Bamboo Houses to Tackle Flash Floods & Earthquakes

I'd like to start building bamboo house kits right away! We can cut the bamboo around Lake Atitlan or go to the coast. These kits look great. I wonder how well they would stand up to hurricanes? Earthquakes seem fine (see below). Why couldn't this be a vacation retreat or year round with garden? Greenpacks.org has a lot of fine information here!

"Bamboo could play a vital role in the future civil engineering. It could be the future steel which could safeguard anyone from the natural calamities such as earthquakes."

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http://www.greenpacks.org/2013/04/17/bamboo-houses-to-tackle-flash-floods/#comment-267935

Bamboo Houses to Tackle Flash Floods

APRIL 17, 2013 / NO COMMENTS

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When natural calamities strike, people are rendered homeless. Keeping them safe when such mishaps happen is not possible unless they could afford homes that could withstand the brawling forces of nature.

Many projects have looked at architecture design choices to deal with building costs and durability. Flood prone locales should need homes that can float on the gushing water and should bear the sheer velocities of the flash floods.

For that, many of the projects all around the world have adopted light weight foundation with stilts on the house so that they can be always ready for such catastrophic conditions.

Vietnam-based design firm H&P Architects has a developed a prototype that can be brave critical flood situations and at the same can be built affordably. The recurring deluges in the Southeast Asia made them to come up with their prototype.

They put used oil drums on the base of the house and pillared them with steel piles for allotting free movement while floating. The whole structure is made up of bamboo with traditional thatched roof.

During the time of disaster, the whole house can be enclosed like a protected cage. H&P’s design proves comfortable living for families of six in their basic units. The space can be upgraded for 8 members with expansion.  They are looking for the production version to cost under $2000 and could be easy for villagers to construct their own houses.

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Related article:

Houses made of bamboo, stand up to earthquakes:  http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/06/03/houses-made-of-bamboo-stand-up-to-earthquakes/

Houses made of bamboo, stand up to earthquakes

JUNE 3, 2008 / 2 COMMENTS

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Although bamboo is not a modern material for structures, often considered to be poor man’s timber, it is one of the most flexible and light materials to build houses. Though there are sophisticated materials available on the market, bamboo isby far the best that would be able to withstand an earthquake.

Around 70-percent of the people in Bangladesh live in bamboo houses because they are easy to build and because the simple structure plays a vital role in safeguarding people’s lives in case of natural calamities.

Studies have shown that only 60-70 bamboo trees are required to build 1,000 houses whereas nearly 600 trees would have been destroyed to build the same houses using timber. Bamboo provides pillars, walls, window frames, rafters, room separators, ceilings and roofs.

Because of its light weight and rubber like properties, the bamboo houses can withstand 7+ ((Richter scale) magnitude earthquakes. The 30 houses that survived the earthquake in Costa Rica (7.6) stand as evidence. People in the Yunnan Province in China still prefer to live in bamboo houses since the officials encouraged them to built such infrastructures and homes.

Bamboo could play a vital role in the future civil engineering. It could be the future steel which could safeguard anyone from the natural calamities such as earthquakes.

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More: http://www.greenpacks.org/2008/06/03/houses-made-of-bamboo-stand-up-to-earthquakes/

• Origami-inspired Foldable Bamboo Houses by Ming Tang
• Folding Bamboo Houses for the Homeless
• Bamboo Bike a Sustainable Transport Solution
• Architectural Marvel with Bamboo; No Nails Used

KatrinaCottages.com

www.katrinacottages.com/resources/projects.html


Katrina Cottage VIII
Designed by Steve Mouzon
Silver Spring, Maryland

Katrina Cottage VIII is the first Katrina Kernel Cottage to be built. Most tiny cottages don't grow very well because wall space gets used up so quickly for cabinets, bathrooms, closets, etc., but Katrina Kernel Cottages are designed from the beginning to grow easily.

Excerpt below:

September 12, 2006
The flight from New Orleans got into Miami far too late to call anyone, but early the next morning, I was on the phone to Ben Brown to make sure that he concurred before calling Housing International and offering the manufacturing of the USA Weekend cottage to them.

September 13, 2006
Housing International contacted me to let me know that they would be happy to construct and donate the USA Weekend Katrina Cottage. A few days of discussions of the particulars followed while logistical work was beginning. Manufacturing is different from construction in that there are more steps to think of to get an assembly line set up and running. While prototype units are not built on the assembly line, there is nonetheless more planning involved when building a prototype to prepare for the day when it will be put on the line. (more...)

Haiti House.org

Haiti House Disaster Relief Page


PermaShelter™
3RD GENERATION DISASTER RECOVERY HOUSING

PermaShelter™ represents the culmination of input from the Haitian people, their government, the many NGOs, relief groups, missionaries and others who expressed their needs, fears and desires. Each PermaShelter™ is 30-year rated, well-insulated and ventilated, easy-to-maintain and provides solid personal security. All for about the cost of a weaker transitional or temporary structure.

Our featured PermaShelter™ Self-Assembly Housing is now engineer certified to withstand a 150 mph wind (a strong Category 4 hurricane) and rated Seismic D, for a superior disaster recovery home! This THIRD generation housing solution answers all the needs of the Haitian people and more.

DOWNLOAD IMPORTANT PRODUCT COMPARISON: www.haitihouse.org

Critical Value & Performance - PermaShelter™
versus Tents & Yurts / Timber & Transitional Shelters / Foam & Fiberglass

PERSONAL SECURITY and the knowledge that your home is clean and dry is paramount to a less stressful life. Our goal should not be to maintain the status quo, but to permanently solve the issue of appropriate housing.


PERMAMENT HOUSING must be given priority over transitional structures only meant to last a hurricane season or two. Without solid floors and leak proof homes, all that is being accomplished in Haiti will soon be undone by nature.


IMPROVING LIVES and raising the standard of living can only take place once the most basic needs of shelter, food and water are being addressed. If all the Haitian efforts are spent trying to quickly build proper housing all momentum could be lost.


For many years, our company has supplied thousands of disaster relief houses to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and other groups, from single family travel trailers, to larger park models and large family mobile homes. After the Haitian disaster we made a decision to open our government contracting division to the public and offer missionaries, non-profits and even other governments access to the same product lines at substantial discounts off traditional retail prices.

You can read more about us in our company background section and learn why we are a preferred vendor for PermaShelter™ permanent disaster recovery housing, flat pack homes, cargo2™ container village, relief and administrative support units such as showers, baths, offices, kitchens and bunkhouses, as well as park models, travel trailers and other specialty emergency shelters.

Whether your organization seeks to build a small work community with bunkhouses, or establish an entire villages, HaitiHOUSE.org is ready to immediately produce durable, affordable housing, facilities and other specialized units needed for a wide range of communities worldwide.
Click for: ALL Disaster Shelters, Homes & Support Products List

We want the people of Haiti and the world to know we are ready to do our part and bring the finest quality manufactured housing to the island nation, and help others create more viable villages beyond.

- HaitiHOUSE.org

Contents copyright 2010 Haitihouse.org. All Rights Reserved.
All plans are proprietary and property of Harbor Homes LLC, Thomasville, GA 31792
HaitiHouse™ PermaShelter™ and cargo2™ are trademarks of Harbor Homes™ LLC.
Support & Marketing by: marketing-projects.biz

Play The Video Of The PermaShelter™: www.haitihouse.org
Assembly & Tour Below. Now withstands 150mph winds and is rated Seismic D! (Turn up audio.)

Harbor Homes™ Haitihouse.org Chairs The Panel on Haitian Reconstruction at the Global Summit on Haiti - 3.10.2010 - CLICK TO READ MORE
The PermaShelter™ Haitian Economic Development Plan
HaitiHouse™ Disaster Recovery Division can not only build several thousand PermaShelter™ homes each month to immediately begin resettlement, we have also put in place an economic development plan for establishing a factory in Haiti. Various divisions will be responsible to train Haitian personnel to install these homes, service utilities and upgrades, complete final assembly and ultimately manufacture their own components for Haitians and as an export commodity worldwide. CLICK to READ the PLAN.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS & INFORMATION
Front view of the PermaShelter™ with the porch extension. The steel hurricane shutter/tables are folded open but can bolt closed in case of security risk or inclement weather. The face is designed for maximum air flow and use as a storefront as well as a home.


Back view of the PermaShelter™ showing proximity to other units forming a six-sided enclosed courtyard. With steel divider panels linking units together, the residents will be able to safely cook, wash, do laundry, hang clothes, garden, conduct school, ply a trade or produce crafts, and store food or other commodities.
Harbor Homes LLC and its divisions
are Proud Suppliers of:

Harbor Homes is a premier producer of disaster relief shelters, disaster housing and many types of disaster support units. With a long history of supplying FEMA during disasters in the US, we are able to transship overseas via container or cargo vessel to meet the needs of any area hit by natural disasters. Harbor Homes disaster division has immediate factory capacity to produce up to 500 units a week of the types listed on our disaster shelter page. We can supply a single disaster shelter or many types of disaster housing and commercial support facilities such as laundry centers, bath houses, bunk houses, full commercial kitchens, and simple storage units.
Additionally, Harbor Homes has a proven series of field tested mobile disaster housing like our travel trailer, built to house an average family yet still highly mobile. Our other larger models include a 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom standard mobile home and we even have larger models with more bedrooms.
The travel trailer is highly adaptable and can be towed by a pickup truck to provide a mobile medical clinic if desired.
Harbor Homes is a recognized leader in providing disaster assistance in the form of prefabricated housing, shelters, and support items like our food service, laundry service, and portable bathing facilities. We can produce consistent quality products according to the specs provided, or we can work with you to design a unit based on your custom shelter needs.
Whether you are looking for highly rated emergency shelter, emergency kitchen facilities, emergency bunk houses or sleeping quarters, emergency laundry or emergency bath house units, Harbor Homes can ship container sized units anywhere in the world. We meet all US standards for manufacture and use quality materials in all our products. We also can produce the similar units to those presented in disabled versions for those in wheelchairs or who have other handicaps and require ADA or UFAS approved housing.
Harbor Homes has a capacity to produce 500 units a week of any variety presented. Our unrivaled ability to design, produce and ship disaster, emergency or recovery houses, housing, shelter, shelters, multi-bedroom mobile homes, emergency housing, family sized mobile homes, and other facilities is well know throughout the industry and through our FEMA contacts in the US Government.
From our mobile bath house, mobile kitchen, mobile bunk house and mobile laundry we are able to meet the disaster relief needs for those seeking disaster relief shelters and disaster support facilities. With the portable laundry, portable bunk house, portable kitchen and portable sleeping quarters, or portable showers, we are able to supply rescue and relief personnel as well as recover personnel with what they need to complete their disaster mission work.
HaitiHouse™ - Disaster Recovery Services division of Harbor Homes™

MANUFACTURERS OF:
PERMASHELTER™ Self-Assembly Housing

cargo2™ Container Village Support Units

BUILDING VILLAGES - REBUILDING LIVES!

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More info: http://www.manta.com/c/mm016rr/harbor-homes-llc

Harbor Homes, LLC
HaitiHouse.org
1207 Sunset Drive
Thomasville, GA 31792
(229) 226-0911
www.haitihouse.org
mlbatson@gmail.com

About Harbor Homes, Llc Disaster Housing Production & Luxury Houseboat MFGMFG of Disaster Housing for the Federal Government and Large NGO Groups. Housing Specialties Include Container Housing, Mobile Homes, Park Model Mobile Homes, Travel Trailers, and Temporary Housing.

Two part folding 8 foot hexayurt in eindhoven

Progressive Building Solutions.com
From: hexayurt
Added: March 19, 2008
Two part folding 8 foot hexayurt in Eindhoven, The Netherlands

This is a folding hexayurt prototype being assembled at the Technical University of Eindhoven in spring 2008. It is being assembled as part of the Red Cross sponsored researching going on at TUE. You can see it takes less than ten minutes to assemble from start to finish.

The production hexayurt has a higher wall so people can stand at any point in the building, and several additional design features.

hexayurt.com

The Hexayurt is a prize-winning shelter you can build yourself for about $200 (backup link). Suitable raw materials include common building materials ( fire safe insulation boards,) hexacomb cardboard and plastic. You cut six 4' x 8' panels in half diagonally to make the roof, and use six more whole panels to form the walls. It takes about two hours. The design (backup link) is in the public domain.

Different materials are appropriate for different uses - insulation, extended life, low cost, durability in extreme environments and so on. The design is in the public domain, and is in active development as a Free/Open Source style project.

The Hexayurt Project also includes groundbreaking work (pdf) (backup link) on providing simple services like interior lighting at incredibly low cost.

Important safety notice. Please read the Hexayurt Safety Information page on Appropedia for news on using Tuff-R / R-Max to make Hexayurts for Burning Man and similar events. (more)

Global Village Shelters

Global Village Shelters: Creating communities and individual homes for people in need. GVS designs as new and integral shelter solutions in the disaster relief market.

Global Village Shelters LLC (GVS)
221 Looking Glass Hill Morris, CT 06763 USA
email for information and inquiries: mferrara@ferraradesign.com
telephone: 860.567.4118 fax: 860.567.4265

Global Village Shelters LLC is a for-profit company based in Litchfield County Connecticut, USA. It is co-owned by father-daughter team Daniel A Ferrara and Mia Ferrara Pelosi.







Configurations

Materials and Design

The design is a simple structure that would give the affected person/ family stability (durability) and safety during a disaster or refugee situation. To accomplish durability, the shelter has a concentric “ring” structure; the units have withstood winds up to 80 mph. The shelter is built out of a very strong 13mm Polypropylene profile sheet (thick UV resistant white plastic, often used in outdoor applications). Materials safety data is available upon request. The material is biologically inert, does not off gas, and can be reground (recycled) throughout the world. All edges are reinforced with polypropylene extrusions to prevent wear in this high traffic area, also adding strength to the door area and other stress points. All shelter components are pre fabricated and installed prior to shipping and packing. Material samples are can be requested by emailing mferrara@ferraradesign.com.

There are no comparable shelters actively on the market. The cost and ease of set up are both significant benefits for GVS as disaster relief housing. GVS allows any person to set up their own housing without much guidance or strength- no tools are required. GVS also offers several comfort factors: a removable acrylic window with a screen, dual locking door system, and optional fire safe stove pipe aperture in the wall. There are several options that can also be added to the GVS, such as various flooring solutions (including, but not limited to tarps, plywood/ foam, elevated flooring). The cross ventilation creates a temperature equilibrium with the outdoor temps in warm climates- it will not get warmer than the outside temperature.

Duration

The shelter will last 18 months or more. It is possible to extend this time period by using the walls as a footprint on which to build either with brick, mud, hay-bale materials, wood, corrugated tin, et al and providing a more substantial floor (not a tarp); basic maintenance like this can greatly extend its life. We recommend putting shelter units on raised platforms, creating a stable (you can screw the unit onto the platform) and level floor. (more)

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Excerpt from Wired.com:
Issue 13.03 - March 2005
Rebuild Like You Give a Damn

What does that look like?
Something more than a tent, but less than a permanent house. One example is the Global Village Shelter, a flat-pack hut made from a kind of water- and fireproof cardboard. It costs about $400 and can withstand 60 to 80 mph winds. Two people can put one together in 15 minutes.