Serving Mankind With Temporary Shelters

by | Jul 6, 2005

The Guardian is running a story on Aussie architect, Sean Godsell. Godsell created a stir down under when he submitted his Park Bench House—a temporary answer to the problem of homelessness—to the Institute of Architects awards under the best new house category.

He then turned his attention to helping those caught in natural or political disaster areas, with the invention of Futureshack, shown below.

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A firm believer that great ideas are born out of adversity, Godsell set himself the task of designing for a theoretical disaster, arriving at Futureshack as something that could be used as a medical centre, transformed into housing and then shipped on to the next natural calamity as needed. He sees this ability to cope with the unexpected as a useful Australian trait, derived from the resourcefulness of the original colonists and convicts, which has given birth to the term “bush mechanic” – the ability to make do and mend should your car clap out in the outback.