WITH IRELAND’S housing crisis showing no sign of abating, new living spaces are being developed to support some of the many homeless people struggling to afford long-term accommodation.
Now nearing completion is another potential solution: the sleep pod, a converted 20-foot shipping container designed for overnight accommodation.
The mobile pod is a joint project between Dublin firm Ceardean Architects and students at Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education in Raheny, who are helping with construction as part of an education programme.
Building work on the unit – which will feature a bedroom and en suite bathroom for one person – began in September and is expected to finish at the end of next month.
But the container could be built for just under €20,000 in a week and a half if required, according to Derek Trenaman of Ceardean Architects.
The initiative, he said, is about “making a low-cost solution to getting people off the street and giving them with some privacy and space to rebuild their lives”.
Trenaman told TheJournal.ie that the driving force behind the concept is to address the immediate needs of homeless individuals in the most difficult circumstances.
The death of homeless man Jonathan Corrie, who had spoken about his reluctance to book into emergency hostels, was one tragic story on the back of his mind as the project was being developed.
“This is not supposed to be a long-term solution: the whole idea is to be able to provide a good night’s sleep,” he said, adding that the unit could also be used for disaster housing in the event of extreme weather.
However, the team is still looking for a charity to which to donate the mobile pod, which they say can be dispatched to any location in the country at short notice.
Ceardain is ”hoping to produce a pod every year” but no charity has expressed an interest in taking the first one on yet, Trenaman said.
Just over a year ago, the company oversaw the building of Ireland’s first shipping container home in three days.
The 40-foot long unit was donated to St Vincent de Paul before being placed at Bethany House, a refuge for women in Longford.
The container – which has solar panels, back boilers and hot water heating - now houses a woman and her child.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say