In light of the worrying and increasing number of cases in which refugees have to extend their lives in camps for years, 2016 summer eme3 organized a competition for a prototype design that could adapt itself to this limit and changing situation. Six of the proposals were chosen to be built in Barcelona, and this project was awarded as the best emergency prototype.

The Membrane House ia a small prototype of tensile structure. It is born for the need of stablishing long-term shelters in the worrying current situation with regard to contingency resources.

It is a very versatile prototype working as social space and it offers many functions for inhabiting.Its ephemeral condition responds to the necessity to ease its transportation and assembly by using a construction solution based on integrity (tensegrity) and coherence and following principles of low-tech manufacturing.

This prototype contributes to tensile structures development, being part of the new contemporany architectural social pardigm and finding its own morphology and beauty following the logic of loads in tensile structures, as well as offering an efficient response in optimizing its construcion materials to its full potencial with low market cost.

The streched fabric is combined with elongated timber sections working under compression, and conveys stability to the inner structure. The geometry of the prototype is composed of hexagonal and pentagonal modules, offering the space a character that combines spaciality of the dome and functionality of the vault.
The fabric because of its tensional properties. The timber sections, because of its natural origin and non-contaminant future, and its great response as a compressed material.

The nodes of the structure are the connection points of the timber sections that correspond to the triangulated framework and the vertices of the membrane. Therefore the nodes work as articulations between the timber sections exerting tension in the same direction as the membranes, perpendicularly to the direction of their free moviment.

An efficient solution is established being affordable for quick assembly, made by hands not necessarily qualified. The auxiliar materials can be easily obtained in the market, optimizing the resources and the construction impact, while following a "low-tech" philosophy.