On February 6th a series of devastating earthquakes took the lives of more than 45,000 people and injured over 120,000 in Turkey and Syria. Beyond the tragic loss of life, many towns and cities have been destroyed. This has left more than 345,000 families without a place to call home and the social fabric of communities in ruins.

This has been one of the largest earthquakes in the regions history. In order not to allow this history to repeat, we must design and build safe, resilient structures that are designed to prevent any future loss of life. Our team has responded to man-made and natural disasters since 1999, including Japan, Haiti and the United States. Regionally, from 2013-2017 we partnered with Building Peace Foundation and Relief International to build innovative re-deployable schools for 5000 displaced children on the Syrian border.

Below is the ‘rule of four’ that was developed during previous response in addition to a roadmap for resilient reconstruction. Currently we are providing pro bono support to a number of smaller US and Turkish based foundations.

In the news

A Ten Point Roadmap for Resilient Reconstruction

1. Support an architectural coalition for long term reconstruction
Turkey and Syria needs more than a handful of well meaning architects, they need a highly coordinated coalition of building professionals that can dedicate their time and expertise to a myriad of projects. Associations, institutions and academia need to work together to ensure that there is equitable and highly distributed support for all affected communities. Groups like UIA, AIA, RIBA and TMMOB could support the development of such a coaltion.

2. Create Community-Based Anchors
In affected regions, organizations should partner with building professionals to set up rebuilding resource centers that will supply architecture and engineering services to community groups, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs on the ground.

3. Provide Building Expertise
Provide teams of architectural and construction professionals to develop and build community facilities, including schools and medical centers. These teams should be local and regional, with some international support. The full-time staff must also have a unique knowledge of disaster mitigation and long-term sustainable development.

4. Build a Construction Workforce
Train and educate incoming volunteers and community members in building safely, emphasizing the need for sustainable materials and construction techniques. It is not about just building homes, but jobs.

5. Distribute Lessons Learned
Translate and distribute the Rebuilding 101 Manual that was developed after earthquakes in Haiti and Japan. If we only share “best practices” we never really adapt and learn. A handbook of “what not to do” is far more valuable.

6. Earthquake-Resistant Housing Manual
Adapt, translate, and distribute an earthquake-resistant housing manual for local NGOs and community groups

7. Build Schools
We are working with partners to design, develop, and implement community and civic structures. Beyond the basic human right to give children access to eduction, if they don’t have a place to go, parents can’t work, and there is no economic stability. Schools are the focal point in community recovery.

8. Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Housing
It is our job to build homes that are not only safe but incorporate the needs, desires, and dreams of the families that will live in them. Additionally, we are not just building a roof over someone’s head—we are building equity. Through the reconstruction process we can support better building codes by building tangible examples of what the future will look like.

There is no single solution to responding to crisis or prescribed answer to a community need. By designing and building highly adaptable solutions that are relevant to the context and involve the community as a partner, we can build a bright green future

9. Support Social Entrepreneurs and Job Creation
As in many of our previous post-disaster programs, we worked with women’s empowerment groups and artisans to help rebuild their facilities, speeding up job creation and the ability to distribute micro-loans.

10. Share Everything
If your focus is social change, not financial gain, it is only truly innovative if it is shared. All of the works we produce are shared openly. By connecting with other NGOs and open sourcing construction documents, we can influence many building programs in the region. We can leave a legacy of innovative, locally appropriate solutions to protect from future disasters.