Faculty of Design
Environmental Design - Interior Design Specialization
Ye(Yedda) Xu
Floating disaster shelter
Environmental Design
2022
The design of this project was inspired by coral reefs. The coral dies and grows into a group of reefs, corresponding to the constant stacking of containers in the project. The reefs grow in number so that the fish can live in them, forming an ecosystem. In the project, containers are added to accommodate more people moving in. They have similar growth patterns.Use shipping containers to design a system like a supply station, built on deck. The system is self-contained and the use of a container allows the system to be transported as easily as boats. The containers will also be used as corridors between the land and the boats. And the system is hidden entirely under the floor in order not to influence people walking inside. The connection between the large container and the small container is made with an accordion connector. The small container has a foldable ramp, fixed on one side and flexible on the other, which ensures that the connection of the container is unaffected by the float. The flexible design also allows the length of the path to be changed as it floats up and down.As the project is the reuse of abandoned boats, the design is based on the original interior facilities of the boat and is designed with a multi-functional concept to accommodate different types of occupancy.Within Marina, there were not only shelters but also other boats in regular use. The design of the container allows relatively more independent access for the residents living in the shelter. To a certain extent, it also blocks the view of people passing through the public decks, giving each shelter unit a level of privacy.
“Due to Toronto's location and environment, using the marina as an observation point, Toronto was found to have many abandoned boats in different areas of the marina. This project will collect different types of abandoned boats left at different marinas in Toronto.The project is to design a shelter that floats on the water. Each boat will be considered a separate hotel room for people to stay in, providing a convenient and economical place for busy office workers and tired travelers. In the event of a disaster, the boats will be used as shelters or transferred to disaster areas, forming new temporary shelters that provide space and basic living needs for local residents. The boats can be transported by water or land.”
Celebrate the work of OCAD U’s class of 2021/2022!