question regarding concept document
marieaquilino
I am a good friend colleague of Sandra d’Urzo, who made me aware of
your hurricane shelter googlegroup. Sandra and I started out talking
about this in the context of working with my students here in Paris,
but the question has become the focus of international interest and
concern following a recent Bimstorm webseminar. I was contacted by
someone in the Pentagon, who is trying to get the word out. I
forwarded that contact to Graham Saunders. At the same time, I am
trying to better understand the situation, so I hope you don’t mind my
asking some questions with regard to your concept report.
1. The timeline: Is anything else being planned to help people in the
camps? The heavy rains come in May. I know the RC/UN is making an
enormous effort to get everyone plastic sheeting and disaster
preparedness is underway (clearing drains that can be cleared,
distributing above ground latrines, and reinforcing supply chains),
but are there no plans to erect temporary structures where people are
now? Is there nothing else we can do?
2. Have you selected the 300 sites for the individual shelters/
community centers? where are they?
3. How many people do you ultimately hope to serve? And is this number
around 11,000 based on the hope that long-term transitional
settlements will be underway in parallel?
4. What do you consider to be the most difficult logistical
challenge ? (land preparation, foundations, procurement, moving the
sheer quantity of material efficiently through customs, building
during the rains ...)
5. How will the need for these structures as shelters be managed? how
long will people be allowed to stay, who gets to use them (the specs
are for 40 or so people at a time)
6. What is the likelihood of being able to procure 600 40-ft
containers immediately? and purchase them in bulk in order to keep the
price under control?
7. The choice of shelter seems very up in the air? The sea containers
have their advantages, but as your description makes evident, there is
an immediate need for a range of significant adaptations. Are they the
best choice?
8. If the sea containers are used, who will organize, pay for, and
train the local labor?
9. Are you budgeting for additional costs that will turn these basic
shelters into vibrant community centers? The long rectangular shapes
are less than ideal, and can be downright ugly if they are not
upgraded for light and conviviality--with arched roof, widows (that
don’t compromise safety), paint, etc. I am sure that you would agree
that just because we are in an emergency does not mean we should not
consider the role of beauty in people’s lives. It is a particularly
critical moment when people’s imaginations and dreams must be kept
alive. We do not want to simply drop 600 metal boxes across the
landscape and be done with it.
10. Why are you planning to move them? First, will there be funding
and equipment to move the units, which will also need new foundations?
And, second, why? I understand that part of the recovery plan is to
help decentralize PaP and regenerate the countryside. But won’t these
shelters be needed where you place them, both as community centers,
which will be sorely needed, and as overflow shelters for the future?
11. In you opinion, do the alternatives of prefab steel structures/
trailer units make more sense? There is little need for upgrading, but
I don’t know anything about pricing differentials, as the report does
not specify cost as yet.
I greatly appreciate you hearing, as I am trying to keep the
discussion of the urgent need for shelters that will protect people
during the worst rains at the forefront of the conversation.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Marie Aquilino