Instant Houses

A month ago, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture. Unfortunately, many people are still sleeping in cars and staying in evacuation centers. 

“Instant Houses” are an idea led by Keisuke Kitagawa, School of Social Engineering professor at the Nagoya Institute of Technology. By early next month, he plans to have 120 of the houses installed for disaster victims so they can begin to rebuild their lives. 

The structures take an hour or two to complete. Urethane foam, which is a heat-insulating material, is sprayed onto the inside of an inflated fire-resistant sheet, which hardens into shape. The houses are secured to the ground and can withstand winds up to 130 meters per second. They are about 4.3 meters high, and have floor space of approximately 20 square meters.

The houses are available free of charge to disaster victims, due to donated funds collected. Air conditioners are also being installed at no cost. They are built near people’s homes, so residents can maintain connections to their communities.

Japan is prone to earthquakes and other disasters. This can help people survive and rebuild for many years to come.