The Kenny

The Kenny by france brunel from usa

designer's own words:

Named for a homeless man we knew in Chicago, the ‘Kenny’ is a product designed to carry belongings and offer a comfortable shelter to sleep and rest on. In designing the Kenny, we first set out to offer a maximum amount of easily accessible storage space (more than a supermarket cart) while keeping it maneuverable and easy to push. We found that a system of movable drawers could be reconfigured to create a shelter without losing storage space.
Because safety is a primary concern for persons living on the street, the Kenny is designed to be both strong and inconspicuous. We chose to build it out of steel mesh, like that on super market carts, which protects the contents of the bins, allows them to be locked, and which protects the torso and head of the person while they sleep. Mesh also reduces overall weight, allows for ventilation/drainage, and provides a surface on which additional bags and objects can be hung. Wanting to avoid expensive and flashy materials, we also designed a simple feature which allows the owner to use trash bags to make weatherproof, replaceable walls and roofing for the shelter. We strove to keep the Kenny versatile and simple enough to make it a practical and feasible product.

How Kenny works

copy_0_kenny_boards_3.jpg Kenny’s parts

copy_0_kenny_boards_2.jpg Kenny in action