London-based design studio Maawa X has developed an extremely efficient pop-up shelter for areas affected by natural disasters and emergencies of various kinds. The “suitcase” house – currently patent-pending – is modular, reusable, recyclable and biodegradable, as well as compact and easily transportable, because it weighs only 30 pounds.

It thus represents a rapid aid tool in the context of refugee camps or for the homeless in the urban spaces. The pop-up, in fact, can instantly expand 16 times to create a volume of more than 3.5 cubic meters, without the need for tools or a specific assembly. These units have been designed starting from the practicality and the reduction of the environmental impact, for this reason they are made of cardboard and integrated with solar panels.

The studio has already partnered with the financial technology specialists gf MadfooatCom and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation to distribute its pop-up shelter in Jordan refugee camps.