Approximately 80 million people are forced to escape from their home regions every year due to natural disasters and political crisis. A need for humanitarian housing solutions is vast. Although the camps are meant to be temporary, they are prone to form long lasting large settlements. This fact highlights the quality of housing facilities and architecture. It was also noticed that the environmental impacts of the camps have not been considered sufficiently while there is abundance of technologies for ecological construction, energy production and sanitation to be quite easily applied to temporary housing developments. In addition, flexibility and adaptability of housing are growing trends in contemporary life cycle approach and circular economy.
The aim of the project was to develop a concept design for a flexible housing unit to be used in carbon-free temporary settlements for humanitarian purposes for prolonged timespan. After the original use the building can be dismantled and reassembled for varying uses. The choice for the main building material was timber due to its favourable environmental and psychophysical qualities. The concept was meant to provide possibilities for the region’s wood product industry to enter the growing international markets. An important long-term objective was to contribute to the systemic transition of building sector by promoting innovative carbon-free building solutions.
The development work of the wooden, portable, modular, and adaptable building concept proceeded as planned. An active group of partner companies supported the work by reviewing the concept and proposing improvements in different stages of design. The input of interested experts working in companies was remarkable. Finally, the technical challenges were not among the most difficult. The market research carried out in the project proved that the concept’s path to complete industrial product and contested markets is very long and twisty.
Project leader at TAU: Professor Ari Hynynen
Researchers at TAU: PhD Virpi Palomäki, MSc (Arch) Mari-Sohvi Miettinen
Funding source
Main funding: EU / ERDF / The Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia