Foam insulation, aluminum and years of work. “L’Iglou”, an isothermal shelter that protects the homeless from bad weather, was born in 2017 in the mind of Geoffroy de Reynal. “An emergency device, but not a solution in itself”, specifies its inventor from the outset.
It was on the terrace of his roommate that the first prototypes of the “Igloo” were born. Geoffroy has just returned from a mission to the United States as a renewable energy engineer. The question of precariousness has been on his mind since he left his native village to join big cities like Paris or Bordeaux.
Thanks to an insulation system, the device allows the temperature to be increased by using body heat. The first feedback is positive. But “l’Igloo” fails to impose itself in France, following a political deadlock. A French entrepreneur expatriated in the Czech Republic then offered Geoffroy to develop his concept. Since then, more than 1200 “Iglous” have been exported all over the world.
In Belgium, it is in 2022 that the association ‘Human Smile’ distributes the first “Iglous” in Brussels, thanks to private donations. A pilot experience from which Florian benefited. “The Igloo changed my life. I felt safe. I was also able to put my things there during the day to look for work.” Two months later, the man finds accommodation, with the help of the association. “It is estimated that the “Igloo” is not a dwelling. It is a phase that allows these people to be protected during the cold period and to begin a process of reintegration”, says Fadi Chioua, one of the leaders. In Brussels alone, 5000 people would be homeless. “Our dream would be that there would be no more “Igloo”, concludes Fadi, “but it’s the reality and we have to adapt to it”.