Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Shipping Container Homes as emergency shelters


After the terrible floods disaster that engulfed the Balkans ( my neighborhood) these days , I can not stay indifferent over the human tragedies that are occurring. Those kind of human tragedies from natural catastrophes are happening almost every day around the world. These days I think a lot about it and as an engineer looking for way to help and how to find care for the future for all those families who lost their homes . So I want to remind you of Cargo Container Architecture or also known as Shipping Container Architecture.

It is about architecture using steel intermodal containers (shipping containers) as structural element. These containers are extremely strong, durable and above all modular structural elements, and are found in a number of millions. They are designed to carry heavy loads, to be stacked in high columns, to resist harsh environments, such as on ocean-going vessels or sprayed with road salt while transported on roads. Due to their high strength, containers are useful for secure storage. They are made to standard measurements, provide modular elements that can be combined into larger structures and can be stacked up to 12 high when empty. And most importantly many used containers are available at an amount that is low compared to a finished structure built by other labor-intensive means such as bricks and mortar - which also require larger more expensive foundations. Construction involves very little labor and used shipping containers requiring only simple modification can be purchased from major transport companies for as little as US $ 1,200 each. Even when purchased brand new they are seldom more than US $ 6000th (http :/ / en.wikipedia.org /)







For all of these characteristics Cargo Containers are particularly good as emergency shelters. There are countless numbers of empty, unused shipping containers around the world that just sitting on shipping docks taking up space because it's too expensive for a country to ship empty containers back to their origin. They just wait to become an emergency shelter. At the same time it is a green alternative and a smart choice for eco-consciousness.

Shipping Container Homes makes sense where resources are scarce, containers are in abundance, and where people are in need of immediate shelter such as, developing nations and disaster relief. Reusing containers seems to be a low energy alternative especially in cases when you need to re-design in large quantities as shelters and in that case re-design should make prefabricated, rapidly and in large quantities. The entire structure of the container needs to be sandblasted bare, floors need to be replaced and openings need to be cut, and at the end produces hazardous waste before it can be used as a structure which contribute significantly to its ecological footprint. 

And despite all Shipping Container Homes are great solutions. These containers would allow many people to reclaim their land.  People can get back into their land, even if there no longer have a habitable house to live in, the communities can be rebuilding together and made a stronger bond among the people who lived there, and who will live there again. 

Groups like Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (http://fema.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Intermodal-Shipping-Container-Temporary-Disaster-Housing/420551-14692 ) and similar emergency response agencies in other countries can coordinate the supply of shipping containers, so that they will be available when needed. The components you need in houses can be added to containers before they are shipped out. Then the container is ready to be transported to the area of need, and it's ready to be used as housing, without expensive on-site work. Most containers are utilized in similar ways as they are modified, and this construction process is very economical. In particular, they have been used with success in Haiti, where many people still do not have permanent structures to call home.

Many architects, scientists, institutes dealing with research in this area. For me, important information from the survey were in the research of Worcester Polytechnic Institute “Shipping Container Emergency Shelters” by Mark Brodaski, Ralph Campanelli and Kevin Zabinski  (http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-030310-115045/unrestricted/RP-0109_-_Final.pdf)


In the end all we have to do our best in some way to help and support the victims  and  to ensure that we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.





Friday, May 9, 2014

Towards Sustainable Architecture: Transport oriented development

Today's urban structure in the world is such that in rare cases is possible implementation of one model of town . The model of transport-oriented development in focal points gives a kind of sublimation . Modern cities are economic agglomerations with continuous transport . The development of transport facilitates decentralization and migration boosts concentration . Always between these two extremes there are centers and transit zones which are always those who are planning , economic and social uncontrolled. Sustainability implies their integration with the availability of services, utilities, local government, social control and community involvement.

People have the right to choose where to live. There will always be people who will choose to live in a compact city and those who will choose to live in suburban areas. But many people will opt to live in areas that are centers of transit. New urban development enables the creation of such centers. The reason is that it will come to the dislocation of social activity outside the urban core, but still in the area that represents the transit zone. Thus around the city core area which is ideal for business and administration will create a circular layer that will balance and creates a new kind of social scheme. Since the 1980s in many European cities began to populate new residents and it usually grouped ethnically. Their arrival in the cities and settlements is directly related to previously newcomers residents who usually live outside city cores and moving into a transit zone. These residential areas are simply inserted between the centers and settlements. Such is the case in London where there are new residential zones between Brixton and Kreid and settlements Streatham and Norbury. Such transit zones and their settlement can concentrate social problems: crime, poverty, drug abuse and social unrest, similar to what a ghetto in the world's great metropolises . Beside, these transit zones are places where have to go in and out of the city, people , goods and infrastructure relating to suburban areas . These roads are important artery connecting the city with suburban environment and need to be controlled . Especially is important place for living and the availability of necessary services such as schools, shops , etc... Their unavailability increases the need to travel by car. If these services are local , then they are unobtrusive and affordable for the community and to them can come with a pedestrian movement. The availability affect of different modes of traffic behavior. The best effect is achieved by combining activities . Some may occur locally , and for some is necessary travel with a motor vehicle . Both groups of residents and those who live in downtown and suburban areas and those occupied in transit zones are naturally set of each population located in its zone . It is normal to talk about ekvilibrium , and it means the social control and forcing the group to join the lifestyle of the other.

Of Sustainability and Transport integrated Urban Planning

The model of sustainable transport takes the dimension of city transport as the basis for integrated planning. Transport infrastructure should be planned in the context of regional networks provided by modern transport technologies. It means acceptance of green technologies and vehicles that are energy efficient, clean and affordable. At the same time, mobility should mean connection to all parts of the cities, especially when it comes to public transportation. This model also suggests a measurement design in human measures, specifically suggests the use of alternative types of transportation: bicycle and walking. Socially is difficult acceptable to reduce greatly car traffic. So first, has to change public opinion, before be introduced through legal measures by the government. It takes the input of new infrastructure in the city that will refer to collective transport. Therefore most acceptable are underground structures that are expensive as an initial investment. Experts believe that the introduction of the subway and railways are an important factor for improving the collectivization of transport; about private automobiles, significant progress will be achieved if are set electric cars (hybrids, electric vehicles, etc...).

Transport determines the relationship between the size of the settlement and traffic behavior. There is growing use of traffic (due to suburbanization) in areas where the population is shrinking, while the increase in population (centralization) is strongly promoting public transport. Sustainable transport can therefore be viewed in two ways: by reducing travel or limiting the impact of the increased traffic flow by developing the capacity of the streets, the combined use of transport vehicles, change the transport modules and finally technological change in transport equipment. Planners have the task to establish effective transportation in traditional urban forms. Transport infrastructure must be planned in the context of regional and national networks.
Detailed analysis highlight the differences between urban size and travel for work and when not working. Traffic for coming to work in the rapidly growing areas reduces the number of population. This suggests that relatively small cities can provide satisfying certain needs and services, but only major centers in major cities provide various job opportunities. To reduce the use of vehicles and reduce the need for long journey can be made of peripheral relocating of various businesses. Finally the fundamental question is whether the policy should be conducted in terms of reducing travel or to limit the consequences it causes.

Sustainable transport is supported by a number of Western countries. In Britain began a trend of increasing public transport which provides energy efficiency to obtain certain privileges. City bus traffic in cities in the UK was privatized and it has a huge impact on the traffic flow. In this sense the profitability of a particular bus depends on the number of passengers. Increase in passengers and users of public transport go along with certain qualities. This includes the time needed to wait, time travel which directly depends on the length of the destination.