Urban homeless shelters are often interpreted by architects and designers as nomadic structures and are therefore designed to be foldable, transportable, and easy to install. Nearly always they remain romantic concepts -- a means of defying authority and sometimes simply challenging reality. As such they constitute a lively field of engagement. In many cases, they exploit the city like inventive parasites.

Other types of shelter, in the unexpected form of a kit or a makeup case, are meant to make us invisible and protect us from monitoring and surveillance. And yet, more than anything else, one's sense of identity is the ultimate shelter. The Boezels -- toylike supports meant to help children with psychological impairments regain a sense of self -- play as important a role in our society today as do efforts to care for the physical consequences of disaster.

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Extremely dramatic events, such as the forced displacement of people due to natural or man-made catastrophes, necessitate shelter. In some cases, survivors are considered disaster victims -- in others, refugees; notwithstanding the different political and bureaucratic implications, new temporary homes begin with basic plastic sheets. Architects are becoming involved in the design of temporary housing and are vying to provide more comfort and respect for people's identity and emotions, while considering both cost and deployment restrictions. Every shelter, even the most basic, is not only meant to protect the body but also, ideally, the soul. Giving refugees and disaster victims a sense of hope and pride is often as important as providing them with nourishment. A door that can be locked can begin to do just that.