Sphere designed for disaster relief

When disaster strikes—be it fire, flood, hurricane or tornado—tents often provide temporary shelter for displaced victims. German designer Felix Stark of Formstark designed the Sphere Refugee Tent to provide tent occupants with a sense of community as well as physical shelter.

“The concept behind ‘sphere’ not only considers taking shelter from extreme weather conditions but also reestablishes the feeling of security and companionship without losing privacy,” says Formstark’s website.

The center of “sphere” is constructed to provide a circular area for tent occupants and their families to come together. The circle itself represents the idea that these people constitute a community, however temporary.

The sphere is constructed of 19 tent sections, each with room for three occupants. The partition walls can be unbuttoned to create bigger sections to accommodate larger families and groups.

The inner tent, made of lightweight nylon, is permeable to air, while the outer tent is made of waterproof canvas.