Architecture as a ‘Safe house’

Fig. 1. “Powerful Quake and Tsunami Devastate Northern Japan” (Martin Fackler, New York Times News Paper. Last modified March 11,2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html)

Earthquakes. Calamities. Natural disasters. Such headlines have been appearing more frequent in recent headlines. Can architecture help prevent damage from these disasters? Can architecture help heal the psychological and physiological trauma of such experiences?

For my thesis I will look into designing ‘calamity proof’ buildings. Shelters that can function on a day-to-day basis with mixed use functions for the community. When needed, it will transform itself into a ‘safe house’, a haven for those to escape and take shelter.

The case study will be site specific, but could be applied to other regions. I will study the daily lifestyle of the inhabitants, study the impact of the natural disaster it is most at risk and do comprehensive analyses of the site and surroundings.