Origami Housing: An Innovative and Resilient Postdisaster Temporary Emergency Housing Solution

Abstract

Over the last two decades, natural disasters have led to economic losses exceeding $2.97 trillion, causing 1.23 million deaths and affecting over 4 billion people through injuries, housing loss, displacement, and requiring emergency aid. Data have shown that physical, social, and economic inequities significantly contribute to the vulnerability of communities, especially after disasters. Therefore, low-income communities not only endure more severe and long-lasting infrastructure damage but also face over four times as many deaths per disaster. Natural disasters cause prolonged and widespread homelessness, leading to an inevitable temporary housing crisis, further exacerbated by delayed disaster recovery. This study proposes an innovative short-term Origami temporary emergency housing (TEH) solution, providing an equitable and affordable option to swiftly shelter potential victims postdisasters by considering material, construction, and transportation costs. This research aimed to address postdisaster homelessness challenges by: (1) understanding the timeframe for disaster recovery and TEH implementation following a natural disaster; (2) identifying the main challenges, vulnerabilities, and crucial needs faced by low-income communities postdisaster; (3) recognizing the key characteristics for TEH to be an adequate solution postdisaster; and (4) proposing Origami shelter as a solution for the housing crisis that arises postdisaster and validating its feasibility and applicability through surveying engineering, architecture, and construction (EAC) experts from Peru and Puerto Rico, given the frequent exposure and high vulnerability of these regions to natural disasters. The results underscore the need to implement TEH that can be quickly assembled, enabling victims to reside safely and resume normal activities while infrastructure systems and homes are being repaired or rebuilt.