Temporary Fix

By Sean Hartman



Due to the recent events that happened over night with the severe storms and reported tornados I wanted to find something creative as a temporary shelter for the business and residential sectors. Browsing through Architectural Record I found this article called "A Temporary Fix." The article is about coming up with creative temporary fix for local businesses that were affected in New Zealand after a recent earthquake. As you can see from the picture above a local shop is erected from shipping containers due to a mall in New Zealand being affected by the earthquake. The residents of New Zealand are taking a like to these type of structures since they are easy to erect and can sustain minor earthquakes since the shipping containers can be a rigid structure. They are also finding other ways to use shipping containers to help out in the affected areas. One of the major areas in New Zealand where shipping containers are being used as a temporary shelter would be the Christchurch due to the extensive damage that it sustained in the earthquake. With this idea of using shipping containers has generated interest and has drawn in crowds from all over. The projected disassembly of these structures is set for April 2012 but they are saying that these types of structures may remain open past that date pending approval from the land owners.

I also wanted to see a different ways shipping containers were being used. As I did some searching around I came across an article about them being used as housing. I know this may not be old but it is something interesting and to keep in mind do to natural disasters as they could easily be set up quickly and transported from area to area. I sort of want to compare them to modular home but in a way they are not similar. I know for most natural disasters that families that has had their home destroyed are sometime put into a travel trailer (camper) till they can get back on their feet or have a home rebuilt, but if we were to provide them with one of these shipping container homes it would be beneficial to family because it can provide them a house instead of a camper and if they chose so they could live in it longer than a camper. With the amount of shipping containers there are this is a possibility to future natural disaster shelters.





Resources Found at:
http://archrecord.construction.com/news/2012/02/Christchurch-Progress.asp
http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/shipping-container-homes-460309