Brightbox

The compact structure, made from 80 per cent recycled material provides a beacon of learning, care and opportunity for communities in areas such as refugee camps, ad-hoc and remote settlements and disaster zones.

Brightbox, backed by UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, was recently completed in the Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in North Uganda, until recently the largest refugee settlement in the world.

It was developed in collaboration with the Simbi Foundation (a research-led non-profit organisation providing quality educational support in remote and refugee communities) and CRADLE (an initiative from King’s College London and St Thomas’ Hospital that has developed a device to monitor the health of pregnant women to prevent infant mortality and pre natal complications).

Brightbox is designed as an easily deployable, catalyst to provide incremental growth to communities providing:
Off grid power for up to 10 surrounding classroom blocks and internet access up to a 2.7km radius; facilitating learning through a digital curriculum for up to 6000 simultaneous learners in school and in the surrounding community
A clean and secure area for medical care
A fully accessible, solar powered, microgrid enabling public phone charging
A place where learning and medical equipment can be securely stored, charged and dispense
1,000 litre filtered rain water collectio
A space for community events

The design of the Brightbox project explores how a piece of community infrastructure can help educate, empower and connect overlooked sections of society in places of resource scarcity and need.

Unknown Works developed the design and oversaw fabrication both remotely, in-shop in Kampala and on site in Bidi Bidi. The project employed local fabricators and local community groups for elements of the build.