Hexayurt Project - build-in-the-field transitional sheltering for 10% the total cost of tents

The Hexayurt Project is an open source emergency housing effort which produces and maintains a range of designs from 48 to 450 square feet.

Hexayurts are mass manufactured on site from readily available materials, including 8x4 sheets of plywood or polyiso insulation board, corrugated plastic and other such materials.

A typical hexayurt, suitable for one family, costs around $200 and will last three to five years depending on climate. This gives a "per square foot per year" shelter cost around 10% the price of a standard relief tent, and represents a high performance transitional sheltering option. It is ideal for large scale natural disasters where the unpredictability of the tent supply chain, and the problems with rapid reconstruction both point towards the need for a longer-term option from day one.

Finally, the hexayurt is transportable - they can be disassembled and reassembled at a different location, or even carried a few kilometers by volunteer groups without the need for disassembly.

http://hexayurt.com and http://appropedia.org/hexayurt have more details, or see

http://files.howtolivewiki.com/hexayurt_in_haiti_v1.1.pdf which describes a general approach for use in Haiti and similar disasters in substantial technical detail.

The Hexayurt Project has participated in STAR-TIDES since before the beginning, and has contributed significantly to the infrastructure models at the heart of the project.

Vinay Gupta

hexayurt@gmail.com