Date of Submission
Spring 5-4-2017
Degree Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Architecture
Department
Architecture
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Bill Carpenter
Secondary Advisor
Bronne Dytoc
Abstract
I want to start by exploring with you the meaning of you these numbers. From 2000 to 2012 natural disasters have caused 1.7 trillion dollars in damage and affected 2.9 billion people. Nearly 50% of the fatalities caused by natural disasters were due to flooding or earthquakes events. If we also look at the regions affected, these are usually facing social, cultural and environmental difficulties; therefore, the process of recovery of the communities in most of the time is slowly effective or unsuccessful. In order to face better future calamities, this research aims to analyze the displacing effect of the community and space functionality, as a solution of regaining and re-linking what has been lost such as gathering spaces, conducting commercial and educational activities, while maintaining the cultural context of the site. In my thesis, I am looking to a small historical town called l’ Aquila, which on 6th April 2009 have been struck by an earthquake and led to 300 death, 1500,000 people injured, about 100,000 buildings were severely damaged and 67,000 people were left homeless by the disaster. During past natural calamities, the relief timeline starts from emergency shelter move to transitional housing, and finally to permanent housing. My methodology is to propose a new type of resilient civic space and housing which will combine all three stages, based on an earthquake resistant structure in bedded to public spaces, in order to create one useful solution for the location at risk. In addition, through a literature research and case studies, I am also intending to eliminate the unsustainable conditions and focus on creating a safe and functional space where they will be able to regain the integrity of their community while learning the educational strategies of preservation of material and construction. The goal of this research is to design alternative ways of constructions that can alleviate the physical and psychological effect of undergoing to a natural disaster.
Comments
I would like to thank my family for the support of achieving my goal and especially all my professor advisers for the educational and moral support of completing the thesis.