Emergency shelters for disaster relief are an ever present necessity. Anyone who has ever camped in a tent will understand that finding the perfect design, that will be simple and quick to erect, be stable in a variety of weather conditions, and will accommodate a number of people sleeping, sitting or even standing is not straightforward and compromises need to be made. At the time when this article was written, tents were being used for refugees in the Swat valley in North West Pakistan. In disaster situations, time and resources are at a premium, so designs need to be simple, cheap and quick to erect. This article explores the global dimension and functional mathematics through a shelter design class activity. The goal was to design an emergency shelter for use after a natural disaster such as an earthquake or a tsunami.