FEMA City for sale

FEMA has just listed about 1250 travel trailers and mobile homes on the GSA auction website. It appears most of the units were used as long term shelter for residents of the Gulf Coast that were left homeless following Hurricane Katrina. Following the storm, some of the trailers were set up in camps where electrical and sewer infrastructure had been built for this specific purpose, while others were parked next to damaged homes so residents could stay in the community to make repairs. As of June 2009 there were still more than 3000 families living in the trailers.

In his latest book, Camps: a Guide to 21st Century Space, Charlie Hailey, Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Florida, dives deep into the FEMA cities that have sprung up following major disasters. He examines not only the logistical issues that arise when creating an infrastructure practically overnight in the middle of a cow field and then filling it with trailers and people that have never met, all while a community is still reeling from crisis, but also he considers how the physical layout of the impromptu neighborhood affects the social dynamics as well. Charlie goes beyond simply examining the aesthetic and functional aspects and connects it with the complicated, sometimes contrary, politics of disaster management. He sites sources that reported 140,000 FEMA trailers were still in use or in service in two gulf states one year after Katrina.

FEMA will not guarantee the condition of any of the trailers that are now up for sale, and in a very unscientific survey of a few of them I noticed disclaimers that would make a person with just a bit of common sense pause before purchasing one.

Quotes from the GSA Auction postings:

NO KEYS, NO HOLDING TANK, OPTIONS:NONE, MAJOR MISSING ITEMS: WATER HEATER DOOR, PROPANE TANK COVER, SAFETY CHAIN HOOKS, OBVIOUS DAMAGE(INTERNAL): CABINET DOORS DAMAGED, DINING ROOM SEAT DAMAGED, SOFA DAMAGED. OBVIOUS DAMAGE(EXTERNAL):NONE ** REQUIRED BUT NOT LIMITED TO: WATER INTRUSION DAMAGE, MISSING AND NON-OPERABLE COMPONENTS, STORM USAGE AND ROAD STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

...and if that were not enough to deter a buyer, the following is in bold red:

THE GOVERNMENT MAY NOT HAVE TESTED ALL OF THESE UNITS FOR FORMALDEHYDE. Formaldehyde is used in the manufacture of travel trailers, park models and manufactured housing and may still be present in these units.

But the good news is that prices start at about $1500.

The long-term effects of exposure to formaldehyde are rather well documented at this point. Reports of people who have been living for extended periods developing chronic health problems are rather common. And whether the claims are true or not or somewhere in between, the trailers themselves have become a symbol of a government quick fix solution with a minimal amount consideration of long term consequences, where financial, social or sustainability are not concerns that were taken into account.

While reviewing the updated 2009 LEED standards, I noticed that minimum program requirements state that structures must be "designed for, constructed on, and operated on a permanent location on already existing land. No building or space that is designed to move at any point in its lifetime may pursue LEED certification". I am just wondering what Bucky would say about that?

If trailers and mobile homes are going to be part of FEMA's recovery plan, I think they need to connect with the RV industry to develop products that are healthy, safe and secure for occupants. And while they're at it, they should be considering use of renewable energy as part of these units.

LEED for RV's anyone? It's an opportunity to create an option that is Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable.

Gimme Shelter

Shelter falls pretty close to the base on Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs - somewhere in between water and personal security -  it's a critical basic requirement to live, often one of the most vulnerable to damage during a disaster and the first to be improvised during the recovery phase. While I certainly wouldn't suggest a tent as the primary structure to rely on during an emergency, sometimes the portability and flexibility are requirements mandated and that can not be overlooked during a crisis. While spending sometime considering options for mobility, temporary shelter and camps, I came across these two products that seem to embrace the concepts of a GreenZoneSolution.

The NEMO Nano OZ is a durable backpacking tent made almost entirely of recycled materials. According to their website, NEMO has carefully chosen the recycled components in Nano OZ™ to ensure their durability, longevity, and functionality. The Nano OZ is all about efficiency. The bold curves at the base of the tent cut out wasted fabric and increase wall tension. An integrated vestibule saves weight by eliminating attachment hardware and rolls out of the way when not needed. Nano OZ™ comes with GREEN™ anodized DAC aluminum poles, which can also be recycled. NEMO also produces bamboo tent poles that are strong, flexible, lightweight, and made from a highly renewable resource.

NEMO donated over 150 tents to Pakistan after the earthquake in Kashmir in 2005 and is the recipient of multiple major awards and recognitions including the I.D. Magazine Design Distinction Award, Bottom Line Design Award and the Good Design Award from the Chicago Antheneum. NEMO was also named one of Popular Science Magazine's Best Innovations in 2005 and Most Amazing Inventions by Time Magazine. They have managed to be recognized not only within their industry as a leader but also outside by design professionals.

While still just a concept at this point and not in full production, the Solar Tent (photo above) keeps you covered and also provides a source of renewable energy and access to communication while the tent is pitched. According to an article in Popular Science, the tent uses "solar threads" woven into the fabric to collect energy. The inhabitants can adjust the tent's movable panels to capture the best angle on the sun throughout the day. Inside the tent, a display shows how much solar energy the tent has captured throughout the day and how much energy is currently stored. Orange is one of the most well-known wireless carriers in the UK, so naturally the tent includes a few extra features related to going mobile during the day, while the pod charges. "Glo-cation" technology allows you to send an SMS message to the tent, causing it to glow so it's easy to find. Should Orange decide to begin manufacturing the Solar Tent, it should be a important item to those seeking Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable short term shelter following a disaster

Thinking inside the box

The conversion of shipping containers to shelters is certainly not a new idea. A whole discipline within architecture continues to recognize and develop the flexibility of the standard steel intermodal container as a structural element, because of their inherent strength, wide availability and relatively low cost. While certainly not perfect solutions (there are some significant advantages and disadvantages) some creative people are building some pretty neat structures that are green in terms of renewable energy features and adaptive reuse of abundant materials.

The Future Shack was actually conceived by architect, Sean Godsell, in 1985 but it wasn't until 1999 that the prototype for mass-produced, relocatable emergency and relief housing was actually developed. According to the Architecture Australia website: "The house has applications for a variety of needs – post flood, fire, earthquake, typhoon, or similar natural disasters; temporary housing; third world housing; remote housing. The main volume of the building is a recycled 20-foot shipping container, a universal module that is mass-produced and inexpensive, robust and durable. As a basic unit the container can be stockpiled for use as required by aid-coordination agencies, or in locations prone to disaster. It is designed to be shipped, and is easily transported by road and rail. All infrastructure for handing the module is available throughout the world.

The unit is totally self-contained. Packed inside are water tanks, solar power cells, access ramp, roof ladder, parasol roof and supporting structure. A satellite receiver and external light bracket act to brace the glass interior doors in transit. The container itself has had minimal exterior changes – several additional slots to accept the structure, a top-hinged front opening for the entrance, and a series of operable panels in the roof for ventilation – but nothing detracts from either its seaworthiness or its ability to be stacked or handled identically to its unmodified kind. It remains a container conceptually to Godsell. The clean skin of the interior is packed with his tools for re-habitation, along with, one might expect, additional clothing, food and blankets for the dispossessed. Future Shack can be fully erected in 24 hours and is totally self-sustainable, capable of generating electricity and communications. Future Shack and Godsell were featured at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in 2004.

The HybridSeattle c640 base camp was designed as a trail-building outpost to be used in rural Siberia.

The camp was intended to house up to 8 workers during the evenings and provide office space during the day but it certainly wouldn't be a leap to imagine how it could be reconfigured to function as an emergency shelter. The 640 square feet of living space is augmented by a semi-sheltered outdoor space. The structure is designed to be moved on a flatbed truck and requires simple tools to complete set up once on site. Roofs can accommodate rainwater collection systems and solar panels. They are very securable and can even be outfitted with LoJack tracking systems and internet connectivity. Units can be stacked to create a second floor.

Gorilla Designs was started by people who went through Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and afterward relocated to Salt Lake City to put their experience to practice. Their mission statement says: It is clear that America and the rest of the world are approaching a critical mass in terms of the energy crisis. The population is growing while our resources are dwindling. We believe that we can collectively prepare for this crisis by designing living spaces that are super energy efficient and eventually self-sustaining. Sounds like a GreenZoneSolution to me!

Their website describes the construction of their product: The cornerstone of this home is its use of recycled shipping containers to create the structure of the house. Shipping containers are typically discarded after only 10-15 years of use. After they are discontinued they simply sit in storage areas or landfills. This type of waste is exactly what Gorilla Design is trying to combat. By recycling these containers, a home can now be made out of recycled material that costs much less than wood and other traditional material. Further, by utilizing this recycled material, a much stronger home can be built that can provide better protection against natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. By using recycled meterials for the structure of this home, wood is not required which in turn means less natural resources are used. Moreover, the steel itself is actually recyclable so at the end of the building's lifespan it can be reused.

The outside of the home is made from fibrous cement, which looks like stucco but is much more than just an exterior coating. Fibrous cement is made primarily out of recycled paper with a small amount of cement as a binding agent. Once the shipping containers have been welded together to create the structure of the home, a 12" coating of fibrous cement is applied to the outside of the home. Although fibrous cement is made primarily from paper, once it is bound with cement, it can withstand fire and water much better than traditional materials. In fact, it secures a home from the elements in a way that is totally unique to the housing market today. Last, but most importantly, fibrous cement is highly insulative. With an R value of approximately 3.0 per inch, 12 inches can provide a total R value of 36. Current energy code requires insulation value of R19. The bottom line is that the Gorilla Design home is highly energy efficient due to the use of this creative insulation.

There you go, three examples of really cool Renewable, Reliable and Remarkable thinking inside the box.