One of the main issues facing Japanese officials is where to house the countless number of people who have been displaced by the recent earthquake and tsunami. A New York Times article tells the story of world famous architect Shigeru Ban’s plans to build temporary homes for people who have been affected by this terrible disaster. His building material of choice: paper!
Ban used rolls of paper to make small huts for refugees of the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, Japan. His plans this time are different, mainly because he needs to design and build many more homes in a short amount of time. Speed is the priority, not comfort. In Shigeru Ban’s words, “ a house is a house.” Considering this, he plans to build simple partitions made from paper to turn large gymnasiums, currently being used as shelters, into small separate units. These units are inexpensive to build and will provide Japanese families with just enough privacy to get by. According to this article, Ban has already raised $30,000.
Expect more information of Shigeru Ban’s other projects.
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| Shigeru Ban in front of one of his projects |
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| Examples of Ban's paper homes |
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| The interior of one of Ban's larger projects |
I love the works of Shigeru Ban. I praise him for designing refugees for disaster relief in Japan right now. However, I cannot but to wonder about how the permanent housings will look like. People will eventually build new homes in the same area that disaster happened. I will be terrified if my building is built with paper after that disaster. Japan will have to come up with strongest structure and materials to rebuild in that zone in order to withstand tsunamis. I am interested in seeing what they plan for the rebuilding of those affected areas.
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