Our history
Achieving impact through prototyping and collaboration.
Better Shelter started as a design research project in Hällefors, Sweden, in 2009. Since then, we have delivered over 90,000 shelters worldwide and improved the living conditions of hundreds of thousands of people through collaboration with our humanitarian partners.
2023
Türkiye-Syria earthquakes and the war in Sudan
We responded to the earthquakes in Türkiye-Syria with more than 6,600 shelters and, supported by the IKEA Foundation, to the war in Sudan.
2022
The war in Ukraine and Norman Foster Foundation partnership
We collaborated with the Norman Foster Foundation, kicked off new product development, responded to the war in Ukraine, and delivered to rescEU.
2020
COVID-19 and launch of Structure
The team adapted to a new reality in the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 15,797 shelters we shipped to 36 countries, 3,000 were used in the COVID-19 response. We sent 6,500 shelters to families in Northwest Syria. We collaborated with 24 organisations and held 150 technical consultations online. We piloted the new shelter Structure and launched a fundraising platform.
2019
New locations and positive feedback
We had delivered more than 45,000 shelters to over 45 countries, and thereby put a roof over the heads of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable persons who have fled war and disasters. Impact Initiative surveyed thousands of people living in shelters in several countries and found that most of them felt safer and that it was the second most preferred shelter (after durable options).
2018
A new shelter
The shelters served as temporary homes and community infrastructure in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Partners used the modular design to implement classrooms, clinics and community centres worldwide. Better Shelter released an upgraded version of the shelter after months of testing, adjustments and breakthroughs by developers, institutes and suppliers.
2016
Awards and worldwide recognition
Partners implemented the shelters worldwide, including in Niger and Iraq, while the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York exhibited one shelter and included it in the museum’s permanent collection. We won the Beazley Designs of the Year award, and TIME Magazine listed the shelter as one of the best inventions of the year.
2015
Implementation of the first shelters
Component production began in several factories across Sweden and northern Europe, and the team delivered the first 10,000 shelters to UNHCR operations. UNHCR implemented shelters in Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe, where refugees arrived in the thousands every day to escape war in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
2013
Testing prototypes in Ethiopia and Iraq
The design team prototyped according to UNHCR’s specifications to address the unique challenges faced in refugee camps. The criteria included standards for resilience in harsh climates, safety, affordability, and simplified assembly processes. Together, they tested the prototypes in a Somali refugee camp in Ethiopia. Resident feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with valuable suggestions for areas for improvement. The team prepared for large-scale production, supported by a generous grant from the IKEA Foundation.
2010
Better Shelter, IKEA Foundation and UNHCR partner
As the team worked on prototypes, UNHCR reached out to the IKEA Foundation intending to forge a new shelter solution. The foundation had been following the progress of the shelter project and recognised its potential. Seeing an opportunity for collaboration between two distinct entities—a global UN agency with extensive experience in emergency response, UNHCR, and a nimble Swedish design team able to transform ideas into prototypes swiftly — they organised a meeting, outlined a plan, and kickstarted the partnership.
2009
The birth of an idea
“Why do displacement camps look like they did one hundred years ago?,” Johan Karlsson, a recently graduated industrial designer, questioned whether it was possible to create a more secure and dignified refugee shelter that remains cost-effective for humanitarian organisations. Identifying a pressing need, Johan and his team conceived the idea at Formens Hus in Hällefors, Sweden. The Swedish Industrial Design Foundation (SVID) embraced the project, providing support and guidance.