Disaster Relief Module

Disaster Relief Module. designed by, amanda veliotis

completed on 07 may 2009

second semester freshman year for our final project we were assigned to design a disaster relief module out of a shipping container. a lot went into this project; picking a location prone to disasters, researching that location, researching shipping container living spaces, and then designing the shipping container sustainably! ill take you from start to finish, this will be a long post but an awesome one, enjoy! -av

of course, i chose the gulf coast. i was super excited to do this project since i had just got back from katrina relief in mississippi. our trip was centered in waveland, mississippi, being one of the hardest hit areas of the hurricane.

heres the low down about hurricane katrina. it was the most expensive natural disaster in united states history. 1.2 million people were evacuated from their homes and there was over 75 billion dollars in damage.

Katrina; the most destructive

and costliest natural disaster in the

history of the United States.

katrina in waveland: waveland is considered mississippi's ground zero, news reports stated that waveland took a harder hit from the wind and water than any other town along the gulf coast, and was left obliterated. after the storm, only 35 homes were left habitable. waveland was ht directly by the eye wall of katrina and the storm surge, estimated at 32 feet high. waveland still to this day is in a slow recovery process.

now that i had my location, i needed a concept. i stumbled upon this information. early observers noted "life in waveland is simple, gravitating lazily around swimming, fishing, and house parties." in 1872, there was a well known vineyard in waveland established by fred w. brown. it was known for its scuppernong wine and champagnes. a beautiful orchard and colony of alligators added color to the oldest and largest vineyard on the coast. with these sentences i envisioned a beautiful space of shades of greens and purples, a space where families just struck with disaster could relax and feel at ease. my concept became "the way it was".

now that you understand my concept, let get going with the design of the actual shipping container. below is the floor plan. the shipping container is approx. 8' x 20'. one of the biggest obstacles was space planning, the other was the budget.

paperstone is a beautiful and heavy-duty solid surface known for its performance, its warm touch, its contemporary appearance, and its environmental sustainability. it is made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and a proprietary, petroleum-free resin. it is certified by the smartwood program of the rainforest alliance to forest stewartship council standards. specifying paperstone is not just an attractive new material that is produced in a socially responsible manner, it is also strong and tough.

bedrock believes in living on earth responsibly and acknowledging that the planet’s resources are limited. that’s why they make all of their tiles by hand in their own plant from 100% recycled glass.vthey also do not use pigment in our glass. they are proud to say that they have recycled literally hundreds of tons of material that would otherwise have gone into landfills. bedrock works very hard to be a shining example of a for-profit organization with a total commitment to sustainability, good employment practices, and responsible community service practices.

blazestone tiles are crafted entirely from post-industrial and post-consumer glass; bedrock adds no additional oxides or colorants. each tile is handmade from unique combinations of glass that gives the tiles their distinctive appearance and subtle color variation. bedrock blazestone shows how beautiful sustainability can be.

to open up the main space of the shipping container, i used a sustainable wall system from nana wall. it is a folding wood framed system and allows for amazing views as well as excellent use of natural daylighting. they are nfrc/energy star certified systems with industry leading u-factors and solar hear gain coefficients. weather resistant with excellent air infiltration and water penetration ratings. they also have excellent acoustic performance. the wood frames have eco friendly water based pretreatment. pefc certified douglas fir standard and fsc certified pine, meranti, spruce, and american white oak available.

award winning alkemi is made from a no-voc and post-industrial aluminum waste. alkemi incorporates this waste into their countertops to create an amazing looking surface. alkemi is a scs certified, leed credits receiving, recycled surface material composed of post-industrial scrap waste. made from fine flake aluminum milling scrap, which commonly burns as a heavy smoke pullutant when exposed to conventional aluminum recycling; alkemi leaves no hazardous footprint.

shower constructed of the same bedrock 100% recycled glass tiles as the kitchen.

ecotimber flooring is dedicated to preserving the earth's forests. since 1992, ecotimber has promoted forest conservation worldwide by selling sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood products. besides being renewable, wood is non-toxic, energy efficient to grow and manufacture, as well as recyclable and biodegradable.

for all the flooring and walls in the shipping container i chose ecotimber’s solid horizontal-grain bamboo flooring in natural. its environmental attributes include a highly renewable resource, timber bamboo is harvested just 5-7 years after being planted. its made with a formaldehyde-free adhesive that does not off-gas in the home. easily meets the e1 and 2012 carb standards for indoor air quality. leed qualifications.

durodesign inc. strives to create natural flooring products that are stylish, ultra-resistant, easy to maintain, rich and vibrant in color and suitable for all commercial and residential applications.

for all the custom furniture pieces and cabinetry I chose durodesign’s bamboo in espresso. bamboo is a truly sustainable harvested grass that regenerates at least 8 times faster than hardwood. not only does bamboo mature rapidly but harvesting does not kill the plant. we use only fully mature moso bamboo selected for superior strength and maximum hardness. our moso bamboo matures in 5-7 years and is selected for superior strength and maximum hardness. bamboo is a truly sustainable harvested grass that regenerates at least 8 times faster than hardwood. high-traffic non-yellowing varnish for a high-traffic floor. protected by 6 coats of our low-voc, commercial-grade finishing system.