Unity Dome Project
2025
Urban Design and Smart Cities Award
Winner
Unity Dome Project
Designers / Creators / Authors / Leaders
Michael Harrington, Linh Tran-Wallace, Aisha Campbell, Javier Morale, Sofia Petrovic
This groundbreaking project reimagines how American cities can begin to care for their most vulnerable residents. The initiative introduces a network of smart city domes - compact, durable, and human-centered shelters designed for the many homeless individuals, low-income singles, and impoverished families across major U.S. cities.
Each dome creates a safe, dignified, and private living environment, enabling residents to regain a sense of stability and personal space that is often missing in traditional temporary accommodations. Built from resilient modular materials, the domes are engineered for rapid deployment and long-term usage within diverse urban environments.
Inside every unit, essential amenities are seamlessly integrated: reliable power, efficient lighting, and sustainable heating systems ensure comfort and security in all seasons. The design prioritizes adaptability, community input, and technological simplicity - ensuring that the shelters remain not only accessible but also responsive to the evolving needs of the population they serve.
Above all, the project stands as a powerful example of urban compassion fused with innovation, demonstrating how smart design can foster social equity and transform the public realm into a network of opportunity and care. The projects incorporates many of the succesful overseas initiatives, that have solved the challenges of homelessness.
