With hurricanes battering different areas of the United States on a yearly basis, disaster relief has come to play an important role for those affected. In recognition of this, James Garrison and his New York based firm, Garrison Architects, are aiming to create a modular housing system that may serve as a better long-term option.
Often in transitional situations shipping containers are employed as temporary safe-havens, however they come with their own challenges, largely due to them being designed to hold materials, not people. Modular houses on the other hand, are designed to accommodate people from the outset. According to Garrison, it’s this approach that makes them the better option: “Once you start doing certain kinds of things to shipping containers that they’re not really meant to do, from a structural or environmental standpoint, they no longer really serve that expedient purpose that they were chosen for in the first place.”
Garrison’s modular design includes a kitchen, living area, breakfast/dining area, bathroom, storage space, and come with 1 to 3 bedrooms, making them suitable for families An energy efficient ventilation system is also included, reducing people’s dependence on AC during the summer months. Additional, the unit is made from recycled materials, and unlike FEMA trailers, contains no formaldehyde in the wood work.
The units are intended to be self-sufficient, an important factor during times of crises where water and electricity may not be readily available. In Garrison’s opinion, creating a self-sufficient design will allow people to better manage the utilities they have available to them: “The whole problem with contemporary utilities is you turn on the water, you turn on the electricity, and it’s just there and you don’t give it a second thought. If they’re self-sufficient, then they’re capable of making a dispersed, individualized utility system where we can take responsibility for our waste streams.”
The firm has been working alongside the New York City Office of Emergency Management. As a result of their collaboration, the plan and build time has been reduced from 2 to 3 years, to 4 to 6 months. The units themselves can be deployed and installed on site in just 15 hours.
The city is currently assessing a number of potential sites where the modular houses could be placed, so as to alleviate future disaster relief operations.
For more modular housing check out this modern off-grid house in Victoria, Australia. Or, Mia House, which is built with modular materials in order to cut costs. See all modular housing.
Via TreeHugger
Photos: Andrew Rugge
Why is so much low-cost, affordable housing so often given the label “emergency” ot “disaster” housing when it could be adopted and adapted for much wider usage, replacing the traditional bricks-and-mortar approach to construction?
Good question, it is probably because it is wildly expensive and no poor people could afford to buy one but they can charge the government millions for a couple of dozen of them.
OKAY BUILDERS GET BUSY, WE NEED MORE OF THESE. DO YOU REALIZE, THAT WITH THE INCREASING HOMELESSNESS, MANY PEOPLE WOULD EMBRACE HOMES LIKE THESE FOR A SECOND CHANCE. THE EXTERIOR COLORS ARE MOTIVATING AND ADD A CHEERFUL LOOK TO THE COMMUNITY. NOW BUILDERS IN EVERY DIMENSION YOU HAVE GOTTEN THE WORD, NOW GET TO WORK!
Nice!
from my humble understanding, most local codes are the problem.
even trailer homes are considered temporary housing so they need special permits and zoning often becoming dissolved with 60 day notice and no other place to go.
even my wartime 800sq ft house is no longer allowed where I live- minimum 1500sq ft.
we have created a housing instability via politics – food can be found anywhere but shelter is not the same. forcing shared living to afford a roof over your head is ridiculous.
I’m often told my kids need separate rooms and although my house is 150 years old – not adequate living for a family.
I thank them for their opinion and then ask them why do I need to have such excessive sleep space and never get to live in it because we are gone 2/3 of our waking hours