Alternate Methods of Emergency Housing as it Relates to the Crisis in Haiti

Here is some of the contact information for the various political entities:

The Whitehouse:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

The US Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

The US Congress:

http://www.congress.org/

or

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

The holder of the purse strings:

http://www.usaid.gov/contact.html

Here are some numbers Transcendian came up with to call with polite communications as people die. See if you can get something good to happen.

Try Beau Mills at 919-859-5999

Try Merorores at 212-370-4840 Haiti Mission to the UN.

Try Unicef at 1-800-486-4233

Try Countryman & McDaniel at 310-342-6500

Try Christian Lopez of Latino Housing Development at 716-881-7051

Try 212-963-1234 and see who you get and what they want you to do. It's the number for the UN.

Try 509-229-800 and ask for Kenneth H/Merten. He's one I aint got to bothering yet. See if he knows Raymond Joseph at 202-332-4070. (check number.) For USAID try 202-712-4007, ask for Mike.

Try 202-271-4416. Bette Cook.

The list is not in order. Mr. Lopez is attempting to get shipping container housing to Haiti, and deserves support. Countryman and McDaniels have information and contacts we need. We do need the UN to act right, but making that happen will be tough. USAID has already told us to go to hell, and all US Government agencys seem to defer to them

Here's some rendering Kyzine worked up

Being banned & consequently only being able to post as Guest, posting pics isn't an option for him.

Enjoy:

This is the Rome Courtyard Module Concept

The tarp is a scale to the population and storage (centre 1/2 buried containers),(4 on top are habitat)

The corners key the structure in place and do black and grey water functions - inc methane production.

2nd story 20's are up-water for ablutions and toilet and 'filtered' for potable supply.

Each container is vented - though not visible in these pics.
The top roofs would be sod - so imagine as lawn.
The balconies (sort of visible) and stairs (not shown) are recycled doors removed from abutting units.

I.e, I have not shown the full system - just the on flat ground stage 1 version.

The various gaps and voids have largely stage 2 and 3 reasons.

The idea - like Rome - is you build secure courtyards, that become blocks, that become suburbs.

This embodiment and concept is Kyzine IP.

Posting for Kyzine, since guests can't post Pics

Thanks Chris,

The part that's Haiti relevant are the central courtyard structures, which were commonly built, "stand alone" near a trade route, for taxation purposes.

The barracks, garrison, walls, earthworks, were extras, where resistance was occurring or anticipated. In event of conflict sufficient to overwhelm the defences, these 'courtyards' would be of little use as a "Keep". The whole design is however chock-a-block with Roman Command psychology, be that surrounded by thousands of well armed men, or stand alone at a rural intersection, or river crossing - like now is London.

So assuming our "invasion" of Haiti is better received - this is the bit to look at

The moderately secure module that can build into a suburban block.

Best a bad bunny can do old fellow - guest can't vote. Nor do they get GA count, no matter how many said guest has acquired - means not a toss.

This "Roman Courtyard" concept- actually quite common throughout Europe during the midddle ages and in Latin America during the colonial period, have significant advantages for the tropics. "Open air" living- i.e., cooking, even sleeping out of doors, is quite popular where air conditioning is a luxury beyond the means of the common resident (a lot of people that I know in the Tropics actually consider the inside of their house as a storage area, spending most of their time in the open air- even watching television on the front porch). The open courtyard provides not only a measure of personal security (discouraging robbers and thugs, since the bad guys can't see what is on the other side of the wall until they are inside), it also provides a sense of privacy for the residents of the compound, which can enhance dignity. The residents are more likely to "take ownership" of their private space, keeping it cleaner and neater than they would an open street access, where the general attitude would be that it is the responsibility of the government to keep the streets clean.

The down side is that a lot of social life occcurs on the front step in poorer communities...Limited opportunity for this function, but by putting shops and such on the street side of the compound, or open space on the street side, could possibly accommodate this important social function.

Couple this enclosed courtyard idea (one that has recurred frequently in the various threads) with stand-alone rain water supply and the "Honey Truck" sewerage disposal concept being discussed in methane thread, and the lack of municipal services is overcome.

This structure should be inherently hurricane-proof, if all of the containers are locked together, and the size of the courtyard is limited, since the winds will tend to flow over the courtyard opening. Keep your container openings (doors and windows) mostly facing the courtyard.

Oh, yes- one needs a fountain in the courtyard. Not only for esthetic purposes, but also as a part of the water treatment scheme (moving water discourages the accumulation of algae and breeding of mosquitoes), and the fact that a fountain can also provide some natural cooling for the enclosed area. This requires pumps, but smaller solar-powered pumps are becoming more common these days...

Structural food for thought:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/04/02/stackable-mobile-home-tower-takes-portable-housing-to-new-heights/

I realize that vertical designs have not been favored but there might be something in here of interest.

reminds me of a book by Bucky [buckminster fuller]

he described it as the dymaxion house