Ontario teen says he’ll live in ‘modular home’ invention for a year to prove it can end homelessness
Ribal Zebian, an enterprising engineering student from Ontario, is taking on the challenge of homelessness with an innovative approach. Known for his previous invention of a wooden electric car, Zebian has now turned his focus to creating modular homes made from fiberglass and PET foam. These homes are designed to be quickly assembled and affordable, providing a temporary solution to the housing crisis. Zebian is so committed to his idea that he is living in one of these homes for a year, aiming to experience and refine the design through all seasons.
Zebian’s project is not just about building homes; it’s about reshaping perceptions of what affordable housing can be. He emphasizes aesthetics alongside functionality, ensuring these homes are not only practical but also visually appealing. This initiative represents a blend of youthful ingenuity and social responsibility, demonstrating how individual efforts can contribute to larger systemic issues. While Zebian acknowledges that modular homes are not a permanent fix, his work underscores the potential of creative solutions in addressing urgent social needs.
Constructive analysis
The constructive-journalism lens: not just what happened, but what works.
- The problem
- The challenge of rising homelessness and the high cost of housing in Ontario.
- The actions
- Zebian is developing and living in a prototype modular home made from affordable materials to test its viability as a housing solution.
- Evidence of progress
- Zebian's previous success with a wooden car project and his ongoing commitment to refining the modular home by living in it demonstrate his practical approach.
- What we can learn
- Others can learn from Zebian's approach by combining technical skills with social awareness to create scalable solutions for pressing societal issues.
PERMA profile of this story
How this story scores across the PERMA dimensions.
- Positive Emotion
- 8
- Engagement
- 9
- Relationships
- 7
- Meaning
- 8
- Accomplishment
- 9
Character strengths in play
Top VIA strengths this story embodies.
Hope
Zebian believes his modular homes could provide an inexpensive option to help people get the shelter they need until certain policies are reformed.
Curiosity
He’s so confident in his idea that the 18-year-old plans on living in it for a year to test it out himself.
Courage
Zebian is putting his modular home prototype to the test by living inside of a unit for a full year.
Try this today
Consider a problem you see in your community. Spend a week brainstorming creative solutions, focusing on practical steps you can take to test your ideas, much like Zebian's approach to homelessness.