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German city installs thermally insulated sleeping pods for the homeless

5 min read

Better Society
German city installs thermally insulated sleeping pods for the homeless
Source: Ulmernest.de

Officials in Ulm installed the units, known as ‘Ulmer Nests’ to give shelter to rough sleepers during the cold winter months.

German City Installs pods to protect the Homeless from the worst of the winter

The ‘Ulm Nest’ is an attempt to supplement the existing frostbite protection in the city of Ulm, in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is an emergency refuge in the form of a sleeping capsule, which is intended to protect homeless people from life-threatening temperatures, wind and wetness on cold winter nights. In particular, it is intended to cover those who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to use the existing measures such as collective accommodation or overnight shelters. 

Source: Facebook/UlmerNest

Ulm Nests offer a better alternative to an overnight stay in the open air

The makers of Ulm Nest say the pods offer homeless people who have fallen through all safety nets an emergency instrument in the last instance. The low-threshold protection for life and limb is considered a preferable alternative to an unprotected overnight stay outdoors.

The designers and local officials are keen to stress the Ulm Nest is not an alternative to an overnight stay in a homeless shelter or a similarly well-controlled environment — it is an alternative to an overnight stay in the open air. 

Here, the closed, insulated design is intended to minimise or reduce the negative environmental influences such as wind, wet and cold. Nevertheless, life-threateningly low temperatures can still occur in an Ulm nest, and it is therefore explicitly to be regarded as the very last option, as already written above.

Source: UlmerNest.de

This prototype sees itself as a mold prototype, which should visualise the structural aspects of the Ulm nest and serve to test effect and standards.
A prototype was developed that was to be closer to the actual final result and a later Ulm nest. This prototype sees itself as a mold prototype, which should visualise the structural aspects of the Ulm nest and serve to test effect and standards. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest

Testing the concept offers a variety of opportunities for those affected and for the city of Ulm

It can be evaluated Ulm Nest is suitable as a measure for frostbite protection. The city of Ulm acts as a pioneer and source of ideas in a remarkable role model function – both with regard to the technical aspects, such as the use of the city-wide LoraWan for the digitisation of the processes around the Ulm Nest, and in the efforts to find answers to the challenges of modern urban coexistence.

If the Ulm Nests prove to be an appropriate means of frostbite protection, especially for those people who reject existing measures for a variety of reasons, the solution can be presented and used supra-regionally. Otherwise, an important question of urban social responsibility could be investigated and answered in a reasoned manner.

In either case, the evaluation gains important insights into the effects of mobile emergency sleep capsules for frostbite protection on those affected, but also on the environment and residents. Click HERE for technical details.

Source: UlmerNest.de

The form prototype was presented in two different places; to passers-by, to affected persons, and to those working in homeless assistance, whose first impressions and opinions were noted.
Feedback was sought and duly noted. The form prototype was presented in two different places; to passers-by, to affected persons, and to those working in homeless assistance, whose first impressions and opinions were noted. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
After discussions with experts from different areas, the prototypes of real testing, a combination of solid wood material for the base body and powder-coated steel sheet parts for the particularly cleaning-intensive and hygienically critical parts, was considered useful.
The choice of material is a challenging task in which various aspects had to be taken into account. After discussions with experts from different areas, the prototypes of real testing, a combination of solid wood material for the base body and powder-coated steel sheet parts for the particularly cleaning-intensive and hygienically critical parts, was considered useful. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
Wood as a renewable raw material, which is relatively inexpensive to process, has good thermal insulation properties and is quite resistant in this thickness, is the economically and ecologically best choice for these purposes.
After the assembly of the individual elements, the wood is superficially sealed with a glaze and thus withstands the expected weather conditions. Wood as a renewable raw material, which is relatively inexpensive to process, has good thermal insulation properties and is quite resistant in this thickness, is the economically and ecologically best choice for these purposes. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
In order to control the safety of users in the best possible way, but also all side effects of an overnight stay, such as garbage and contamination, but at the same time to keep the effort to be made to it minimum, a concept was developed that is based on the use of sensors and an easy-to-use, closed communication platform for communicating stakeholders.
The technical component of the Ulm Nest was already in the first reflections on frostbite protection during the pop-up space: In order to control the safety of users in the best possible way, but also all side effects of an overnight stay, such as garbage and contamination, but at the same time to keep the effort to be made to it minimum, a concept was developed that is based on the use of sensors and an easy-to-use, closed communication platform for communicating stakeholders. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
sensors for GPS, temperature and humidity, smoke and CO2, motion detection in the interior, the electronic verification of the locking from the interior, run together with a general lighting, an alarm-signal buzzer and a heat exchanger, resp. Ventilation system in a central control unit. The supply of fresh air is ensured by a heat exchanger with a ceramic element for heat recovery, so that despite the exchange of room and fresh air, the internal temperature is maintained as much as possible or can rise further.
In accordance with the revised concept for the functionality of the Ulm Nest, the required hardware was put together: sensors for GPS, temperature and humidity, smoke and CO2, motion detection in the interior, the electronic verification of the locking from the interior, run together with a general lighting, an alarm-signal buzzer and a heat exchanger, resp. Ventilation system in a central control unit. The supply of fresh air is ensured by a heat exchanger with a ceramic element for heat recovery, so that despite the exchange of room and fresh air, the internal temperature is maintained as much as possible or can rise further. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
The collected sensor values are recorded via the central control unit, stored and transmitted via LoraWAN or GSM to a data server, depending on availability, where these values are written to a database with a timestamp.
Tech: software and data The collected sensor values are recorded via the central control unit, stored and transmitted via LoraWAN or GSM to a data server, depending on availability, where these values are written to a database with a timestamp. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
Fast and uncomplicated cleaning plays an important role with regard to the hygienic conditions inside an Ulm nest, but also with regard to the running costs in productive operation. Therefore, the Ulm Nest was optimised for fast, hygienic cleaning with professional cleaning equipment.
Easy to transport and easy to keep clean: Fast and uncomplicated cleaning plays an important role with regard to the hygienic conditions inside an Ulm nest, but also with regard to the running costs in productive operation. Therefore, the Ulm Nest was optimised for fast, hygienic cleaning with professional cleaning equipment. Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
Die Erprobungsphase hat begonnen: Heute hatten wir Besuch von regioTV am ulmer nest. Hier findet Ihr den Beitrag dazu.(As this project is in the early stages of development, no English video exists at present). Source: Facebook/UlmerNest
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5 WAYS TO HELP THE HOMELESS (WITH PICTURES)

There are lots of other ways to help homeless people. Donating food and clothing to homeless shelters is a great way to help. You could also volunteer your time with such an organisation. Educate yourself and others about homelessness and share facts about homelessness with others. Use letters to your local newspaper, blog posts, and social media to spread the word about how homelessness is a problem and what others can do to help.