Inspired by Vernacular Nigerian Architecture: AllSpace's Low-Cost, Rapid-Assembly Shelter Offers a Dignified and Sustainable Housing Solution for Over 100 Million Displaced People Worldwide
- 信義開發 ESG
- May 1
- 2 min read
May 1st, 2025
A Beacon of Nigerian Innovation: AllSpace Draws on Vernacular Wisdom to Address the Global Refugee Crisis
Hailing from Nigeria in West Africa, the startup team AllSpace is gaining international recognition for its ingenious modular shelter prototype. Their design recently earned two major global accolades: the Creatives for Our Future program by the Swarovski Foundation and the Young Climate Prize awarded by renowned nonprofit The World Around.
Confronting the escalating global refugee crisis—which, according to the UNHCR, has displaced over 120 million people by mid-2024—AllSpace founder Blossom Eromsele offers a pragmatic and deeply humane solution. Her design draws inspiration from traditional Nigerian vernacular architecture, emphasizing effective cross-ventilation and window placement. Utilizing readily available and partially recycled materials—such as aluminum frames, waterproof tarpaulin, and 3D-printed connectors—AllSpace shelters aim to create a sense of comfort and cultural familiarity for displaced individuals.
“This design feels more like home,” Eromsele explains. “It helps people feel accepted and rooted again.”
A New Benchmark in Sustainable Shelter: Award-Winning AllSpace Design Combines Functionality and Dignity
The Nigerian startup AllSpace has developed two modular shelter prototypes, already piloted in Nigeria, that embody both cost-effectiveness and rapid deployability—while rooted in sustainable design. According to founder Blossom Eromsele, each shelter costs approximately $120 USD, inclusive of materials and logistics, and can be assembled in just four hours—a critical advantage in emergency response scenarios.
The structures prioritize ventilation and include basic solar-powered functionality, with a lifespan of up to two years. Featuring a stable hexagonal form built on simple earthen platforms, these modular units can be flexibly arranged to form family clusters or community spaces. For insulation, the walls and roof use double-layered waterproof tarpaulin filled with dried grass.
AllSpace’s innovative work has been recognized by the Swarovski Foundation and the United Nations Office for Partnerships, through a program dedicated to identifying and accelerating youth-led initiatives with sustainable development potential. The nonprofit The World Around also praised the design for “delivering dignified housing through sustainable means.”
Source：Forgemind ArchiMedia
