The Veneer House Experience: The Role of Architects in Recovering Community After Disaster

Abstract

This chapter examines the development of a new construction method using plywood to build homes quickly and inexpensively in the wake of disaster; the method does not rely on skilled labor or sophisticated construction equipment. The construction method’s primary innovations lie in the plywood fabrication and structural performance; however, in the two cases where it has been used so far, community organization is also seen as essential for successful implementation. The experience in Tohoku, Japan, the area damaged by a series of earthquakes and massive tsunami in March, 2011, underlined the importance of bringing both technical and social skills to disaster reconstruction. Architects must respond not only to technical but also to social and environmental issues in reconstruction projects such as these.