EcoHouse Research

Hannah Baker (2012, BA)

 

Ecuador, located in north-west South America is an example of a country suffering from an uneven distribution of wealth. This study focuses on increasing the longevity and adaptability of transitional shelters within the country built by an organisation called TECHO. The current low cost shelters do not last the required period of time of five years and cannot be adapted by the user, consequently not meeting the standards recommended for emergency shelter by humanitarian organisations. This study shows that these issues can be overcome via several different changes to the design. These include: seasoning wood, changing the exterior panel’s material, using a different type of joint fastener and introducing a modular design. TECHO cannot implement all of these changes at one time due to financial limitations so recommendations have been made in accordance with several criteria relating to cost efficiency and feasibility of implementation.

 

TECHO’s current transitional shelters do not last the required period of time of five years and are not adaptable for the user, consequently not meeting standards recommended for emergency shelter by other humanitarian organisations. This study has shown that these issues can be overcome via several different changes including: seasoning wood, changing the MDP panels to plywood, using a different type of joint fastener and introducing a modular design. TECHO cannot implement all of these changes at one time due to monetary issues and they should be prioritised in accordance with the criteria mentioned at the beginning of this study: the potential impact; technical difficulty; time required for design; dependence on particular sites; costs of implementation; need for external partners community engagement and technical manufacturing difficulty.

 

This analysis has shown that the most beneficial and easiest change to implement will be seasoning wood. This requires the co-operation of the HDC factory, Quevedo, in which studies have shown the changes needed are more organisational rather than cost restrained. If natural air drying is used, there are few technical difficulties and the potential impact is large. For these reasons, it is recommended this should be the first change implemented by TECHO. The second priority should be changing the MDP panels to plywood. Despite an increase in cost, it is outweighed by the benefits of having a more durable exterior material which increases the longevity of the structure and the materials can be reused in the future.

 

Research has shown that using improved nails, such as annular ringed instead of round wire nails is hugely beneficial. However, the potential impact of this will be reduced by using seasoned wood as there will be fewer gaps which need to be held together. It is recommended that further research is undertaken after the introduction of seasoned wood to see whether this change and the associated increased cost is necessary. Despite this, for dismantling purposes, the nail heads should be changed to flat headed rather than button headed as these are easier to remove. Research has shown that the best designs for transitional houses allow families to upgrade their houses and allow beneficiaries to act as decision makers in their construction. This study has proposed a lightweight box structure with diagonal bracing providing lateral support. Having three smaller panels on each side rather than one large one allows for a more flexible design which can consider the owners wishes, individual access and the placement of windows in accordance with its orientation and maximising natural daylight. A detachable roof allows owners to consider the orientation of the slope in relation to the predominant wind direction and gives them the opportunity to extend the property vertically by adding additional modules. This longer term strategy should incorporate all of the changes mentioned above to achieve an optimum design solution.