Two Macdonald High School students, Adrianna Vutrano and Pasha Jones partnered up for their school’s science fair, where students had to come up with an idea and present it. The pair knew they wanted to do something that would help homeless people.

Jones said:

My uncle actually died on the streets. Due to mental illness, he became homeless and started living on the streets.

The 15-year-olds are motivated to keep people who are living on Montreal’s streets warm during winter nights and cool during heatwaves. Some people may choose to sleep on the streets even if there are shelters around, given their mental state. “Not everyone will choose to go into a shelter,” added Jones.

Jones explained:

We wanted to create something that they could use that can actually help them stay safe on the streets without having to use the shelters.

Vutrano and Jones built the two-kilogram backpack that transforms into a shelter, which they called A Portable House. They bought materials at their local hardware store, including tarp and hula hoops. “It’s like an accordion. It contracts and expands. It expands up to around six feet,” explained Vutrano.

The shelter is lined with a space blanket, which keeps it warm during the cold months. “In the winter, it’s six to seven degrees warmer inside,” said Vutrano. During the hot months, the user can flip the portable house upside down so that the space blanket is on top. Therefore, the sun will reflect off the space blanket, and it will be much cooler inside.

The teens went out into the streets of Montreal to test out their creation and make sure it was viable. “We tested outside at zero-degree weather, and we stayed in all day. It’s super comfortable,” said Jones.

The judges at their science fair were all impressed. The duo went off to New Brunswick, to show their invention in the Canada-Wide Science Fair. “It was a great experience,” said Jones.

Now, the pair are looking for partners, such as government agencies or companies, to mass-produce their prototype. They estimate that it would cost around $10 to make each one if the materials were bought in bulk. “We just need someone that could help us create it at a mass volume,” explained Jones.

The high school students hope that one day they will see homeless people using their invention on the streets of Montreal.