▶Final+conclusion


 * Problem:**

The 2010 Haiti earthquake have destroyed about 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings. Also, it is estimated that 316,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 became homeless. The region that is most affected and damaged by the earthquake was the region of Port-au-Prince, a capital city of Haiti. In response to this catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, other countries have responded by raising funds, sending medical teams, rescue teams, engineers, volunteer helpers, and many more. However, the problem that is not solved yet is how to deal with these homeless people? And more specifically, where are they going to live now? This is one of the most important and urgent problem to solve since this problem is directly related to people ’ s health. And without a proper shelter, people are exposed to external harms and disease. This problem may be easily solved for people who are living in a wealthy country but for people living in Haiti, they themselves nor the government of Haiti has the solution to this problem since they are not wealthy. Also, even with help from other countries, this problem cannot be solved since there are limits to outside help. Therefore, our group has come up with a temporary solution that will solve this problem in a short term perspective. Although this is not a permanent solution, it will help homeless people in Haiti to have a place to live for a short term until they can establish their own livings once again.


 * Solution: **

Our temporary solution to the housing crisis in Haiti uses resources and a labour force already present in the country. Instead of building impermanent shelters out of timber, we have utilized a re-formulated version of cob, a building material that has been used for centuries. Our research proves that cob is a strong material that does not consume expensive resources or harm the already fragile ecosystem of Haiti. A large problem Haiti faces is soil erosion so traditional cob houses are not ideal as this would require digging up the land to gather clay. A cheaper alternative to clay would be to use cow feces as the binding ingredient instead. Haiti has a considerable cattle population, so this is an untapped resource. These homes are weather resistant if built properly and even earthquake resistant due to their dome shape which distributes weight more evenly then box homes. An important aspect to shelter, even a temporary one, is durability. While rebuilding efforts continue in Haiti, they need a cheap, but durable and safe solution. Cob houses are biodegradable and recyclable. Once the homes are no longer needed they will not be wasted because the materials can be deconstructed and put back into the earth. Labour training is minimal and overall costs are low, which is key to successful implementation of this solution.