JACMEL, Haiti, June 18, 2010 – Innovative structures using durable vinyl fabric are being built in southern Haiti to help house survivors of the Jan. 12 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people, destroyed many towns and villages, and left more than a million people homeless.
The HaitiSOFTHOUSE is designed to resist tropical storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes, with a lightweight and easy-to-assemble structural steel frame and high performance vinyl fabric. Designed to be assembled in one day by just a few people, the shelter can be anchored directly into the ground, or mounted on a prefab concrete foundation tile system manufactured locally from recycled concrete rubble.
Each structure has 166 square feet of space with an hexagonal design for more stability and better performance in extreme weather, designed to withstand winds up to 130 miles per hour. They provide a healthy and well ventilated home, and the vinyl fabric is manufactured in vibrant and warm shades of green, yellow, and red. The shelters are designed to last five years, and the building materials can be recycled for other uses when disassembled.
The SOFTHOUSEgroup was created by a group of designers committed to bringing high quality, sustainable design solutions to the current demands of the recovery and reconstruction efforts of Haiti. The group is working in conjunction with The Rural Haiti Project, a non-profit organization that has established an architectural committee to help rural areas plan sustainable rebuilding efforts.
Jacmel, Haiti has been chosen for the initial construction of about 20 prototypes for field testing this summer. Deutsche Bank and project organizers have raised $100,000 in grant money to manufacture the structures, which can be mass produced for about $3,000 each.
The HaitiSOFTHOUSE project will serve as an active case study for implementation of transitional communities, and could lead to local manufacture and distribution of more units in the months ahead.
Quoting from the HaitiSOFTHOUSE web site, “The HaitiSOFTHOUSE has the capacity to stimulate the local economy and transfer design and fabrication expertise in a manner that promotes sustainable solutions, helping to transform local communities both environmentally and economically.”
For more information, go to
www.haitisofthouse.org.
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of PVC/vinyl resin in the United States, and promotes the value of PVC/vinyl products to society.
For more information on The Vinyl Institute, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute
571-970-3327
jpalmer@vinylinfo.org Also go to:
www.vinylindesign.com ,www.vinylnewsservice.com, and
www.achievegreen.net.