When a disaster occurs, it may take weeks in order to import portable, new, innovative, Western, structures. Instead of relying on plastic tarps or tents that are inappropriate for the extreme climate of Haiti or importing ‘shelters’ that look like they were built by aliens (especially to those in the ‘developing world’, we propose taking the materials available and building without increasing the carbon footprint. With the use of gabions (filled with rubble), scrap wood, and UN tents, this portable shelter is built BY the community and responds to cultural needs. It reassures safety and ventilation with easy access to materials, with the possibility of a long term shelter - (statistics show that ‘emergency shelter’ averages multiples years rather than months) - and the pride of a community that is important for survival of this Haitian culture that is so different than yours and mine.
