Disaster strikes. How can architects help quickly, efficiently, sustainably and sensitively?

LAVA‘s solution is an origami cave. It features in a new exhibition opening in Sydney tonight.

Gimme Shelter, image courtesy LAVA

LAVA‘s Digital Origami Emergency Shelter is a concept for an inhabited molecule. The design is based on a water-molecule, referencing the Japanese Metabolist movement`s idea of prefabricated capsules as living space.

The base molecule can be shipped as a flat pack, cut out of local plywood, or dropped off by a helicopter. The interior can then be carved out of wood, cardboard, newspapers or other locally available materials.

Gimme Shelter, image courtesy LAVA

The project plays with ideas of prefabrication and personalised inhabitation, as well as stacking of multiple units, while giving an opportunity for individual expression.

Chris Bosse

Each unit contains sleeping space for two adults and one child as well as a little space for eating and reading. Battery or solar operated LED light brings the shelter to life, turning it into a lantern, a sign of hope.

Gimme Shelter, image courtesy LAVA

The Emergency Shelter exhibition features shelters by local and international architects and will be on display on the Customs House forecourt Sydney, Australia from 1-3 September 2011.

The exhibition highlights the need for emergency shelters in disaster zones and the role of the design and construction industry in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Gimme Shelter, image courtesy LAVA

Other Australian and international architects who have designed shelters for the exhibition include Ateliers Jean Nouvel, PTW Architects, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Cox, Koichi Takada Architects, Sou Fujimoto and Terunobu Fujimori.

The Emergency Shelter Exhibition hopes to raise awareness and aid for the thousands of people who have been displaced by Japan's natural disasters.

Gimme Shelter, image courtesy LAVA

For the exhibition LAVA created a scale model, made from CNC cut plywood sheets. In a real situation the flat pack would be folded into an origami molecule and filled with locally available material. LAVA worked with builder Keystone Project Group and Staging Rentals.

+ Design: LAVA

Participation of Wahag studio in the international ideas competition to establish a design for the busan opera house to start to construct in 2014 (expected). The opera house will include a variety of facilities that will foster a wide range of artistic activities all the while being accessible to the city's citizens. The grand scale of this project will be suitable for busan’s status as an international city.

Busan opera House, render courtesy Wahag Studio

Concept

The form consists of three major forms (the opera house, multipurpose hall, cafe & library zone), the three forms have the same profile line (cross section), but in different heights according to the activity of each area.

these profiles are connected together creating the form in the shape of mountain and with the form of three dancing birds around a circle, combining dancing, singing, and performing in one building.

Busan opera House, render courtesy Wahag Studio

The three dancing birds making a ring space which is used as the outdoor plaza, and three main areas, as idea that people, culture and nature meet in one place that combine dancing, singing and performing.

Most of the walking areas are ramps to connect different levels considering an easy flow of people getting in and out, besides that considering handicaps in all circulation of the project.

Busan opera House, diagram courtesy Wahag Studio

Form evolution

the target is to merge the exterior with the interior, to make the visitor travel from the work world to the entertainment & culture world, form is combination of (3) buildings in one body surrounding the main plaza that mixes the spirit (the main hall) + the entertainment (multipurpose) + recreation (library & restaurant) in one place adding the city skyline view to the privacy to the place.

Busan opera House, diagram courtesy Wahag Studio

The project is a symbolic building on the sea front of busan, the idea is to make a building that attracts the eye and feel interested to visit it, as the white color in the morning is so recognized beside the surround skyscrapers , and the lights by night gives it a unique appearance on the sea front.

The main entrance comes from the pedestrian bridge direct to the center of the project inside the plaza, so it is easy to know direction and places in the building because of the shape size and facade.

Busan opera House - Floor plan, drawing courtesy Wahag Studio

Busan opera House - Elevation, drawing courtesy Wahag Studio

Structure & colors

structure is space truss depending on the curvature of the form the weight of building is distributed to the ground. The skin of the form changes its color and because of the curvature it gives gradient with different hues.

Many Thanks to AORTA for his permission to use his awesome work “Opera Birds”

+ Project credits / data

Location: Busan, South Korea
Type of Competition: Open International Competition
Site Area: 35,000 m2
Team work: Wahag Studio Team | http://www.wahagstudio.com/
Architect: M.Mansour Gebaly, Wael Hussein Mahmoud

+ All images and drawings courtesy Wahag Studio