LONDON — An architect in the capital has come up with an innovative solution to help the city's homeless population: Floating sleeping pods.

James Furzer from Dagenham won an award for his plywood pods, which are designed to hang above head height from host buildings in the city.

The temporary shelters, which could be used for an overnight stay or for some respite during the day, are constructed of untreated plywood and held up by a steel frame.

Accessed by a ladder, the space comprises a bed with a mattress and a makeshift living area. The walls are structurally insulated, according to the specifications, and there's no electricity, although solar power could be introduced if needed.

The pods, designed to be attached to the side of a building or structure,would be held up by two steel frames and raised above head level. Image: James Furzer/REX Shutterstock/Associated Press

Furzer was inspired to design the pod after hearing negative comments about homeless people in London and observing the proliferation of anti-homeless spikes across the capital.

He won first prize in Fakro's sixth annual Space for New Visions competition.

Homelessness is a growing problem across the country, according to government statistics. The autumn 2014 total of people sleeping rough in England was 2,744, up 14% from the year before. In London, 742 rough sleepers were counted, accounting for 27% of the national figure.

Jennifer Barnes from another homelessness charity, Centrepoint, praised Furzer's efforts. "It's really encouraging to see talented people like James focussed on tackling the growing problem of rough sleeping in the capital," she said.

"Anti-homeless spikes, which have concerned James and many others, are a short-sighted response which has added to the stigma of homelessness, and failed to address the root causes."

The pods are just a concept, but Furzer hopes they could become a reality. "The idea would be potentially for a pod like this to be donated to a homeless charity, who could monitor it for a select amount of evening hours," he told the Daily Mail.

"There are all sorts of issues that needs to be detailed but there's lots of different ways it could work."