Architectural Recovery Team

Mission

Our mission is to provide safe and sustainable long-term housing in earthquake-affected areas and empower communities through collaboration and participation.

The challenge

Large-scale demolitions can lead to different crises, especially when the response relies on emergency and short-term shelters such as tents and containers. These situations can result in unsanitary living conditions, security issues, discomfort, and waste accumulation, all of which pose physical and environmental challenges. These conditions can also harm communities, prolonging traumatic effects. Additionally, while many aid and development initiatives focus on the recovery and restoration of urban centers, rural areas often receive little attention. Our product aims to address this gap, by focusing on rural areas in Hatay to reduce environmental and social risks to support communal healing.

The solution

Even a year after the February 6th earthquake in Turkey, many people continue to grapple with limited resources. Temporary solutions such as tents and containers offer emergency shelter but pose physical, social, and environmental risks. Therefore, we propose a modular, sustainable, and self-sustaining housing solution called the "core unit" for areas. This solution aims to balance short-term recovery with long-term resilience. The core unit serves as a life-support system during emergencies, supplying water, electricity, heat, and toilet facilities. It will later be converted into permanent housing through collaborative design with the local community.