GAMMA Relief through Urban Design

The Syria-Turkey earthquakes led to a grave humanitarian crisis (+60,000 deaths). Providing aid to impacted communities is a moral imperative which is also complicated by politics. While Turkey has ties with most of the world, Syria does not.

The disaster is most acute in Aleppo (around 36,000 destroyed structures) , one of the oldest cities in the world, but also the most damaged due to the civil war. The international community failed to address a refugee crisis in a place where governance has collapsed. Aid efforts were hampered by poor infrastructure and economic sanctions. The earthquakes were a second tragedy which made the need for help more urgent than ever.

From a pragmatic reading of the facts, we offer an alternative to the traditional way humanitarian agencies deal with crises. We are a team of architects, designers, engineers and scientists striving to build resilient communities, to think of emergency shelters as homes and of refugee camps as future cities.

The house is a two-storey modular structure made of sustainably sourced plywood with a surface area of about 86 m². The components are digitally fabricated using CNC machines to ensure millimetre precision in the manufacturing process, resulting in perfectly fitting pieces that create a straight and accurate building. This precision in manufacturing simplifies subsequent stages of building the house.

Designed to serve as a permanent residence, the system is built to withstand harsh external conditions. Inside, it is fully equipped with all essential amenities for a family's comfortable living. Furthermore, given the unstable energy situation in the region, the module generates its own electricity. In short, the flatpack is a fully-equipped modular home designed to accommodate an entire family immediately and permanently: Design -> Ship -> Assemble -> Move in!

Our solution primarily targets the populations living in severely damaged cities or neighbourhoods (due to war, natural disasters, earthquakes...).

Although current emergency solutions provide immediate relief, they are ultimately not viable to solve Aleppo’s humanitarian crisis. In fact, they are harmful in the long-term, as they lead to protracted refugee situations — refugees residing in camps much longer than intended.

Our solution enables imminent housing while reducing the dependency to degraded shelters, eliminating the risk of permanent slums, preserving the dignity Aleppo's citizens and restoring their civic pride by offering a sustainable long-term alternative to tents.

The team has a wide range of backgrounds and technical expertise, which allows us to approach this complex issue from multiple perspectives. We believe that diversity is a strength, and we have intentionally brought together individuals with different skills and experiences to collaborate on this project.

Furthermore, our team leader (Mayar Ariss) has Lebanese + Syrian origins and is fluent in Arabic, which gives us a significant advantage when dealing with the target population. Being originally from the region, our team leader has a deep understanding of the culture, customs, and social dynamics, which allows us to engage with the communities we are serving in a more meaningful and effective way. Additionally, our team leader has established strong connections with local organisations and NGOs working on the ground to mitigate the impact of earthquakes in the region.

As the assembly of the delivered flatpacks must be done by the local population, we are also involving it by soliciting its feedback and ideas, and considering these into the design and implementation of our solution. We believe that this community-led approach will not only result in a more effective solution but will also foster a sense of ownership and investment in the project from those we are serving.

Our solution is a Prototype rather than a Concept. The plans for the modular house are ready and can be found on the website (gammarelief.org). The CNC machines are available and similar modular flatpack homes were already built by one of our team members, but never for non-profit/charitable purposes.

Initially, one home could potentially serve up to 7 people. In the longer term, a larger scale urban development could serve a bigger portion of the city's impacted population. A micro city of 40 homes with varying designs could serve around 300 people.

We are applying to Solve as we believe that this process is a great opportunity to discover other ways that teams address the same challenge. It is also an occasion for us to connect with other people and share perspectives, but also to discuss better/alternative ways to implement our solution. 

In short, Solve is a way for us to gain further expertise and know whether or not we are on the right track.

We design timber units (flatpacks), which are assembled into shelters in a matter of days and constitute a foundation for expansion and customisation in the mid-long term. Therefore, we provide immediate shelter for the period of upheaval whilst serving as the basis for a life-long home.

In the next year, the goal is to provide multiple units to the damaged areas and assemble them in-place. The aim is to show that this model is viable, and to introduce this new building model to the local population, governing bodies and local NGOs. 

In the next five years, the goal is to replace all emergency tents by modular flatpacks, and design a small sustainable city over the rubble. Later, the objective is to move the engine of reconstruction to the local destroyed zone itself, in a community-driven effort to localise the production of flatpacks, thus fostering local economic growth and community inclusion. 

As previously said, we want to change the way humanitarian agencies deal with crises. By displaying our model, organisations will see that a more sustainable alternative to traditional tents exists, which enables imminent housing while reducing the dependency to degraded shelters, eliminating the risk of permanent slums, preserving the dignity of impacted people and restoring their civic pride by offering a sustainable long-term alternative to tents. At the local level, populations will see that there is a viable alternative to carbon intensive concrete structures. Timber flatpacks are permanent structures which are printed and assembled very quickly, almost like an IKEA piece of furniture, unlike concrete structure which take a much longer time to build and are a large source of pollution. Rebuilding back better with sustainable timber structures is, moreover, a great way to mitigate future disasters for several structural reasons:

1. High strength-to-weight ratio: Wood has a high strength-to-weight ratio, which means it can support significant loads without adding excessive weight to the structure. This makes it ideal for structures that are subject to dynamic loads, such as earthquakes.

2. Elasticity: Wood has a high degree of elasticity, which allows it to bend and flex under dynamic loads, without breaking or deforming. This helps to dissipate the energy from seismic activity and reduce the impact on the structure.

3. Damping capacity: Wood has a natural damping capacity, which means it can absorb and dissipate energy from dynamic loads, such as seismic activity. This helps to reduce the impact on the structure and prevent damage.

4. High compressive strength: Wood has a high compressive strength, which means it can resist compressive loads, such as those generated during seismic activity. This makes it ideal for use in structures that are subject to dynamic loads.

5. Joint strength: Timber structures typically use mechanical joints that provide strong connections between the structural elements. These joints can be designed to allow for movement and flexibility during dynamic loads, which helps to reduce the impact on the structure.

   
   

The house is a two-storey modular structure made of sustainably sourced plywood with a surface area of about 86 m². The components' design is made with CAD and Rhinoceros. The components are digitally fabricated using CNC machines to ensure millimetre precision in the manufacturing process, resulting in perfectly fitting pieces that create a straight and accurate building. This precision in manufacturing simplifies subsequent stages of building the house.

Designed to serve as a permanent residence, the system is built to withstand harsh external conditions. Inside, it is fully equipped with all essential amenities for a family's comfortable living. Furthermore, given the unstable energy situation in the region, the module generates its own electricity. In short, the flatpack is a fully-equipped modular home designed to accommodate an entire family immediately and permanently.

We have a long page on DIB which can be found on gammarelief.org/GAMMA/DIB.html: 

Our organization takes pride in our diverse membership, which we believe is a significant advantage in achieving our mission and making a positive impact in the communities we serve. We believe that promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB) is crucial to our success, and our approach to DIB is unique amongst charities. Our membership is diverse in technical backgrounds, with individuals possessing skills in architecture, engineering, urban planning, design, and more. This diversity allows us to approach problems from multiple perspectives and find innovative solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of each community we serve. We also value diversity in all its forms, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and age. This commitment to diversity has enabled us to build a team that reflects the communities we serve, which helps us to better understand and address the unique challenges facing each community. At GAMMA, we strive to promote DIB in all aspects of our work. We believe that inclusion is a cornerstone of our organizational culture, and we work hard to create an environment where all individuals feel welcome, valued, and respected. We provide equal opportunities to join for all individuals, and we actively seek out candidates from diverse backgrounds. In addition to our internal efforts, we are committed to promoting DIB in the communities we serve. We strive to create programming that is inclusive and accessible to all individuals, taking into consideration the unique needs of each community. We also work closely with community leaders and stakeholders to ensure that our programs are effective and meet the needs of the community. In conclusion, GAMMA is a unique and diverse organization that is committed to promoting DIB in all aspects of our work. Our diverse technical backgrounds and commitment to inclusion enable us to approach problems from multiple perspectives and find innovative solutions that meet the unique needs of each community we serve. We will continue to prioritize DIB in all aspects of our work and strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for all individuals.

At this stage, the goal of our solution is purely non-profit.