FLOODS: SHAPING RESILIENT EMERGENCY RELIEF HOUSING

Hydrological disasters account for the largest socioeconomic losses of all naturally caused crises. Physical impacts include the destruction of housing and infrastructure, triggering major societal problems. Emergency relief housing is deployed in response to such destruction, but units are typically designed to be used generically in any natural-disaster crisis, not specific situations. Moreover, emergency housing that is designed for temporary use is, in practice, used for extensive periods of time and typically lacks decentralized resource capabilities. The current lack of integrative strategies for construction upgradability (from emergency to transitional and permanent phases) results in substantial economic and environmental losses, including material waste. This article discusses the potential of new emergency housing strategies that seek to promote resource efficiency and disaster-specific design. The SHAPING prototype is evaluated as a framework to discuss the potential of phased upgradability (from emergency to permanence) and support for energy, water and waste independence for areas at risk of floods. Integrative material efficiency and situational specificity can reshape resilient emergency housing and crisis preparedness.