One size does not fit all : innovation in emergency housing with a focus on Nepal 2015

Abstract

Abstract Every year millions of people are displaced due to natural disasters and very primitive transitional shelters, or 't-shelters', exist to provide semi-permanent housing. Many t-shelter designs do not cater to all the needs of their inhabitants and are only functional in the short term, often leaving many people relying on t-shelters for housing in an unsafe and unsanitary environment. This thesis addresses the problem of people needing housing and of unsafe transitional housing by presenting a new design process and ultimately a t-shelter design specifically for the victims of the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal in the Kathmandu area. The process involves three key elements; identifying the specific needs of the displaced people, analyzing what materials and labor are available and ensuring that the shelter will be used as intended and therefore remain safe. The resulting shelter design harnesses the structural strength of the geodesic dome, the simplicity of reciprocal joinery and strong yet lightweight nature of bamboo. The effectiveness of the proposed new design process is demonstrated through checking the resulting shelter design meeting measurable outcomes like cost, structural integrity and skill level required to construct.