LOS ANGELES EMERGENCY SHELTER

The project started with looking at the various physical and social disasters that surround the area of Santa Monica such as wildfires, earthquakes, tidal waves, homelessness etc. The initial idea was to create an emergency evacuation center to facilitate the movement of people away from/ towards the sea depending on the type of disaster situation, but the focus shifted during the semester to looking more critically at what happens during an emergency situation. There is a sudden and immediate lack of shelter, clean drinking water and food. In such instances people tend to find shelter in large halls and gymnasiums which are not equipped to deal with emergencies. There is a lack of privacy which can lead to unsafe conditions in the wake of a disaster.
The project creates emergency shelters in the form of hexagonal galleries with funneled roofs that collect water for emergency use. These smaller units can be used in different combinations to house diverse groups of people during a disaster. In normal conditions the spaces contain art galleries with projected art during daytime and a Young – Adults shelter during night time. The walls also double as service spaces for the connection of electrical, plumbing and HVAC services.