Imagine you are sitting in your lounge room, glass of wine in hand, perhaps flicking through a magazine or surfing the television channels. Now imagine that a mere hour later your house now lies in rubble, your possessions destroyed save for the clothes on your back. When a natural disaster such as an earthquake or tsunami strikes, the simple feat of surviving the impact is a miracle. But for the survivors who remain in disaster zones like those following the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, or the tsunami in Samoa, starting from scratch and continuing to survive is a mammoth challenge. In response to such dire need, a German company is using making use of used shipping containers to help communities overcome such challenges. Green Container International Aid is responding to the crisis in Haiti and Chile with a long-term rebuilding plan that will design, develop and implement community centres, schools, and sustainable housing from the donation of shipping containers to be reconditioned and repurposed. Focusing on environmentally sustainable architecture, the company’s approach focuses on the user and the spirit of place to ensure that the people receive the best, most sustainable creation for each individual location.
