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New modular tech to assemble emergency housing unit in 7 days

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By Ko Dong-hwan
  • Published KST
  • Updated KST
A new foldable modular system developed by the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) / Courtesy of KICT

A new foldable modular system developed by the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) / Courtesy of KICT

A Korean civil engineering researcher has developed the country’s first emergency housing unit that can be built in only a week, featuring key elements designed for residential comfort.

The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) has designed a foldable modular system, which consists of two modules and comes equipped with a bathroom pod, a kitchen pod, air-conditioning, heating, electricity and wastewater drain pipes.

Each module of the system can be set up in 90 minutes, with the full installation — including connecting and activating all operating systems — completed within a week.

Each module is foldable, making setup convenient and storage easy when not in use. Courtesy of KICT

Each module is foldable, making setup convenient and storage easy when not in use. Courtesy of KICT

Each module of the new system measures 3.2 meters by 6.3 meters, more than twice the floor area of KICT’s previous modular design. When folded, the module’s volume is reduced to one-third that of the older model, making storage much easier when not in use.

KICT said the modular system is specifically designed for victims of natural disasters or other unforeseen accidents that leave people homeless.

KICT said the new system will ease the difficulties of staying in an indoor gymnasium or an emergency housing container prepared by local authorities for the disaster victims. Those settings, according to KICT, often have major problems with ventilation, heating, frost buildup on interior walls and insufficient running water for facilities like bathrooms and kitchens.

The interior of the foldable modular system is fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, air-conditioning, heating, electricity and wastewater drainage pipes. Courtesy of KICT

The interior of the foldable modular system is fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, air-conditioning, heating, electricity and wastewater drainage pipes. Courtesy of KICT

The modular system will serve as "key public technology for providing victims with fully-functioning emergency residences fast, until they can return to their normal lives," KICT President Park Sun-kyu said.

KICT previously developed a foldable modular emergency COVID-19 testing center that can be deployed on the street, allowing people to get tested for infection. The Z-shaped, foldable unit with a floor area of 1.8 meters by 3 meters has now been developed into the new emergency housing system, according to the institute.

Hyundai Livart, an interior design and furniture company, has partnered with KICT to outfit the bathroom and kitchen pods. The project is funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT as one of KICT’s key initiatives for 2024-25.