Previous Project Responses
Sheltereach has delivered strong and affordable post disaster housing in countries needing different responses.
The Philippines
Typhoon
In the Philippines Typhoon Haiayan caused wide-spread destruction across the whole region, leaving hardly a house left standing. Because of the flimsy nature of the structures many lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of homes. Sheltereach was contacted to provide housing for the most effected areas.
Appropriate Solutions
Choosing the most appropriate solution revolved around such factors as available materials, current building understanding and average house size. Reconstructing typhoon resistant structures was also a factor. Connect-a-Frame and Contin-u-Frame were chosen because of their strong steel components. These were combined with the locally available claddings of amakan and ply-wood sheets. While assisting with the building locals learnt valuable building principles.
India
Floods
The Uttarakhand floods came without warning, wiping out whole villages, leaving communities homeless and cut off as roads had been washed away. When roads were eventually restored many hours drive was involved in housing delivery. On average one house per truck journey was all that could be achieved, making it a very slow process.
Solution
The Sheltereach Tarpaulin House system enables a hundred emergency shelters per truck. These then transitioned into permanent house pictured left). The galvanised steel contin-u-frame system makes houses more resistant to future floods. These houses can be purchased as a pre-fabricated kit.
Nepal
Earthquake
Stone being the most commonly available building material in Nepal seemed to stand the test of time until the 2015 earthquake struck. The houses that were meant to protect became death traps as roofs and walls collapsed around unsuspecting victims. The despair and loss life had settled like a blanket across the region. No one seemed to have an alternative to stone or concete - both of which are vulnerable to earthquakes
Solution
Reluctant to return to traditional stone that had killed so many of their community people were eager to adopt the Sheltereach alternative. Rather than supporting the roof on the stone walls that had collapsed using integrated columns into the roofing system would be earthquake proof and allow the plentiful supply of stone to be used merely as cladding. Additional and affordable reinforcement to the walls would ensure future earthquakes would not cause loss of life. Smiles started to appear on the faces of workers and families alike as they realised they could implement these strong yet simple changes into their traditional buildings.
