First we would like to thank the folks at Make for all they have done to promote Shelter 2.0. They have been working hard on coming up with a set of assembly instructions(desperately needed) so that people could enjoy a shelter of their own. They are particularly interested in the use of shelters and other structures in education and how they might be used to inspire kids to learn, what they refer to as a Maker Space. Follow the link below to read more on the Make Projects Site.
Shelters Sent to Haiti Yesterday
Yesterday may have been the coldest day of winter here in Virginia so far but we barely noticed it due to the excitement of getting three shelters shipped off to Haiti yesterday. The shelters will be delivered to our consignee in Croix des Bouquet Haiti, Pastor Pierre Prinvil. Once Pierre has the shelters in his possession we will fly down and assist in the distribution and construction of the shelters. Our ultimate goal however is to not only distribute shelters to those in need but to be able to help them set up a local digital manufacturing facility so that they can create their own shelters as well as other products.
Updated files available for download
Updated files for Shelter 2.0 and Makerspaces are now available from the CNC Files and Instructions page, and we’re hoping that these will be the final revision. They include ShopBot part files, Partworks toolpathing files, and dxf files, with a VERY rudimentary utility to convert these ShopBot files to g-code.
Instructions for using the files are in a Google doc http://goo.gl/icXS8
Upcoming Events
Just wanted to let everyone know that we are putting three shelter kits together to be sent to Croix De Bouquet Haiti the beginning of November. We also have an upcoming local build here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. If you are interested in helping out, please get in touch.
Science and Technology in the Schools, as well as Shelters?
Just wanted to share a piece from the PBS News Hour with Miles O’Brien. It’s an interview with the founder of Maker Faire Dale Daugherty talking about Maker Faire reigniting the spark about science, creativity and ingenuity. At about the 7:30 mark they talk about Dales idea to use the shelters as Maker Spaces in schools.
Upcoming Trip to Haiti
Last Summer with the help of Pierre and Marie Prinvil we went to Haiti to try and set up two of our shelters. Try as we might though, Pierre and I could not get the shelters out of customs. However the trip was not a complete loss as friendships were made and we were able to help out around the orphanage where we were staying. This fall on Sept, 18th we are planning to return to Haiti and set up shelters for some of the many families who are still homeless after the earthquake. This time we are working with several groups that have years of experience in getting aid in the hands of the people who need it. Our plan for this trip is to kick it off with the World Maker Faire in New York and fly to Haiti from there and rendezvous with our shelters.
Mad about the Homeless
This past weekend we were in Atlanta assembling a shelter with a group that is passionate about helping the homeless. The Mad Housers are dedicated to providing shelter to the homeless community of Atlanta by building a variety of small shelters for their clients. They believe that a person without a home has a far greater chance of staying on the street and that given a secure place to live, a person is much more likely to be able to find the resources necessary to help themselves. This is exactly what we are trying to do with Shelter 2.0. It is our goal that through the digital fabrication process groups like the Mad Housers will appear all around the world. No longer will it be necessary to find skilled volunteers but that shelters and houses will go together like puzzles. Once a shelter is put up, the resident of that shelter can help the next client and so on until next thing you know there is housed community with a sense of pride that with a little help they helped themselves.
What is Shelter 2.0 about
What is Shelter 2.0 and what is it all about? That is a question I think about often and thought about alot on my ride home from Atlanta yesterday. Often when I talk to people they get caught up in the actual physical structure of the shelter itself but that is such a small part of it. The most important part about Shelter 2.0 is the ability to share it, with both it’s successes and failures as well as it’s strenghs and it’s weaknesses with the whole world. We state that our goal is to shelter the one hundred million homeless people in the world. That goal in the age of file sharing, open source, and social networking has never been more achievable. Shelter 2.o is about what we can both learn and achieve as a collective whole.
How does a Shelter go together?
Here are some images of Robert and Roland assembling the Shelter for the fundraiser last weekend.
Shelters safely arrive in Haiti
What a truly great day, we have just received word from the group we are working with in Haiti that they have received the shelters we sent them. We are so excited at the opportunity to go back to Haiti and provide shelter, and though but for a few, it will be three less families in the world without a roof over their head and floor beneath their feet and bring us that much closer to our goal of ending homelessness. We hope that this is just the beginning, and that through file sharing and digital fabrication, we can teach people to build shelter for themselves and their neighbors all over the world.