From the Series
Recent Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Shigeru Ban constructs temporary paper log houses for victims of a natural disaster in the Philippines.
Drawing on his renowned characteristic of using cardboard or paper as a medium for constructing buildings, Japanese architect Ban collaborated once again with students, this time from the University of San Carlos in Cebu, to provide relief to victims effected by the typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in November 2013.
The ‘paper log houses’ are grounded by a foundation made from an arrangement of plastic beer and soda crates anchored by sand bags. The floor of the structure is lined with floor panels made from local resources including coconut leaves and plywood. The walls of the structure feature bamboo sheets that have been wrapped around cardboard columns, which keep the structure upright and sturdy. Finally, Nypa palms are laid over plastic sheets to create a rainproof thatch roof.
