After february 27 2010, the coastal line of Chile had to be re designed in order to enhance the population' s resilience to these natural disasters. As well as a whole new urban design, the project also attempts to include a new housing design, envolving shipping containers and a mix of uses in them.

Prototype Tumbes shelter house
The house design was triggered by the need to provide shelter for tsunami situations all over
the world. This is meant not only to assit people immediatly after it happens, but as a permanent
response for the future. The most important feature was to enlarge the house’s resiliency.
Allowing it a better stregth to endure a future event.
Basically this is achieved by lifting it 3 meters from the ground, and leaving this ground
space for temporary activities such as: small family restaurants, boat manufacturing and
repair, parking and small businesses. All the mentioned activities are original to “caleta
tumbes” in Talcahuano, Chile, where this project was inspired in.
Moreover, the prototype’s orientation perpendicular to the coast line is very important in
order to produce as little resistance to the wave as possible.
The prototype presents 3 bedrooms, and a possible extension of 15 square meters, work
space, kitchen area, dining area, bathrooms etc.
On the outside the house is covered with concrete siding shaped as wood planks to copy
local features.
This Design is particularly helpful since it can be reproduced all over the world without the
need of specific materials. As long as there is a port near, shipping containers are
available. We all know the advantages of these steel boxes: by re-using them we are recycling
a material that is left behind after 10 -12 years of use at sea, faster delivery due to
streamilined design, not to mention cheaper and easier, and FASTER. Once the containers
are put in place, you hace 60% of the house ready.