Smart Living Lab research groups FAR, HOBEL and Building2050 are partnering with croqAIR to assess the thermal performances and indoor air quality of standard humanitarian tents at the bluefactory site in Fribourg, from June 2019 to January 2020.

The field of humanitarian shelter is fertile ground for innovation. New and innovative emergency shelter solutions are regularly produced yet the impact of these efforts on the challenge of housing populations displaced by disaster and conflict is minimal – rigid frame tents, prefabricated containers, and ad-hoc structures remain the norm.

FAR’s research into emergency shelter addresses the issues that hinder effective innovation. Rather than producing the next shelter design, FAR’s work contributes to the development of a framework within which the value of new design solutions can be assessed, thereby supporting more effective innovation in the field.