Torch: Creating comfort where it's needed most
Spende geschützt
Help us create comfort where it's needed most.
Millions of refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable populations are forced to live outdoors in unbearable conditions.
Torch is a non-profit startup created by health, engineering, and design experts at the University of Southern California with the purpose of providing a low-cost, low-tech solution to increase comfort in tents and makeshift structures for vulnerable populations across the globe.
The Torch tackles three main problem areas:
1. Temperature control
2. Moisture control
3. Adaptable distribution.
For refugees and people experiencing homelessness, comfort is a luxury they cannot afford. But with Torch, a home can be made livable once again.
Our story
Traveling to Moria, Greece:
Our team traveled to Moria, a refugee camp on the island of Lesvos, Greece twice this past year. As one of the major gateways to Europe from the Middle East, the camp is horribly overcrowded, housing 20,000 refugees fleeing war-torn countries, violence and persecution, in a space meant for 3,000 people. After talking with the refugees and seeing the poor living conditions in camps, we knew we had to do something to help.
Identifying the problem:
The majority of refugees live in tents or makeshift shelters, and use plastic tarps and cardboard as protection from the elements. Those we interviewed stated that one of their top three biggest needs was better shelter to defend the weather, as the winters and nights are freezing cold and the summers and days are sweltering hot. In addition to severe temperatures, the lack of airflow in the shelters creates a musty, damp environment. The need to solve the problem of temperature regulation and ventilation in emergency shelters became undeniable.
Designing a Solution:
We spent 8 months prototyping, creating ~36 iterations. Our goal was to create a reversible solution, which could either keep body heat in or the sun’s heat out. Countless hours were spent researching, manipulating, and testing materials that would be best for insulation. We decided to use a material called “aluminet”, a metalized high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh material in a series of square sheets that can be secured together. The material reflects radiant body heat back inside a shelter to increase temperatures, reflects sunlight away to decrease temperatures, reduces humidity in the shelter, and keeps condensation outside. After spending ~ 80 hours testing our designs ourselves, sleeping in tents overnight and testing across the US and in Greece in all kinds of weather conditions, we conclude that the Torch increases interior temperatures by 5-10 °C on average during cold weather, cools the shelter during hot sunny days, and reduces humidity by 5-10% on average.
Our design, the Torch, allows for temperature regulation, ventilation, and adaptability to different types of shelters and distribution methods.
Passing the Torch:
With so much excitement about the Torch from the refugees and NGOs, we knew we had to move forward. The refugee families we tested with reported that our solution helped them feel warmer at night, cooler during the day, and prevented condensation from forming on their tents. These 6 families did not want to part with the Torch and continue to use it to this day, reporting that the Torch helps them feel significantly more comfortable inside their shelter.
Those were the first 6 families, but there are thousands more who need our help.
We're asking you to help Pass the Torch.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 to deliver the Torch to 600 refugee families in Moria and to 500 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Pass the Torch and donate now.
Thank you.
Camp Moria, in Lesvos, Greece:
Our team in action:
The Torch:
Millions of refugees, people experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable populations are forced to live outdoors in unbearable conditions.
Torch is a non-profit startup created by health, engineering, and design experts at the University of Southern California with the purpose of providing a low-cost, low-tech solution to increase comfort in tents and makeshift structures for vulnerable populations across the globe.
The Torch tackles three main problem areas:
1. Temperature control
2. Moisture control
3. Adaptable distribution.
For refugees and people experiencing homelessness, comfort is a luxury they cannot afford. But with Torch, a home can be made livable once again.
Our story
Traveling to Moria, Greece:
Our team traveled to Moria, a refugee camp on the island of Lesvos, Greece twice this past year. As one of the major gateways to Europe from the Middle East, the camp is horribly overcrowded, housing 20,000 refugees fleeing war-torn countries, violence and persecution, in a space meant for 3,000 people. After talking with the refugees and seeing the poor living conditions in camps, we knew we had to do something to help.
Identifying the problem:
The majority of refugees live in tents or makeshift shelters, and use plastic tarps and cardboard as protection from the elements. Those we interviewed stated that one of their top three biggest needs was better shelter to defend the weather, as the winters and nights are freezing cold and the summers and days are sweltering hot. In addition to severe temperatures, the lack of airflow in the shelters creates a musty, damp environment. The need to solve the problem of temperature regulation and ventilation in emergency shelters became undeniable.
Designing a Solution:
We spent 8 months prototyping, creating ~36 iterations. Our goal was to create a reversible solution, which could either keep body heat in or the sun’s heat out. Countless hours were spent researching, manipulating, and testing materials that would be best for insulation. We decided to use a material called “aluminet”, a metalized high-density polyethylene (HDPE) mesh material in a series of square sheets that can be secured together. The material reflects radiant body heat back inside a shelter to increase temperatures, reflects sunlight away to decrease temperatures, reduces humidity in the shelter, and keeps condensation outside. After spending ~ 80 hours testing our designs ourselves, sleeping in tents overnight and testing across the US and in Greece in all kinds of weather conditions, we conclude that the Torch increases interior temperatures by 5-10 °C on average during cold weather, cools the shelter during hot sunny days, and reduces humidity by 5-10% on average.
Our design, the Torch, allows for temperature regulation, ventilation, and adaptability to different types of shelters and distribution methods.
Passing the Torch:
With so much excitement about the Torch from the refugees and NGOs, we knew we had to move forward. The refugee families we tested with reported that our solution helped them feel warmer at night, cooler during the day, and prevented condensation from forming on their tents. These 6 families did not want to part with the Torch and continue to use it to this day, reporting that the Torch helps them feel significantly more comfortable inside their shelter.
Those were the first 6 families, but there are thousands more who need our help.
We're asking you to help Pass the Torch.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 to deliver the Torch to 600 refugee families in Moria and to 500 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.
Pass the Torch and donate now.
Thank you.
Camp Moria, in Lesvos, Greece:
Our team in action:
The Torch:
Spendenteam: Torch (5)
Lauren Yen
Organisator
Los Angeles, CA
Ayeshna Desai
Spendenbegünstigte
Laura Roed
Team member
Jacob Totaro
Team member
Gianna Morena
Team member
