8 March 2006

Homeless Shelters on the Move

Photo opportunity: Convoy of carts from Duncan of Jordanstone College to City Square, 2.30 pm to 3 pm, Friday March 10th.

A convoy of up to 30 ultra-adaptable carts and trolleys will arrive in Dundee's City Square this Friday as architecture students from the University of Dundee display their latest work.

Second-year architecture students, based in Duncan of Jordanstone College, have been working on a major design project in response to a competition being staged by the influential website www.designboom.com

The website has set the challenge of of designing and building "shelter in a cart" - portable, adaptable trolleys which can provide shelter and storage for homeless people.

"It’s a common sight, particularly in North America, to see homeless people moving their possessions around in a shopping cart," said Joseph Thurrott, Year 2 leader in the School of Architecture.

"What the students are being challenged to do in this competition is establish a more adpatable level of transportable architecture which can provide shelter as well as storage. The range of styles and designs they are producing is really interesting."

All of the second-year, 60 students in all, are taking part and it is expected there will be 25 to 30 complete carts submitted for the competition.

The students will transport the finished carts down Perth Road in Dundee on Friday afternoon to City Square, where a final review of their work will be carried out by Joseph and other lecturers.

The students plan to leave Duncan of Jordanstone College around 2.30 pm and assemble in City Square by 3 pm.

"Part of the competition is to show that the carts can be easily transported and can provide shelter, so having the students travel through the city centre from the college to City Square is ideal, and hopefully it will also raise awareness of some of the issues facing homeless people," said Joseph.

Full details of the `shelter in a cart' competition can be viewed at www.designboom.com

For more information contact:

Roddy Isles
Head of Press
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk