Design Switzerland is initiated by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council.
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Instant Windows Project

Instant Windows Project

Instant Windows Project has been supported by our latest Call for Projects.

Next Call for Projects is now open – More information here

Instant Windows is a project at the intersection of humanitarian aid and design.

After realizing how a broken window can affect the lives of people living in crisis areas, co-founders Wendelin Federer and Reto Togni imagined a cheap, universal, transparent insulation off the roll. They have produced a  first prototype that met considerable interest in the humanitarian world, Heinrich Nolte joined the team to strengthen the business feasibility of the project.
Instant Windows uses a patent pending, translucent double-layer plastic sheet which provides both daylight as well as insulation against the elements. Instant Windows is easy to fold, store, ship and self explanatory to install and adapt to any window size by simply cutting it with a pair of scissors. The driving force in the development process was iterative testing in both real-life as well as lab-like environments to ensure the product’s technical validity and its suitability for the given context.
Instant Windows offers an alternative for conflict zones inhabitants to repair efficiently their windows and improve their basic living conditions under dreadful circumstances.

Instant Windows Project has been supported by Global Humanitarian Lab  and InnovationRCA (Royal College of Arts)

Upcoming maintenance work

The application portal myprohelvetia will be updated from 1.1.-7.1.2024. Due to these changes, open applications must be finalized and submitted via the current online portal (myprohelvetia.ch) by the latest 23:59 on 31 December 2023. Until this date, the deadlines and criteria outlined in the current guidelines and calls for applications apply. New applications can be created and submitted in the application portal as of 8 January 2024.