Emergency situations that arise due to natural or man-made disasters require an immediate response in terms of providing shelter for people effected. As well, many cities including your own are impacted by more and more people being unable to afford adequate housing. Homelessness remains an enormous social justice issue with many young people now “sleeping rough”.

The answer could be “Portable Housing”; an area which involves the clever use of design and materials to provide safe and comfortable, yet moveable, accommodation to those in need.

Brief

As a Design and Technology student your brief is to design and build a scale model of your own “Portable Housing” concept. Your design has to be “moveable” by no more than two people. You are to model your design using appropriate materials and be able to demonstrate its features with a “roof-off” approach. It is imperative your design considers appropriate scale and have features such as storage, bedding, access to light and possibly electricity as well as being secure and safe.

Limitations

Your scale model is to be no longer than 300mm long, 150mm wide and 200mm high. It can be made from materials such as acrylic, balsa, thin ply (3mm). It should be detailed enough to contain basic furniture and fittings.

Areas of Investigation

Area of Investigation	Area to Investigate	How to Investigate	Justification for Use
Materials	Investigating the potential of plastic, types of wood, types of metals and a large number of other materials as a possible substance for structure will allow for an educated and sufficient investigation into which material is the most suited to be used as the theoretical and physical base of the project.	In order to investigate the subject of materials, there are a variety of ways to gain an extensive knowledge on the matter of materials. This includes looking at online websites, non – fiction books detailing the properties and also watching, conducting and evaluating experiments that demonstrate the pros and cons of various materials.	The area of materials is investigated because the efficiency of the project is based upon the comfort, durability and safety level of the house. These factors are largely influenced by the material the portable structure is built with, and therefore an exceptional grasp on which materials are suited to certain criteria will increase the probability of success for the project.
Tools and Processes	In order to produce portable housing, tools and processes that will be used need to be investigated. How the parts of project will be made and implemented into the design is a crucial component of creating a successful portable house.	There are several methods that can be used to investigate tools and processes. This includes evaluating the success and efficiency of previous tool and processes used in previous tools, conducting tests on which tools and processes are best suited to certain situations and also researching using online resources to explore the qualities of selected tools and processes.	Obtaining a complex understanding surrounding potential tools and processes will allow designers to use tools and processes efficiency and in the correct situations. Furthermore, the research conducted will not only increase capability, but also allow for future projects to also be completed successfully.
Target Market Needs	Investigating the target market’s needs include the current trends of society, their interests and features that they expect to be included.	Methods to investigate the target market’s needs include looking at successful products, popular themes and surveys to investigate what the common customer wants.	Gaining a thorough understanding of the target market allows designers to specifically design their products to be suited to the customers, increasing success.

Criteria to Determine Success

Criteria	Justification	Method
Durable against moderate impacts.	Due to the roughness of living on the streets, any housing methods need to be able to survive against the elements.	Use materials that are able to survive against damage.
Waterproof	When living in a portable house, the materials need to be able to seel the user from the outside elements.	Use materials that are waterproof and can stop water from getting in.
Light Weight	The portable housing must be able to be light weight so that the user can carry the designs around.	Use materials and processes that do not add needless weight to the design.
Portable	Homeless people that need to use the product need to be able to constantly move around, and therefore the design needs to be portable.	Use processes such as a combination of wheels and handles so that the occupants can move the product with ease.

Project Development

Research

Existing Designs of Emergency and Portable Housing

Existing Design	Evaluation
https://tinyurl.com/y8dx6vyx	Positives – The structure has a window, increasing the quality of life for the users. Furthermore, the triangular roof allows for the full height to be used while also reducing the weight that comes with full walls with a flat roof. Negatives – The materials the housing is made of is wood, which is neither durable or water-proof, resulting in a high level of impracticability. Interesting – Having four wheels under the home means that the design needs to be pushed or pulled, rather than carried.
https://tinyurl.com/ycbavd3b	Positives – The home is light weight and made of materials that are waterproof and keeps the users from outside elements. Negatives – Despite being waterproof, the materials are not resistant to sharp objects and tears. Interesting – The manual form is extremely portable and allows for moving with only one person.
https://tinyurl.com/ya2nwoez	Positives – The design has lights despite not needing to be connected to a power source, leading to the conclusion that the design runs on batteries. Furthermore, it has wheels, suggesting a high amount of portability. Negatives – The design is made partly of metal, resulting in a very hot design during summer. Interesting – Due to the canvas being connected to the metal part of the design, the insides may not be completely resistant to outside sources such as rain and temperature changes.

Materials and Processes to Make the Final Product

Materials	Research
Brass	Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is waterproof and dense enough to be resistant to most impacts. Furthermore, it is highly water resistant, reinforcing the usefulness of it.
Steel	Steel is an alloy of iron, carbon and other elements. It is an extremely strong metal that is perfect for supporting the roof of the house.
Nylon	Nylon is a synthetic polymer that is light-weight, elastic and water resistance. These properties fit the criteria that was needed for the roof of the portable house.
Low Density Polyethylene	Low Density Polyethylene is a form of plastic that is waterproof and resistant to impacts and scratches. This made it a good match for the base of house, as it needs to be able to sit under a large amount of weight constantly.

Idea Development

Concept Sketch 1

Concept Sketch 2

Concept Sketch 3

Final Solution

Final Design (CAD)

Portable Form

Extended Form

Selection and Justification of Materials, Processes and Other Resources

Selection and Justification of Materials, Processes and Other
Subject	Options	Selection	Justification of Selection
Handle	Polystyrene Low Density Polyethylene Steel Plywood	Low Density Polyethylene	Durable Light weight Cheap
Material of Zipper	Steel Brass Iron Copper	Brass	Cheap/Cost Efficient Durable
Material of Poles	Steel Brass Iron Copper Ply Wood Plastic	Steel	Water resistant Durable Light weight Strong
Material of Roof	Nylon Wool Cotton Polyester Leather	Nylon	Water proof Cheap Lightweight Durable

Project Evaluation

Relationship to Brief

The brief of the project is responsible for delivering fundamental details to the designer on what the project needs to be designed to do. Within the brief, it states that, “design and build a scale model of your own, ‘Portable Housing,’ concept. This is something that the design that I have created clearly has achieved, (due to the wheels and handle concept that I have implemented.) Furthermore, the brief also instructs the designer to include, “features such as storage, bedding… as well as being secure and safe.” My design fits these criteria as well, as the design includes an inbuilt sleeping bad and also pouches for storage. The design also has a zipper that can be padlocked to ensure that the users are safe from any dangers from outside.

https://goo.gl/8jJ3jo

The model was highly successful in terms of the limitations surrounding the model. The limitations state that, “your scale model is to be no longer than 300mm long, 150mm wide and 200mm high.” The model is designed to fit this and will not be breaking any of the limitations.

Analysis & Evaluation of Function & Aesthetic Aspect of the Design

Functional Aspect of Design

In order to analyse the functional design of the product, a judgment needs to be made regarding the effectiveness of the design, assess the decisions made during the process of construction the design and how well it fulfils the need of the design brief/need.

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Firstly, the design that will be produced was constructed with a balance of portability and durability in mind. This set criteria matched the benchmark set by the design brief supplied. Various factors within the design helped to increase the designs portability and durability, leading to me deciding that this would be the design of the prototype as it would be the most effective construct to build and test

A crucial part of evaluation is the need to assess the decisions made during the planning phase of the product. There were a large number of decisions made during the process, one of which was the decision to focus on portability and durability. This decision was made due to the criteria that was given to the designers, and also the criteria for success developed by the engineers. Furthermore, materials such as nylon was chosen to make up the design due to the various properties that were included, (low cost, high strength and a high level of water resistance.) Likewise, the choice to make the portable home transform into a suitcase of sorts, (the tent folds up into a rectangular prism and had two wheels and a handle,) was made in order to boost the level of portability that comes with the product.

Lastly, in order to successfully evaluate the design, a judgment on how well it fulfils the need presented must be made. In my opinion the design that has been produced has clearly reviewed the various criteria presented, and then based the design on what needs to be completed. This has resulted in the design’s functional aspect fulfilling the need.

Aesthetic Aspect of Design

Similar to the analysis of the functional aspect of the design, an overall judgment of the design needs to be made, decisions need to be evaluated and how the design fulfils the need requires an explanation.

Firstly, I believe that the design’s aesthetic aspect is satisfactory. Despite the aesthetics not being an important aspect of the criteria, the design was still made to look clean and look presentable to any outsiders passing by.

Despite the aesthetical part being minor, decisions to make the design look clean and presentable had to be made. Sacrificing materials such as plastic for the roofing in favour of nylon came with benefits to the aesthetic side of the project.

Lastly, the part of the evaluation which decides whether or not the aesthetical aspect of the project had any significant impact on fulfilling the need was irrelevant, as the aesthetical condition of the design was not a relevant part of the criteria.