Temperature in Speed: Swift Yet Uncompromising Shelter
The first 72 hours after a disaster are known as the "golden rescue period," while the following weeks are considered the "psychological recovery period." Traditional disaster relief often means crowded tents, flimsy partitions, and living environments with little privacy. Our fiber cement board modular system changes this.
Our prefabricated panels feature a lightweight design, allowing two workers to easily move a standard panel. More importantly, the patented interlocking design on the panel edges enables rapid assembly into complete homes-like building blocks-without the need for complicated tools. In practice, following last year's Southeast Asian tsunami, a 10-person team completed the construction of 20 family units within 48 hours, providing affected families with a true "home," not just a "refuge."
The greatest fear of disaster survivors is often experiencing loss again. Fiber cement boards are inherently non-combustible, can withstand extreme temperature variations from -30°C to 80°C, are mold-resistant and moisture-proof, and maintain a dry indoor environment even in humid climates. But this is just the foundation.
Our uniquely soundproof mezzanine is made to provide each family with their own privacy, which is very essential in the case of families that have suffered from trauma. Different wall colors can be used, and there are even simple decorating kits available to help residents put their personal touch in their new homes. When working on a post typhoon reconstruction project in the Philippines, a little girl painted a sun and a rainbow on the wall of her room, explaining, "This is my new beginning."
Flexibility and Empathy: Adapting to Different Cultures, Respecting Every Family
Disasters are not limited by geographical boundaries, however, rebuilding efforts should maintain cultural differences. Through our modular system we provide a wide choice of basic unit types, such as 30 square meter units that are great for single families, and larger spaces that can be combined to form community centers, all of which are flexibly adaptable.
In West Asia, which was affected by the earthquake, we changed the colors of walls and the placements of windows and doors to correspond to local religious and cultural traditions; in the Caribbean, we improved the air circulation designs to deal with the tropical climates. More importantly, the system enables the residents to be involved in the planning walls can be changed, rooms can be reshaped thus each family will be able to choose a setting that most closely fits their way of living.
A Vision for Sustainability: Temporary Housing, Permanent Value
Disaster resettlement housing is often caught in a dilemma: costly temporary facilities end up being discarded, or makeshift shelters turn into permanent slums. Our system bridges that gap.
Fiber cement boards are durable up to 50 years, thus what was initially temporary housing can be simply turned into permanent homes, community classrooms, or medical facilities. For example, a refugee camp in Africa the original housing was converted into a vocational training center, which has been beneficial for the community after three years. Theboards them selves are 90% recyclable, and when moving isinevitable, most of the material can be taken apart and used again, thus greatly lowering the waste of resources.