An Assessment on Temporary Post-Disaster Shelters

Considering the destructive effects of disasters on cities and societies, the stages of disaster prevention and mitigation are gaining prominence. Temporary shelters are a basic requirement of disaster and emergency planning. This study aims to investigate the strengths and aspects that need improvement of the shelters used in the post-disaster phase. The research consists of two stages. In the first stage, to conduct an analysis based on construction systems, 20 emergency shelter unit examples were selected from the literature review. The designs were categorised according to construction, membrane-based, compact, modular, and traditional construction systems. In the second stage, effective design criteria were established in consideration of the literature review. Shiftpod, one of the membrane systems, was the most successful design in meeting the criteria, while Icosa Village Pods, one of the modular systems, came second in the evaluation. As a result of the review, the potential of modular systems was emphasized. The shelters in the project and prototype stages were found to be inadequate in terms of comfort and cost.