Pondering new emergency shelter designs

What's the optimal design for an emergency shelter? Core 77, a design site, set out to gather ideas. The site is accepting submissions through Feb. 28.

In the meantime, here are few ideas that were pitched. There are interesting concepts that could apply not just to disaster sites like Haiti, but also space travel.

Among the key ideas, highlighted recently by CNet News:

The balloon tent pop-up shelter, was pitched by Canadian designer Richard Kuchinsky. The idea is that a floating tent could be dropped from a helicopter or kept aloft by balloons.

The half pipe concept is so simple that it's basically a sewer piped halved. It's cheap enough to work.

Inflatable shelters delivered via bombs. This concept would use military might to bomb in shelters. Interesting concept to say the least.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com