The new fire shelter has been conceived not only as a design experiment, which tests the possibilities and structural solutions offered by digital fabrication, but also as a gift for the area.
Nomadic in appearance, the shelter resembles an oval dome stretching in the sky. It has one hole on the top and two openings at the bottom. The fire shelter has utilized plywood and polycarbonate as the main materials with all the different parts fabricated using CNC technology. It is 4, 7 m tall and has a diameter at ground level at 3, 8 m.
The structural element of the shelter is the 2-9 mm thick walls, which are composed of thin and bendable shells tightened together with bolts and a piece of 2 mm thick polycarbonate. The bottom of the shelter is also made of plywood. A fire place has been constructed inside that is surrounded by a bench. The bench is filled with building materials found on the site.
The upper part of the shelter is made of white transparent polycarbonate which enables infiltration of natural daylight. After dusk the light from the fire will shine through the polycarbonate. This element is incorporated to evoke the memories of old lighthouses.
SHJWORKS has also produced and paid for the fire shelter. The assembly job for the structure was performed without the use of ladders. The shelter is conceived as a temporary project.
