The shelter design was part of the Helsingborg Expo, where IKEA collaborated with the Danish architecture firm SPACON & X and students from four universities worldwide. The objective was to envision a future community that addresses contemporary issues and connects people to their communities and nature.
Team members: David Wenner, Emma Witt, Jason Pi, Lucien Tirou, Muhui Ou, Feiyu and Zahra Ghiasi
Concept
We chose to address the theme of enabling a fulfilling lifestyle through self-actualization. We claim that self-expression is essential for actualization and that materialistic society prevents people from genuinely expressing themselves.
Voices was chosen as a metaphor for achieving self-actualization by using it as a tool to connect to our community and nature.
Sketches by: Jason Pi
Sketches by: Jason Pi, Zhara Ghiasi & Arati Dhakal
The human voice was used as a metaphor for self-expression. To translate this into design, we chose the amphitheatre, creating a semicircular plan with raised levels and steps that also serve as seating. The raised platform provides privacy for the people inside the shelter from street level and an intimate space to connect them with nature.
Site Change and Scaffolding Scarcity
The shelter was initially designed to be supported by scaffolding, making it a design that could be easily implemented in any part of the world where scaffolding is available. However, due to the Ukraine war, there was a shortage of scaffolding, and the time constraints forced us to abandon the scaffolding idea and search for an alternative solution. Additionally, due to a logistical issue, our site was changed from a forest to a harbour.
Drawing and structure design by: Arati Dhakal
Construction and Conclusion
As the deadline approached, several problems arose, including material scarcity, project management issues, budget constraints, and time limitations. Consequently, we ended up with half of a shelter without a roof. As a temporary solution, we contacted a local sailmaker and improvised a sail to serve as our roof. This project taught us valuable lessons in collaborating with a diverse team from various backgrounds and being prepared for potential pitfalls in a construction project.
