With extreme weather conditions having an adverse effect on the world, countless communities and homes are being destroyed  and families are being left homeless. A new portable shelter may provide some much needed relief from such devastating circumstances…

This concept of ‘movable architecture’ has been touched on before, notably in the Refuge Wear collection of 1992-1993 by British Contemporary Artist, Lucy Orta. Refugee communities and the homeless were targeted by her innovative ‘wearable shelter’ designs, such as warm body suits that could be worn separately by a family during the day, and zipped together to create a tent at night. This idea aimed to give wearers a sense of personal space and a relief from being exposed to the harsh elements of the outside world. However in comparison, the NIDO shelter offers a more stable and long-term environment for the inhabitant.

Amanda Cuello, a designer from the Dominican Republic, has collaborated with fellow designers Cynthia Ventura and Tulio Felix to create the NIDO, which means ‘the nest’ in Spanish. This ‘nest’ provides adequate space to house an entire family, as well as giving them sufficient privacy and safety to retreat to in times of disaster. It consists of 2 main modules – one for sleeping and storing belongings, and one that contains facilities for washing. It is big enough to accommodate the basic needs of an entire family and can be extended by simply adding more dormitory modules.

The entire structure is collapsible and is able to be folded into a 1m x 80cm x 30cm module for easy transportation. It is designed to be compact and lightweight so that it can be easily moved to remote areas and used continuously over a period of time. The NIDO has been essentially designed for the homeless, but it could also be used as a luxury accommodation for campers and travelers.