A New Natural Disaster Sheltering Option: My Design: Sofortig(a) Shelter

The design of the proposed thesis project was used to answer three problem statements: the design of a comfortable adjustable temporary shelter, the design of a cost effective temporary shelter, and the design of a temporary shelter village. Before designing any building or design, the project’s client(s) must be determined. For the proposed post-disaster temporary shelter, there are at least three possible clients, FEMA, the Red Cross, and the nation’s insurance companies. The insurance companies could create a natural disaster insurance plan, which resembles that of flood insurance. In the case of a home becoming destroyed or deemed unlivable by a natural disaster, using the natural disaster insurance plan, a temporary shelter would be provided by the selected insurance company. On the other hand, if the clients were FEMA or the Red Cross, a temporary shelter would either be given or sold to the displaced individuals.

Within the first design problem, creating a comfortable adjustable temporary shelter, are five smaller problems. The first problem is to create a place to call “home” to shelter the displaced individuals through their transition from a post-disaster situation to more permanent housing options. This begins with incorporating warm colors (cream, tan, and light green) and materials (various colors of wood ) to the temporary shelters interior (A) and exterior (B).

A: The Shelter's Interior

Temporaty Shelter's Living Room

Temporary Shelter's Kitchen

Temporary Shleter's Entry

Temporary Shleter's Beedroom

B: The Shelter's Exterior

Northwest Perspective of an ADA Shleter Northwest Perspective of Two Shelters

The second way to accomplish the first problem is through supplying 100 more square feet of livable space, then that of a FEMA trailer. These larger spaces also supply the inhabitants with more privacy using foldable walls in the bedroom, as well as a half wall that separates the entry and living area.

The second problem is to control the interior’s temperature and humidity levels. The first way to achieve this is to have a storage barrier between the shelter's roof and livable spaces. This will allow the hot air to rise and become collected in this space. This storage space will then be vented to allow the heat to escape (A). The second way to control the temperature is to lift the shelter off the ground to allow cool breezes to pass underneath the shelter, causing the interior’s temperature of the spaces to be decreased (A). In addition to those methods, two ceiling fans, four baseboard heaters, and ten operable windows are incorporated into the shelter’s design to help control the temperature and humidity levels within the shelter (B).

Temperature Controlling Options

The third problem is to create a shelter that can be expanded to fit a growing family size, or a unique family situation, such as grandparents staying with their family. To connect two shelters together, a few things must be attached or modified: the exterior doors, the windows, the exterior walls, the decking, and the roofing (A). Once the two shelters are connected, the livable space increases to 896 square feet, which can comfortably shelter up to eight individuals.

A: Connecting Two Shelters

Northwest Perspective of Two Shleters Wall Connection 1

Wall Connection 2 Door Connection 1 Door Connection 2

The last problem is providing adjustable options to fit various regions within the United States, as well as adjustable elements to fit the needs and comfort levels of the shelter’s inhabitants. The proposed shelter is designed for hot-humid, hot-arid, and temperate zones. To achieve this, a few elements would need to be modified: the shelter’s color pallet, the size and placement of the windows, the type of window treatments, and the thickness and R-values of the interior and exterior walls (A). For example, if in a temperate zone, a four inch wall is used, this provides an R-value of 23.7. However, for a cold zone, a six inch wall would be used, providing the shelter with an R-value of 35.5.

Along with a changing region, comes a change in how dramatic the contours are modify. To solve this issue, adjustable legs are incorporated to keep the shelter a minimum of one foot above grade. For a changing grade, the legs can extend a maximum of three feet; therefore, the shelter is able to fit a maximum grade change of three feet over a twenty-eight foot length B). Due to the fact that no two people are the same, all of the shelter’s table and chair heights can be adjusted to fit the comfort needs of various age groups and abilities. In addition, an ADA accessible ramp can be incorporated to the deck, if needed (C).

A: Regions within the United States