Natural disasters leave victims who continue to suffer long after the
media turns its focus elsewhere. People who lose their homes and all of
their possessions may feel lucky to be alive, but they need a place
where to continue to live. Recently, some architects and others
interested in providing temporary,
emergency housing have begun to make use of a resource that seems plentiful – metal
shipping containers.
The idea started in part due to the overflow of containers that are
piling up in harbors along both coasts of the United States. In New
York alone, over a million of these empty containers are stored in the
harbor and along the Jersey turnpike. There are two main reasons for
this excess of containers:
- We have been importing more than we have been exporting.
So the containers come in full of imported goods but then we aren't
filling them back up and circulating them back into the world market.
- Companies don't have much of an incentive to return the
containers to their source. For example, in China, it costs about
$2,300 to make one of these containers. But for a US company to ship an
empty container back to China would cost about $900. So instead of
spending the money, US companies have simply begun to store them.
So the argument has been made that these containers could be turned into
shelter
for use in emergencies. In light of the recent aftermath of hurricane
Katrina, there could actually be immediate need for such shelters.
Ideally, the
converted containers could be delivered by truck
to the actual home sight of the disaster victims. They could live in
the shelter on their own land, using the utilities that are already
supplied to that lot until their home is rebuilt. The shelters would be
preferable to tents because of their steel beam construction. They can
endure strong winds, snow and even wildfires.
However, the first step is to get the containers converted. At the
moment, there are a few problems that those performing the conversion
face. First of all, the containers are only 8 feet wide which doesn't
create much room. Cutting away sides and joining 2 containers together
can solve this problem. Windows and other holes for utilities have to
be cut with a blow torch, requiring specialized labor. So, at the
moment, the cost of converting these
shipping containers would be prohibitive.
But there is a solution to this problem. Proponents of the idea,
including professors, students, nonprofit organizations and some
members of the building industry suggest that the
containers should be designed so that conversion is possible at some point in the future.
They could have removable panels that would not endanger the integrity
of the container when it's being used for shipping and could be easily
removed when the container is needed in an emergency for shelter. When
needed, these containers could then be transported and set up much
faster and would be a much more comfortable solution for the victims.
There are still many questions about this idea, mostly about how to get
enough interest from the government agencies that are responsible for
disaster relief as well as from the companies that manufacture and use
the containers. For example, who will pay for the changes needed to the
equipment and processes that the manufacturers might use? What type of
notification and organization system will be put into place to direct
the distribution and installation of the shelters? What happens to the
containers once the victims have acquired permanent housing? And again,
who will pay for the delivery and removal of the units? All of these
and other questions would need to be answered before the idea could be
put into widespread use. Although the idea is still in the formative
stages, it definitely shows promise.
Cornelia Myers believes that shipping containers can make viable and comfortable houses. Visit
http://www.Shipping-Container-Housing.com
to find out how to build a house from shipping containers and how much
it costs and to learn more about the companies that provide design
services for
shipping container housing.
