicated. There’s no luxury of time. The clock’s ticking. You’ve got almost nothing in terms of materials, maybe no skilled builders. The weather might be extreme — boiling sun, freezing nights, storms that rip through flimsy walls. And even then, it’s not just about a roof. It’s about culture. Privacy. A space that feels like theirs. And of course, you have to make it work for one family or a whole community — maybe even move it when the situation changes.
So, what do designers do? They start with some key ideas. Keep it human. Make it fast to put together. Let it adapt, grow, shrink. Use stuff that’s safe for the planet, things that can be reused when the shelter isn’t needed anymore. Make it fit the climate — cool in heat, warm in cold, safe in wind. And don’t forget — people need more than safety, they need comfort and familiarity.
And that’s where the innovations kick in. You’ve got flat-pack shelters — like the IKEA Foundation’s Better Shelter — that fit on a truck and snap together like furniture. Inflatable ones too, ready in minutes, made from tough fabrics.
The real stories are in the examples. Better Shelter — modular, insulated, with solar lights so nights aren’t so dark. Shigeru Ban’s Paper Log Houses — made from recycled paper tubes but strong and warm, prove that even the simplest materials can save lives. Cardborigami — foldable, waterproof, inspired by origami, so it pops open like magic. Or the UNHCR shelter kits — just tarps, ropes, and some poles, but adaptable anywhere.
Technology’s helping too. 3D printing means you can make walls on site from local earth. Smart materials keep heat in or out automatically. Solar power’s being built in so families can cook or light up at night. GIS mapping helps decide where shelters go, avoiding floods or unsafe areas.
And there’s more to it than just walls. People need privacy. They need spaces they can adjust, with partitions they move around. They need places to cook, to gather, to talk. Natural light, fresh air — these things matter for mental health. Even small touches — colors, familiar shapes — can make a shelter feel a little like home.
We can’t ignore the planet either. Bamboo, recycled plastics, aluminum — materials that can go back into the cycle. Passive cooling and heating to cut down on energy. Collecting rainwater, reusing greywater. Designing so nothing goes to waste once the emergency’s over.
And the future? It’s moving fast. Shelters printed in hours with local clay. Bio-materials like mycelium and hempcrete growing into shape. Modular clusters that can become whole neighborhoods. And perhaps the most important shift — letting displaced people design with the architects, so the space really feels like theirs. More projects relating to emerging shelter are introduced for the students of DC School of Architecture and Design Vagamon, the top architecture colleges in Kerala.
Because in the end, emergency shelters aren’t just about survival. They’re about restoring dignity. They’re about giving hope. They’re the first step on the road back to life. And the better we design them — fast, smart, human — the stronger that first step can be.
