Project Beteseb - Prototype

This project is a prototype of a multifunctional furniture design to improve the lives of families that live In the slum neighborhoods surrounding our client @raey_ngo (a nonprofit school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia). Many of these families consist of single moms and their children. They often live in 1 room 10’x12’ shelters made of tree branches, corrugated sheet metal, and plastic tarps (often with dirt floors).

We call this project “Beteseb”. It means “family” in Amharic (one of the languages widely spoken in Ethiopia).

We have been exploring ways to improve the living situation for families in these conditions. Unfortunately, if we make any improvements to their homes, their landlords will raise the rent and they will be forced to move.

So as a team, we decided to design a multifunctional piece of furniture that would help them improve and maximize their living space. This way if/when the family ever needs to move, they can take this furniture piece with them.

The end product is a L-shaped bunk bed that allows for the lower bed to fold up create more open floor space in the home during the day, a small foldable desk for kids to do schoolwork, and a storage shelf to help with organizing belongings.

Although simple, each of these elements offer huge improvements to the living spaces that most families in this community have. We hope to make many more of these to give to other families in the community in years to come.