From Empty Car Park To Temporary Shelter
During the COVID-19 pandemic, existing homeless shelters faced major capacity challenges due to social distancing requirements. The Salvation Army therefore needed additional temporary accommodation in Almere that could be realised quickly while providing a safe environment for both residents and staff.
An unused car park at an office location on Wisselweg in central Almere provided the space. CBOX supplied and installed a total of 75 container units to transform the site into a functional temporary shelter. Of these units, 45 were used to accommodate people experiencing homelessness, while another 30 units provided offices, kitchens and sanitary facilities for staff and the operation of the shelter.
75 Units, One Functional Location
Speed was an important factor in this project. The CBOX cabin units are designed to be quickly deployed and can be combined to create larger temporary buildings and facilities.
Their modular construction also makes the internal layout flexible. Wall panels can be removed or repositioned, allowing individual units to be connected and spaces to be configured according to their intended use.
This made it possible to use the same modular system for very different functions across the site, from accommodation and sanitary facilities to kitchens and offices.
The temporary location was designed to operate around the clock, with Salvation Army staff present 24 hours a day to support its residents. What began as an urgent need during an exceptional period became a clear example of what modular container accommodation can offer when additional capacity needs to be created quickly: a flexible location that can be installed, configured and later removed again when it is no longer required.
