buddi by dave williams from uk

Homelessness is a very unfamiliar subject matter to the majority of us who do not often come into contact with it. On the outside it appears to be very simple – people living rough on the streets due to the fact they have no income and no home.

Where as, in actual fact, there is a lot more to it than that. OK, yes, the fact that these people do not have jobs or a home is true, but there is a lot of friendship, survival, teamwork and a desire to make a living no matter how small. All of these tasks been carried out in an often hostile, cold and wet environment.

The ‘buddi’ concept has been developed with many aspects in mind other than just the transportaion of a persons belongings. Firstly, the name ‘buddi’ - this is your friend, a mate who will help, forming part of your small team to aid survival and a companion who can offer the simplest but quite often the most essential roles.

The initial criteria for ‘buddi’ was to help in the transportation of peoples belongings and throughout the design process it was recognised that this ‘trolley’ could in actual fact offer a lot more than that. ‘buddi’ has been developed to play 3 main roles:

1...on the move…storage on the trolley is evident in 2 forms. The trolley can be fitted with a removable ‘bin liner’ (custom made to fit the trolley) which is fixed to the underside of the canvas to the top and is held in place by the bag support rails. The bag is accessed through a canvas flap to the top which is held in place by Velcro. The idea being that when full, the bag can be easily removed and passed to a recycling depot and replaced with an empty bag, saving the need to remove all collected items one by one.
Other than carrying small items collected, ‘buddi’ offers a versatile strap system which can be used for transporting larger items, such as blankets, sleeping bags, clothing and cardboard.

2...making friends…when reading about homelessness it became apparent that quite often these people tend to group up. Also, places of rest are often sought after and can be hard to find and retain. ‘buddi’ offers its services as just that, a place to rest. By laying ‘buddi’ down, a person or persons can use the top surface (canvas pulled taut over the framework) to sit on, offering a seat anytime anywhere.

3...creating shelter…forming shelter is often one of the most important tasks carried out by a homeless person on a daily basis. This can take the form of cardboard boxes, blankets, sleeping bags, etc. To get a ‘roof over head’ can be an even tougher task which if not successful can leave you open to the elements. What ‘buddi’ does is offer a simple roof over your head. The floor area of which ‘buddi’ offers shelter to can be increased by simply extending the pull handle and pulling the top canvas taut. The design of the trolley also allows more than one ‘buddi’ to sit snugly next to one another therefore creating a larger sheltered area. This simple functionality will encourage friendship and also a sense of security to those in groups. Overall helping to build a ‘community’ in which teamwork and camaraderie is very noticeable and encouraged.

The overall construction of ‘buddi’ has been developed in a very cost effective method whilst also ensuring all components are highly durable and relatively maintenance free. The main construction is of tubular mild steel using simple manufacturing to achieve the basic form of the unit. The majority of the components are designed on a removable basis allowing simple replacement of parts should it be necessary. The wheels are low maintenance with a solid tyre to avoid puncture and/or rapid wear. The canvas top sections are multi functional in that they are weatherproof therefore protecting the items been carried and the owner. The canvas is also very durable and strong which can accept a large weight offering the option of using it as a seat.

Overall, a multi purpose trolley which has strengths in transportation, friendship and protection.

“…so, meet ‘buddi’…your new friend…”