the shelter project provides victims of lombok earthquakes with 700 dollar houses

in july of 2018, a series of devastating earthquakes struck the island of lombok, indonesia, killing hundreds and leaving thousands without homes. through identification of available resources, the shelter project was founded as a response to the desperate need for housing. built under the guidance of bali-based architect jasmine mariani, the shelters use natural materials, include a water catchment system, electrical fittings, and can be built in 4 days.

due to trauma and fear, many families chose to stay together in the smaller sized house as they felt safer

the project encourages affected communities to build, maintain and personalize their shelter, ensuring they are involved in the entire process. the goal is to empower village leaders by providing the expertise and means to build functional, comfortable and safe temporary shelters whilst awaiting a government action plan to rebuild long term facilities for the communities of lombok.

materials are locally sourced and funds are recirculated back into the island’s economy

the design developed is available to everyone and can be replicated in other affected and/or low-income areas, with the adaptation of local resources. the team has developed three prototypes before settling on the final design, which can be completed for a total of 700usd. the first few houses used bamboo trunks for the wall panels, but this material had become scarce and of low quality because of the sudden rise of demand for it. so, the team has re-adapted the designs, working with locals and identified a thick woven sheeting as the best solution to build panels with.

the houses are constructed in 4/5 days in teams of 3/4 people

the suppliers remain local, the materials natural, and the carbon footprint at a minimum. the construction is simple and can be taught between communities, requiring no electrical tools or heavy machinery. houses are fitted with a water catchment system which leads to a filtration tank that the team provides. electrical wiring is also connected to existing power lines so that the houses are equipped with sockets and emergency lamps.

village heads acting as project managers and workers are compensated with a fee for helping other village members to build their houses

a couple and their new home

houses are built by the locals displaced by natural disasters — it is a community effort

the construction uses traditional, manual building techniques making it easy to learn

recycled plastic bottles are used to provide protection to wooden legs from deterioration

the shelter project was developed to be accessible to everyone — documents and information can be found online

the team worked with locals to find the perfect size for the shelters, settling on 4m x 4m

each house is built on a plot of land owned/rented by the individual 

one shelter costs 700USD and includes all electrical fittings and a water catchment system

project info:

name: the shelter project

project manager: madison setiawan
architect/designer: jasmine mariani
lombok contractor: agus susanto
general affairs: adam mccasey
medical liaison: jennifer mary williams
NGO affiliate: MUM (manusia untuk masyarakat)

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designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom