Architecture for Refugees, Resilience Shelter Project: A Case Study Using Recycled Skis

Abstract

In emergency and post-disaster situations one of the hardest issues to deal with regards the means and materials suitable to build temporary and livable shelter. In this prospective, the following work analyze the potentiality (from technological, thermal and structural point of view) of a lightweight shelter skin composed by recycled skis, covered by a textile envelope coupled with thermal reflective multilayer insulation able to provide high-quality thermal comfort. This solution addresses different purposes: recycling high technology material, construction speed, lightness and low embodied energy. As skis are constituted by different layers of high-performances materials, that are also difficult to dismiss, their reuse reduce the CO2 emissions and the amount of wasted material. In collaboration with the University of Grenoble, some laboratory tests have been carried out in order to investigate the mechanical properties of skis and design durable and resistant structure. The morphology of proposed shelter comes from the archetype of the Mongolian Yurt, modelled and adapted to improve energetic performances: a detailed building model has been used to perform dynamic building energy simulation. The structure is composed by 130 pair of skis with different lengths and characterized by a circular basement (6 meters of diameter) divided in 24 concentric sectors that constitute the structural axis, where are located pillars and beams made by coupling different combinations of skis. Externally two orders of circular hoops help to absorb the loads coming from the covering, and between the pillars are placed two bracing elements. At the center of the circumference a steel pillar supports the flat-roof window. A real-scale prototype has been developed in order to verify the assumptions made during the design phases. The shelter is now built and used in a humanitarian mission in Guinea Bissau.