FoldFlatShelters are tent-like but self-supported structures made of light-weight, long-life composite panels for permanent use. Intended for use in disasters, they are weatherproof/fire-resistant and have been developed using foldable elements.
Each one comes in relatively small dimensions, resulting in a compact design. Wall or roof parts can be added to the base body as required to adjust the floor area from 8-18qm. Shipped flat, 2 people can fold the panels and set up the shelter in five hours.

Design

The form is novel and distinct, therefore its description is a little involved...
The basic structure consists of two interpenetrating truncated pyramids. The upper truncated pyramid is inverted and turned 45 degrees around its central
axis. So the floor area and the roof are both squares of the same size. This forms segmented, triangular wall elements that give the construction great stability. No supports or framework are needed
– the shell is self-supporting.
Wall and roof elements can also be added to this basic structure as required to create various larger modules and to adjust the ground area.
The main materials used are Dibond® or Alucobond
® sheets for wall and roof with measurements
of 1500mm x 3000mm x 3-6mm. The floor is made of HeliPAN, a new honeycomb panel consisting
of recycled plastic between perforated metal plates. The substructure is made of an L-section of GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic). Slide windows are made of acrylic glass.
An entire flat-packed basic shelter package is 3m x 1.5m x 0.3m in size and weighs 250kg. Erected without tools in a few hours, the shelter has an internal floor area of 8m2 and a height of 2.85m. A U-section is provided to connect the panels easily and also protects the edges.
No hinges are needed to fold walls, roof, window or door cutouts. Particular for the swinging door element - Hylite® composit is the perfect material. The panels themselves have a flexible middle layer and are milled such that they can be bent along flat lines in one or both surfaces, much like a cardboard box, and the folded edges have a smooth course. The milling process is very efficient, fast and inexpensive. A modern CNC (computerized numerical control) centre is able to mill hundreds of shelters a day. The sheets are processed in such a way that less than 1% of the material is lost as waste. The cardboard packaging of the unit is printed with a pattern showing how to cut out and fold simple furniture such as chairs and tables – every substance/ material is useful on site.