Mobile Shelter for the Homeless

One of the things about being a professional artist as well as an art-centric architect and designer is that you periodically get called upon to participate in a project that requires you to utilize your skills to tackle an unusual or atypical problem. In this case, I was called upon to help design a Mobile Shelter for the homeless in Sonoma County. In May of 2017 I exhibited my prototype that I called "Dorothy" at the Paul Mahder Gallery in Healdsburg, CA.

This design has been granted a design patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. As a result of the show my project was published in the Press Democrat. Click the link below to see the article.

Press Democrat Article - May 12, 2017

In addition to the article in the Press Democrat, I had the honor of being named the Best New Product category winner for the North Bay Business Journal's 2018 Maker Awards. For more information go to the article in The North Bay Business Journal.

North Bay Business Journal Article - August 20,2018

The Story of Dorothy

Taking my queue from the Wizard of Oz and the iconic saying that ‘There’s No Place Like Home’, I embarked on a project in early 2017 that aimed to remove the stigma of homelessness via the design of a mobile shelter that could be used universally by people of all socio-economic levels. My first prototype, which I call Dorothy, has been very well received by children and adults alike wherever she has been shown. The goal now is to continue Dorothy’s story …

Turtle featuring Ken’s artwork. Urban camouflage..

As a licensed Architect, professional Fine Artist and patented Inventor, I have been developing the Dorothy prototype into a series of mobile shelters called Turtles. Inspired by a roman arch and designed to the format of a 4x8 sheet of plywood, I envision the Turtles as a temporary solution to address the housing inequalities in northern California. I also believe that everyone should have access to adequate shelter especially in the face of global climate and economic changes.

To bring my idea to the attention of the general public, I have begun to exhibit my full scale prototype named Dorothy as well as several of my 1/4 scale models which I calls Munchkins. I have already shown Dorothy and the Munchkins at the Paul Mahder Gallery in Healdsburg, CA and the Middletown Art Center in Middletown, CA. The exhibits showcase the many features that I have incorporated into my mobile design including a bicycle hitch attachment, interior lockable storage, operable windows, moon roof, carpeting, fold-out table, LED lighting and future solar with battery charging capabilities.

Moving forward, my goal is to demonstrate how a new design paradigm can remove the stigma associated with homelessness when it is something that can be used universally by people of all socio-economic levels. I envision my Turtles being used for purposes other than providing shelter for the homeless including disaster relief, mobile offices/studios, recreational activities, etc.

Ken showing off the interior features including LED lights and tablet integration.

In addition to winning an award for the Best New Product by the North Bay Business Journal, I received a nice letter from California State Senator Mike McGuire congratulating me on my award (below). It’s a great honor to be recognized and I continue to have people encourage me to keep pressing the idea forward. With any luck it will do just that.