EMERGENCY SHELTER AND CONNECTIVITY FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

After a decade-long economic crisis and a series of major natural disasters, rural communities in Puerto Rico are grappling with significant gaps in vital services such as shelter, energy, water, and mobility. This particularly affects low-income elderly residents who rely on these services for an improved quality of life. A prime example of this situation is Corcovada, a rural community in the countryside of Puerto Rico which faces isolation and has a sizeable aging population. Its residents rely on themselves, their relatives, and other community members to provide transportation, as well as basic services like electricity for sustenance and medication maintenance. A site assessment was conducted, including solar irradiation, soil conditions, weather, and seismicity. This research presents an interdisciplinary design solution for modular emergency shelters for families in Corcovada, incorporating structural, solar energy, water use, and wind simulations. The emergency shelter module was designed with specific objectives and requirements: short-term accommodation for a family of four, expandability and collapsibility as needed, off-grid operation for water and energy during emergencies, and sustainability, resilience, affordability, and ease of assembly. Future endeavors involve the development of a mobility hub to reduce residents' reliance on private transportation.