A 20 yo Jamia Millia Islamia Student creates a makeshift COVID-19 Shelter out of shipping containers.

The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow!

Meet Kaif Ali, a 20 year old student of architecture from Jamia Millia Islamia who has been appreciated by ‘Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal’, the Honourable HRD Minister of India for conceptualizing a makeshift COVID-19 shelter out of shipping containers. He has also been honoured by NDTV as a COVID-19 lockdown hero for his contribution.

Let’s have a look at the backstory of the innovation..

The idea of a multipurpose shelter was born in 2019 when Mr. Kaif participated in an international competition to make transitional shelters for refugees. It was his passion to serve his community through architecture and a belief that there is much good that can be done with intelligent architectural innovation that helped him stay with the project through thick and thin. He made an intention to create something cost effective and purposeful. He calls his creationSpaceEraand defines it as “a standard ‘space’ developed for the pandemic ‘Era’ and beyond.”

SpaceEra at a glance..

Mr. Kaif presents SpaceEra as a universal solution for building a compact, sustainable and transitional shelter. The idea behind the project was to build a standard space where people can take shelter at low cost while ensuring their physical and mental wellbeing. This design is an efficient concept which can be used for multiple purposes including but not limited to,

Night and food shelters
Army base camps
Flood relief camps
Refugee camps
Low Cost Housing Units

There is a high probability for a COVID-19 patient to infect his/her family members when quarantining at home and there are similar risks when quarantining at public facilities. It is difficult for the general public to get a bed in a hospital; even if they are lucky enough to get one the charges are unaffordable in most cities.SpaceEra is structured to maintain social distancing and healthcare precautions as per guidelines issued by Indian and International medical bodies.It provides much needed health infrastructure and essential facilities. The proposal is important for developing nations, especially African countries.

During a pandemic, SpaceEra can be used not just as a quarantine facility but also as a

Hospital Incremental Proposal
Portable Washroom Unit
Shelter for migrants
Health care centres

Mr. Kaif is currently in conversation with architects from Nigeria to explore how his innovation can help COVID-19 patients in the country. He is getting responses and queries from organizations and individuals from South Africa, India, Germany, Iran, Turkey, United States, and Brazil.

When asked about what inspires him, here is what Kaif has to say…

Imagine-Initiate-Inspire. If you are passionate about your imagination/dreams you can achieve them. But the big step is to take the initiative and work with a belief that you can accomplish it with hard work and Allah’s help. He also added that the youth must focus on seeking higher education with a purpose to serve mankind in their field of interest as education is the most valued possession today.

He has also gained remarkable recognitions from national and international organisations and experts.The project is appreciated by UNHCR Spokesperson and Communication Officer,Duniya Aslam Khan; Youth organizations like One Young World;Queens Commonwealth Trust,UN Youth Envoy.

Awards: –