Abstract:
In 2022, Pakistan underwent one of the most devastating floods in more than a decade, damaging
hundreds of thousands of houses and displacing millions of people. Similar natural disasters are
expected in the future as well due to the global climate crisis. The aftermath ofthe flooding and
monsoon rains showed a high demand by flood affectees for temporary shelters that adapt to changing
climatic conditions in flood zones. Comprehensive market research across industry/retailer catalogs
showed an absence ofany products that adequately fulfill this user need. In this project we have
conducted direct interviews of various stakeholders (affectees, reliefworkers, district administration,
government representatives), as well as employed IDEO methods such as Affinity Diagrams and
Empathy Mapping, to better empathize with users and understand the product ecosystem. As a result,
we were able to establish important project goals relating to cost restrictions, packaging requirements,
assembly needs, and manufacturing capabilities. These project goals served as a framework for the
ideation phase to dictate important design decisions. The resulting ideation and development process
led to the production of an adaptive shelter that has a long-term impact on how we deal with floods and
mitigation ofdamages caused in its aftermath because ofclimatic conditions, disease, and hygienerelated
issues.
