SHIGERUBAN Emergency Shelter
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SHIGERUBAN emergency shelter VANESSA NAPIZA NICHOLAS LANE JULIEN AHCHING JOHNATHAN TERLATO JONATHAN TULLY contents A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS 3 Introduction An investigation of Shigeru Ban’s emergency shelter 5 Mode of Global Practice Relevance of architects in post-disaster relief and Shigeru Ban’s mode of global practice 11 A Lifestyle Engendered Use of building and use of built environment, workers’ conditions, workers’ housing, lifestyle engendered by the building 17 The Ban Philosophy Approach to project and design strategies 23 Influence of Morphology Influences of site and context on the morphology of Shigeru Ban’s emergency architecture 27 Emergency Procedure Methods of construction, time frame and who’s involved Cover Image: P. Feugere, Shigeru Ban, deviantART, 2007, <http://pitru.deviantart.com/art/Shigeru-Ban-65974511>, accessed 9 September 2014. shigeru ban - a merging of architecture and social introduction justice. Ban says “even in disaster areas, AN INVESTIGATION OF SHIGERU as an architect I want to create beautiful BAN’S EMERGENCY SHELTER buildings. I want to move people and to improve people’s lives.”2 Shigeru Ban’s ability to draw together This recognition could mark a turning both his philosophy and world events point in redefining the role and has made profound contributions to the responsibility of the profession, in the architectural profession. Ban represents way that architects serve society. Ban an interesting model for architects. He has found a way to harness his talent holds a strong ethical position within to make lives better for all people by the profession not often pursued by simultaneously engaging in a private many architects yet is bestowed with the architectural practice as well as disaster highest honour. The Pritzker Prize has relief projects. a longstanding tendency to recognise glamorous design types with an aura Ban proves that innovative architecture of celebrity status.1 However, Ban and temporary shelter are not mutually 3 was awarded for his contributions to exclusive concepts despite changing humanity as well as design excellence contextual issues, constraints and 1 R. Pogrebin, ‘Pritzker Architecture Prize goes to Shigeru Ban’, The New York Times, 24 March 2014, para. 9, < http://www.nytimes. com/2014/03/25/arts/design/pritzker-architecture-prize-goes-to-shigeru-ban.html?_r=0>, accessed 8 September 2014. 2 S. Ban, Shigeru Ban, Laurence King, London, 2001. Image: Shigeru Ban “The Paper Architect”, Research Project, 2012, <http://makemistakesoften.wordpress.com/shigeru-ban/ functional-duality/paper-tubes_shigeru-ban/>, accessed 9 September 2014. EMERGENCY SHELTER / 3 conditions. There is a place for the can be looked at in total numbers profession to play a critical role in produced and refugees sheltered, but post-disaster recovery to restore the the success of Ban’s work is the design physical and social fabric of post- and application to the context, using disaster communities.4 The multi- community labour and locally available faceted nature of post-disaster materials to set a foundation to which work engages in a different set of can be developed and knowledge parameters to traditional architectural transferred to locals to further respond practice, operating on a case-by-case to situations in the future, creating basis that is largely informed by 1) community resilience in times of dire contextual understanding, 2) community need. participation and 3) local resources.5 The ‘mega’ aspect of his paper tube shelters The uniqueness of Ban’s work can be is that he has developed one appropriate simplified by the material that gives architectural expression with strong him his status, the paper tube, and adaptive capacity for many different even though he has responded to many situations. It is ‘trans-national’ in that it disaster situations with these paper tube has been adopted across many national solutions, there is critique that Ban is boundaries yet has the ability to retain self-promoting his own architectural cultural meaning. brand and building material through their constant use. The argument sides Ban’s temporary shelters bring into that these paper tubes are not found question the mark of success of locally and have to be produced through emergency housing in disaster situations. machinery, instead of sourcing available The varying conditions that each disaster materials near the site of the particular produces results in a response that is disaster. customised to its environment and serves the need of the people affected, but Ban works with paper tubes as they are does it solve the problem, or is it a band- recyclable and can be disassembled and aid over the situation? relocated, but more importantly as a part of the humanitarian aid offered by Ban’s In Rwanda where Ban devised the paper response, paper tube manufacturing tube emergency shelters, two-million staff from different parts of the world Rwandans were left homeless after can teach locals how to operate and the civil war, but only 50 shelters were produce these tubes. This trans-national constructed; this is a significant shortfall effort shows Shigeru Ban working with to what was required, and certainly has aid volunteers throughout the world to not accommodated all in need. What devise solutions for these mega-projects Ban did, however, was set up a practice of humanitarian sensitivity, opening of construction that local volunteers potential possibilities for other architects could replicate and produce shelters. in this area. The success of the emergency relief 3 ‘The rise of humanitarian architecture’, Late Night Live [podcast], interview with Esther Charlesworth & Ajmal Maiwandi, ABC Radio National, 28 August 2014, < http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/the-rise-of-humanitarian-architec- ture/5696600>, accessed 8 September 2014. 4 M.J. Aquilino, Beyond Shelter: Architecture and human dignity, Metropolis Books, New York, 2010, p. 8. 5 D. Felix, JM Branco & A Feio, ‘Temporary housing after disasters: A state of the art survey’, Habitat International, vol. 40, 2013, p. 139. 4 / SHIGERU BAN paper refugee shelter, rwanda find new relevance in radically different mode of global practice circumstances.2 The recognition and RELEVANCE OF ARCHITECTS public attention Ban has gained with IN POST-DISASTER RELIEF AND the Pritzker Prize award could be an SHIGERU BAN’S MODE OF important factor in shaping the character GLOBAL PRACTICE of the profession in the way in which architects serve society. Ban represents a unique model for architects in that he BY VANESSA NAPIZA demonstrates a strong desire to create beautiful buildings and improve people’s With the increasing prevalence of lives, even in disaster. natural disasters and civil war, Shigeru Ban’s commitment to developing a There has been a haunting absence coherent response to emergency shelter of strategic spatial problem solving is ever more important. Humanitarian and design led solutions for long-term architecture has long been marginalised recovery in devastated communities. as an ‘alternative’ field of work in many In the past, architects’ role in aid and current models of architectural practice development have largely been logistical and education.1 There is strong argument and technical as opposed to design for the need of architects to evolve and thinking.3 Therefore, the capacity of 1 E. Charlesworth, Humanitarian Architecture: 15 Stories of Architects Working After Disaster, Routledge, New York, 2014, p. 1. 2 D. Sanderson, 'Architects are often the last people needed in disaster reconstruction', The Guardian, 3 March 2010, para. 7, <http:// www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/mar/03/architects-disaster-reconstruction-haiti-chile>, accessed 2 September 2014. Image: Shigeru Ban Architects, Paper Refugee Shelters for Rwanda, Byumba Refugee Camp, Rwanda, Pritzker Prize, 1999, <http://www.pritzkerprize.com/media/2014_media/images-download>, accessed 9 September 2014. EMERGENCY SHELTER / 5 architects to contribute to challenges municipal government to commence of physical and social reconstruction building. Altogether, two hundred following a disaster has yet to be fully people from all over Japan gathered to realised. Ban’s role goes beyond the volunteer in Onagawa. Ban noticed other traditional sense of an architect, so as temporary housing units were often to include being a facilitator, community crowded with furniture so with the help educator, and social reformer.4 Literature of Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN) suggests that there is a critical role for and donation funds, volunteers installed the profession in a collaborative process built-in closet and shelves. to rebuild local culture, environment and economy of damaged communities. Ban engages local partners (architects and engineers) to perform a role Disaster relief projects operate on a case- in decision making and the design by-case basis largely dictated by rapidly management process.7 He recognises changing contextual issues, constraints that community participation guarantees and conditions.5 The provision, design solutions sensitive to local needs, and construction of temporary dwellings expectations and local living standards.8 are to be weighed against its context – Utilising the potential of the local the nature of the disaster, socio-cultural, community also helps recover a strong economic and ecological conditions, community spirit, sense of pride and disaster recovery funds, characteristics well-being that is very important in post- of the disaster affected