Capacity Building through Design Innovation with Vegetable Fibres for Temporary Shelters

One of the top priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 is to use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels. This paper focuses on how we could motivate the affected population to develop new capacities for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. It is based on ongoing research on temporary shelters in the cities affected by floods in Ribeira Valley, Brazil; the research is conducted under an agreement between Architecture for Humanity and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo, FAUUSP. It proposes a participatory experience including residents of former quilombos - Brazilian maroon communities - and the population affected by the disasters, as well as researchers, local authorities and non-governmental organizations. It presents the results of the third NOAH workshop: Participatory Activities for the Experimentation with Vegetable Fibres, in which the group developed constructive components made from vegetable fibres. This paper aims to produce partitions for improvised shelters using local techniques, combined with waterproofing additives. The benefits go beyond the disaster relief phase since empowering those affected by the floods to engage in a new trade improves their financial condition, aiding in their post-disaster recovery. This initiative promotes participant awareness and engagement, encouraging a culture of resilience to disasters.