As part of the Venice Architecture Biennale, which runs until November 26 under the theme ‘Laboratories of the Future,’' the Essential Homes Research Project addresses the debate on universal access to essential housing. The result of a collaboration between the Norman Foster Foundation and the company Holcim, the project is presented through a life-size prototype located in the Marinaressa Gardens and an exhibition at Palazzo Mora. Essential Homes seeks to meet basic human needs, providing security, comfort, and well-being to displaced people who can well remain for decades in 'temporary' settlements.

The project is being undertaken with a mix of sustainable, energy-efficient, low-carbon building solutions where all components can be reused or recycled. These include rollable concrete sheets that serve as exterior shells; ECOPact concrete pathways to connect the home units and include aggregates that absorb light and reflect it at night; energy-efficient insulation systems, from Elevate boards to low-carbon Airium foam; and Holcim's ECOCycle® recycled demolition materials that are used to make the Essential Home's base more resistant.

Financial Times: Norman Foster tackles the emergency shelter