The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami caused total or partial destruction of over 3,000 houses in Onagawa. With his charitable organisation Voluntary Architects’ Network, architect Shigeru Ban devised this plan to create three-storey temporary housing by stacking shipping containers - a solution requiring far less land than standard single-story Japanese temporary housing. The structures were assembled and fitted with furniture and cabinetry by volunteers in only three months. Thermal and noise insulation increase their liveability. A Community Centre is comprised of four containers housing an office, kitchen, bathrooms and storage, connected by a timber roof to form a covered communal area. A children’s atelier is constructed of paper tubes.
Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture
