Nendo designs emergency portable battery that can be charged by rotating
Japanese studio Nendo has designed a mobile battery that users can charge by rotating, to power-up their smartphone in case of emergencies. More
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Terra alarm alerts people before an earthquake hits
Students from Sweden's Umeå Institute of Design have created a minimal, low-cost earthquake alarm that is also a source of calm during non-destructive incidents. More
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Mud-spraying drones build prototype for emergency homes
Stephanie Chaltiel used drones to coat a shelter in clay, demonstrating a fast construction method that could be used in refugee camps and disaster zones. More
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Brad Pitt's Make It Right housing foundation in New Orleans faces lawsuit
The housing charity founded by actor Brad Pitt for a hurricane-devastated district of New Orleans is facing a lawsuit, after residents reported water leaks, black mould, foundation issues and ill health. More
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Shigeru Ban builds temporary shelters from paper for Japan flooding victims
Pritzker Prize-winner Shigeru Ban has joined the disaster relief effort in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, personally setting up his Paper Partition System for evacuees. More
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Collapsable skyscraper for disaster zones wins conceptual design competition
This foldable skyscraper concept was designed by Polish architects to offer relief in remote disaster zones, and has been named the winner of this year's eVolo Skyscraper Competition. More
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SWNA designs clock that doubles as an emergency kit
Seoul-based design studio SWNA has created a clock that incorporates an emergency kit filled with tools, which can be used in the event of a natural disaster. More
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World Building of the Year 2017 could help 100 million people, says Edward Ng
This award-winning prototype house developed for a Chinese village destroyed by earthquake could protect millions of people around the world, claims architecture professor Edward Ng in this movie Dezeen filmed at World Architecture Festival 2017. More
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Nendo designs transportable toilet for natural disaster victims
Nendo has designed a temporary toilet for those affected by natural disasters, which can be assembled using found materials and completely dismantled for easy transportation. More
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"Urban design caused the Hurricane Harvey disaster"
Houston's poor urban planning, not climate change, is to blame for the catastrophic flooding following Hurricane Harvey, says disaster expert Ilan Kelman in this Opinion column. More
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Land Rover unveils drone-equipped Discovery for search and rescue operations
Land Rover has developed a Discovery vehicle for the Red Cross, equipping it with a drone that would remotely scan landscapes after earthquakes or avalanches. More
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Edible Pouncer drone will deliver aid to victims of natural disasters and conflict
This drone, designed for hard-to-reach disaster areas, will soon be getting an upgrade that allows it to be consumed along with its cargo. More
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Architecture students build latticed-wood community centre in German refugee camp
Architecture students from Germany's University of Kaiserslautern have built this wooden community centre for a refugee camp in Mannheim, which is fronted by a latticed screen. More
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Swarms of cyborg insects could be used to map dangerous environments
These "biobots" developed by a research team at North Carolina State University could map out areas or collapsed buildings in the wake of a disaster. More
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Renzo Piano to lead recovery plan following Italian earthquake
Architect Renzo Piano has been called upon to lead reconstruction efforts in towns left devastated by the earthquake that struck central Italy last week, and to mitigate against future disasters. More
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"Designers cannot just stand by and watch as the refugee crisis unfolds"
Opinion: designers can't save the world, but even the smallest intervention could help improve the conditions faced by the unprecedented number of refugees flooding Europe, says Richard van der Laken. More
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Shigeru Ban joins disaster relief effort following Ecuador earthquake
Shigeru Ban has travelled to Ecuador to help with disaster relief, following a major earthquake that has caused the death of over 650 people. More
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Architects for Society designs low-cost hexagonal shelters for refugees
Minnesota-based Architects for Society has developed a prototype for a rapidly deployable dwelling that could house victims of catastrophic events (+ slideshow). More
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Klein Dytham builds latticed community hall for Toyo Ito's post-earthquake recovery programme
Five years after the devastating Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, Klein Dytham Architecture has unveiled a community hall for recovering city Sōma, designed to look like a huge straw hat (+ slideshow). More
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Suisse seeks funding for folding emergency shelter prototype
Scottish design agency Suisse is raising funds to develop its RD-Shelter prototype, which could be rapidly deployed to house people displaced by war or natural disasters. More
