Designing out of disaster
An estimated 30 million shipping containers sit unused in the world's ports. Modified, these containers could house many of those caught in the aftermath of disaster. But what does it take to make that happen?
A research team is urgently trying to develop their SEED project into the fastest way to deliver emergency housing to displaced survivors of the Haitian earthquake, while addressing a global container glut. Using their designs, standard shipping containers are strategically cut for light and ventilation, then transported to a permanent site to be insulated and modified with internal fixtures such as bathing and cooking 'pods'.
The design makes use of another industrial leftover - the ubiquitous 55-gallon steel drum. These can be used on top of a container to grow supplementary food, safely out of the way of contaminated ground water. The drums can also be fitted with filters to capture water for cooking and washing.
SEED aims to restore people to homes that are more or less permanent, secure and sustainable within a few weeks. Each container has the capacity to shelter up to 12 people, and is adaptable to local conditions and living (or working) requirements. In Haiti's hot and humid climate additional ventilation and a secondary, detached roof structure could provide shade over the container and reduce solar heat gain during the day.
As well as a range of design considerations, skilled management of immediate and longterm housing support is vital. The SEED team has been urging aid-giving governments and shipping companies to donate empty containers left in Haiti, but they will also need help and equipment to convert them into viable homes. The wharf at Port-au- Prince would be a logical 'workshop', with its proximity to cranes, tools and transport. The harbour sustained significant damage in the quake, but recent progress in clearing submerged debris have mitigated the hazards to navigation.
Transport of the containers will prove challenging too. Shipping containers present a key drawback where transport infrastructure is weak - they are simply too big and heavy. Without roads that can carry trucks, their utility is a moot point. Despite the necessity to set up some scalable permanent shelter soon, there is also a need to go slowly, and listen well. Only by collaborating directly with those affected will aid agencies deliver sustainable homes that are appropriate to the needs of Haitians.
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