A team of architecture students at Washington State University has designed and built a portable homeless shelter that can be folded like an accordion into a variety of shapes and sizes.

They say it’s perfect for a city like Spokane, where it will be featured in a design competition this week.

“We want to raise awareness about the reality of homelessness across our nation. The way that they live, there is no shelter, there is no dignity, there is no safety, there is no privacy,” said WSU assistant professor Mona Ghandi, who led the architecture students through an intensive design and construction process.

The shelter is made of triangular panels of corrugated plastic – the same material used for poster boards – and held together with metal rivets. It utilizes an origami technique called the Yoshimura fold, which lends both strength and versatility/Chad Sokol, SR. More here.