Ontario Teen to Live in 1-Day Home He Built for Homeless

Ribal Zebian is betting a full year of his life that his invention can help solve homelessness. The 18-year-old engineering student from London, Ontario, designed a modular home that can be built in just one day, and he plans to live inside one starting May 2026 to prove it works.

Zebian, who attends Western University, created the design after noticing both homelessness and housing costs skyrocketing in his community. His solution uses fiberglass panels and thermoplastic PET foam to create sturdy, affordable dwellings that can be quickly assembled and easily replicated.

"With fiberglass you can make extravagant molds, and you can replicate those," Zebian told CTV News. The roofing system uses insulated PET foam instead of traditional trusses, which supports the structure while keeping costs down.

But Zebian didn't want to sacrifice style for speed. His designs include customizable features and attractive architecture, rejecting the idea that affordable housing has to look boring or utilitarian.

"We don't want to be bringing a house to Canadians that is just boxy and that not much thought was put into it," he explained to the London Free Press. His goal is creating homes that people can feel proud to live in.

The year-long experiment will put the prototype through all four seasons. Zebian wants to identify every flaw and optimize the design before approaching manufacturers.

"When you live in something that long and use it, you can notice every single mistake and error," he said. The hands-on testing will ensure the homes can actually provide the comfort and protection people need.

Why This Inspires

Zebian is refreshingly honest about what his invention can and can't do. He knows these modular homes won't solve the housing crisis overnight or fix the policy issues that create homelessness. Instead, he sees them as a bridge—an inexpensive way to provide shelter while communities work on long-term solutions.

This isn't Zebian's first rodeo with innovative design either. He previously built an electric car out of wood and earned a $120,000 scholarship for his work. Now he's using that same creative problem-solving to tackle one of society's most pressing challenges.

What makes this story special is that Zebian isn't just designing from a distance. By committing to live in his creation for a full year, he's showing genuine investment in making sure it actually works for the people who need it most.

Young innovators like Zebian remind us that fresh perspectives and bold ideas can open new paths forward on problems that feel impossible to solve.