Every metropolitan city is plagued with the problem of homelessness and New York is no stranger to this. You’ll find more than 61,000 sleeping in the city’s homeless shelters every night and countless others on the streets and subways amongst other public places. The reason? The increasing rents and demand for luxury apartments have forced thousands of people to the streets. But thankfully that’s where FramLab comes in!

Merging design and creativity, FramLab is a creative agency that’s dedicated to solving world problems and building a better future. And to tackle the problem of homelessness, FramLab has proposed its project Homed- 3D Printed hexagonal pods to serve as shelter for the homeless.

Since New York doesn’t have much room for building these pods, Framlab came up with something extremely innovative. They began looking for empty space and found it in what it calls “vertical lots,” i.e. the sides of established buildings.

The sides of those buildings, without windows or doors, will be the blank sidewalls to which  FramLab will attach the pods. And yes they look just like a honeycomb structure. Aesthetic and functional, these pods will provide a versatile space and provide a single room occupancy.

THE 3D PRINTED PODS

Made of steel and oxidized aluminum, each pod will be equivalent to a compact room with suitable interiors. PMMA smart glass on the front face of the modules will offer great views out to the city and when they are clustered together it will form a screen for art installations or adverts.

The 3D printed interior, covered in wood laminate, can be constructed to incorporate things like furniture and lighting, so that very little is needed to be brought in from outside. The pods will have furniture, equipment, and cabinets alongside the wooden interior for a soft and friendly atmosphere that is efficient and clean; wellness modules in the structure include sanitary provisions between the occupants.

And how do you enter these pods?

Attached to every pod will be a scaffolding staircase erected on the side of the building, making them secure yet easily movable if needed. They’ll also be attached to each other, creating small communities.

Featuring private interiors adorned with all the furniture an autonomous individual would need, the design seeks to offer elements “which are crucial for acceptable qualities of life: privacy, safety, individuality, self-esteem, among others,” according to the project’s website.

And it doesn’t stop there- Homed units are designed so that each pod can be disassembled in one place and reassembled in another in a matter of days. Each group of units can be reconfigured upon over time or moved to entirely new areas of the city as its landscape evolves.

The materials used in construction are proposed to be able to withstand weather conditions. For an ever-changing and evolving urban landscape, the modules will be easily transportable and can be assembled and dissembled in a few days.

3D Printing And Building New Dreams

3D printing has proved to be a major boon in all fields of life from medical science to architecture. It allows incredible flexibility and which turn your creative dreams into a reality. A lot that we once perceived to be fantasy and impossible is now coming to fruition right before our eyes with the help of 3D Printing.

Homed is yet another example of achieving the unthinkable! Although Framlab makes it clear that this isn’t meant to be a permanent solution, it’s a wonderful alternative nevertheless. Hopefully, this concept will spread to other major countries that will provide housing options for the homeless.

All in all, 3D Printing shows us that constructing functional homes doesn’t always have to be slow and costly. 

Credits: dezeen.com, archdaily.com, 3dprintingmedia.network, inhabitat.com, framlab.com