The pioneering concept, called Sleep-Pod, emanates from capsule sleeping first seen in the 1970s and provides a unique solution for short-term accommodation for the homeless.

Stephen Sharpe, Chief Executive of St Patrick’s, explains:
Temporary shelters are strategically important to homeless people – a place where they can stay for up to three weeks and link in with the support services relevant to their needs before moving onto a more permanent alternative. The Sleep-Pod was developed in consultation with our residents, volunteers and supporters and the concept has the potential to transform emergency night shelter provision. Homelessness continues to be a significant problem throughout the country and we need to find ways of maximising the availability and quality of care for those in need. The Sleep-Pod does this perfectly by combining a welcoming and modern design to create individual and secure spaces.“

Sleep-Pods at SLEEP06

The team behind the venture hopes that hotel operators, designers and suppliers will be inspired to fund one or a number of the Pods. There are many parallels as well as contrasts between this solution for the homeless and the hotel guest experience. The parallels are about providing guests with secure, comfortable and clean accommodation, but when you consider how much money is spent in today’s leading, fashionable hotels, often just a stone’s throw away from people sleeping on the streets, the contrast is striking. Doing something to alleviate the problem should make sense to hotels, especially in cities that have a reputation for problems with rough sleepers.