RECONSTRUCTION AFTER DISASTER: The Importance of Place Making A Dissertation Presented To The Faculty O f Architecture University O f Moratuwa Sri Lanka. For M.Sc.( Architecture) Examination 7 q * A K U M A R E S H S H A Y A N K U M A R A D A S June 1998. 69320 -ii.,-.. ABSTRACT The event of disaster makes people lose their 'Homes' and 'Places', and not mere buildings. Homes at a micro level and Places at a macro level are the reflection of people's cultural believes, social and economic practices and aspirations, as well as their relation to the community and the environment. Reconstruction after disaster is found often, geared towards the mere replacement of lost houses and buildings as 'Objects'. Post disaster situations not only make people lose their physical properties but also seizes their links to their immediate surrounding, lose the kind of 'Places' they had cherished as the part of their life and make them lose their individual and communal identity. Since these problems are not catered to, in these 'Objects' which are given to them as a product of reconstruction, people find it difficult to live in them or quite often reject them. Therefore it is vital to understand that the whole idea of reconstruction of the built environment is to help people to recover from the trauma and tragedy, by giving priority to 'place them back' as close as possible where they belong to and replace the networks of those lost 'Places' that were cherished and celebrated. In other words the built environment that is produced through the process of reconstruction, has to 'heal' the pain caused by the event off disaster. This rises the issue of 'Place Making', which would help in recreating the built environment familiar to the affected community, placing back its identity, to ensure continuity. This is the issue, everyone involved in the process of reconstruction should necessarily put forward and deal with. Therefore this study 'Reconstruction after Disaster', tries to establish the importance of a 'Place Making' design approach in the process of reconstruction. It involves learning lessons from the past unsuccessful experiences, highlighting the major problems. The process of reconstruction in terms of basic principles and also the design process are examined and analysed as an effort to highlight the importance of 'Making Places' as products of reconstruction and not as mere 'Objects'. It also tries to highlight the vital stages in the design process in reconstruction, which could take the issue of Place Making into account, helpful for any designer involved in the process of reconstruction. The study finally examines three post disaster reconstruction situations to highlight the issues raised in the study, the Cteataon of 'Greets1'£S products of reconstruction and its failure, the need and the eager of the affected community to build back their own places cherished by them earlier, and the need to consider reconstruction as an opportunity to move forward along with the sense of 'Making Places', respectfully. I Acknowledgement 1 his dissertation would never have been possible without the valuable support given to me by all the members of the staff and many others, to whom I am indebted and sincerely acknowledge. Archt. Vidura Sri Nammuni, Senior Lecturer and Individual tutor, for putting me in the correct path through his untiring continuous assistance and inspiring discussions. For the corrective measures suggested after the perusal of the first draft proved to be invaluable, and above all for his faith in this effort, for which I am extremely grateful. Dr. Ranjith Dayaratne, Senior lecturer, for suggesting this subject area which has not been dealt with and who's inspiration and reassurance, which inspired me to walk into an unknown path with confidence. To whom I am deeply grateful. Archt. Kapila De Silva, Lecturer, for his constant encouragement combined with detailed, constructive guidance. His Worship. Takashi Hiraoka, the Mayor of Hiroshima, for complying with my request in sending the necessary documents on the reconstruction of the City promptly. Kamini, my friend in need, for her offering hands and free opinions in my study, and for the encouragement given to me at all critical moments. Surangi and Azeeza for helping mc in collecting photographs and pictures appropriate for the study. Rohithan and Pathitharan, my junior colleagues, for their untiring help, which made the computer scanned presentation possible. To whom I need to say a big thank you. Finally to my dear parents, loving sisters, Mima and aunt Sharadha, for their relentless support and for sustaining me prayerfully. List Of Contents. LIST OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT • L LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS V. I n t r o d u c t i o n 0 1 . 1 . 0 C h a p t e r O n e : D ISASTER, M A N A N D H I S E N V I R O N M E N T 0 6 . 1 . 1 Disasters - An introduction 0 6 . 1 . 2 Physical, Social and Psychological impact 0 7 . 1 . 3 Disaster and the Built Environment 1 0 . 1 . 4 Disaster and Reconstruction 1 3 . 2 . 0 C h a p t e r T w o : 'RECONSTRUCTION AS D E S I G N ' : THE: RATIONALE A N D PROCESS 1 7 2 . 1 Reconstruction - An introduction 1 7 . 2 . 2 Reconstruction - Problems of the past 1 8 . 2 . 3 Reconstruction process-Basic ingredients and the process 2 3 . 2 . 4 Vital issues of'Reconstruction as Design' 2 7 . 2 . 5 The Design Process in Reconstruction 2 9 . 3 . 0 C h a p t e r T h r e e : P L A C E M A K I N G : I T S ATTRIBUTES A N D THEIR IMPACT ON THE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS 3 3 . 3 . 1 'Place' as a phenomenon of the lived in world 3 . 1 . 1 Space and Place 3 3 . 3 . 1 . 2 Attributes of a place 3 4 . 3 . 1 . 3 Place and identity of people with Places 3 7 . 3 . 1 . 4 Principles of place making 3 9 . 3 . 2 Place Making and Reconstruction - The critical connection 4 2 . 3 . 3 Place Making and Reconstruction-The need, opportunities and potentials 4 5 . HI 4 .0 C h a p t e r F o u r : EXAMINATION OF P L A C E M A K I N G IN RECONSTRUCTION: C A S E STUDIES 4.1 P O S T W A R H O U S I N G A T P E S S A C , F R A N C E 47 4.1.1 Introduction 47. 4.1.2 The Product Given 47. 4.1.3 'Place Making' - The Changes Made 50. 4.1.4 Concluding Remarks 52. 4.2 T H E K A L A W E W A RESETTLEMENT 53. 4.2.1 Introduction 53. 4.2.2 The Product Given 53. 4.2.3 'Place Making' - The Changes Made 53. 4.2.4 Concluding Remarks 56. 4.3 RECONSTRUCTED C I T Y O F H IROSHIMA 57. 4.3.1 Introduction 57. 4.3.2 The Pre War Town 57. 4.3.3 Disaster And The Built Environment 58. 4.3.4 "Peace Memorial City" - Post War Reconstruction 58. 4.3.5 Concluding Remarks 61. C o n c l u d i n g R e m a r k s 63. BIBLIOGRAPHY 68. IV List Of Illustrations. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure N o . Page N o . Chapter One 1.1 Flood disaster in Cuba. 07. 1.2 High winds batter homes on a Caribbean island. 07. 1.3 A virtually destroyed island community after the 1993 earthquake of Southwest coast of Hokkaido, Japan. 07. 1.4 Chechnia: families mourn their dead after their houses were bombed by planes. 08. 1.5 Migration: Kurdihs refugees in Northern Iraq. 08. 1.6 MOH building jammed with displaced people in Monrovia. 08. 1.7 The level of destruction to the built environment in Gronzy, Chechnia. 10. 1.8 Kabul: The once prestigious Jade Mainwan avenue, now in ruins. 10. 1.9 Post war Burlin in 1945. 10. 1.10 Warsaw: End of World War.- A deliberate Nazi policy. 11. 1.11 The Centre of Mexico City buried the monumental heart of Aztec Tenochtitlan. 11. 1.12 Christian Cathedral after city's conquest in 1236. 11. 1.13 The conversion of St. Sophia into a great mosque after the invasion of Muslims. 11. 1.14 The conversion of St.Sophia into a great mosque. 12. 1.15 The Quwwat Ul-Islam mosque built of re-used materials from twenty- seven demolished Hindu and Jain temples*. 12. 1.16 A refugee camp in Mauritania. 13. 1.17 Austrian temporary shelters after disaster. 14. 1.18 Polyurethane Dome shelters. 14. 1.19 Dismal living conditions in a temporary reconstruction turned permanent. 14. V Chapter Two 2.01 Post war European cities - Free standing identical blocks creating a 'Placeless landscape'. 18. 2.02 Markisches Quarters, West Berlin. - A post war housing estate. 18. 2.03 Reconstruction in Hamburg, Germany ( 1945-46 ) 18. 2.04 Alton East Estate, England ( 1952 ) 19. 2.05 Hutchestown development Housing 19. 2.06 Minoni Yamasaki, Pruitt - lgue post disaster housing, St Louis, ( 1952 ) 20. 2.07 Unoccupied relocated village of Kirankoy, Turkey. 21. 2.08 Barn extension to a post disaster house, Turkey. 21. 2.09 Extension to the post disaster house, provided by the state, Turkey. 21. 2.10 Resettlement plan of Yesilova, laid out on a grid pattern. 22. Chapter Three 3.01 Kathmandu - 'Character as a result of manifestation of the built fabric. 34. 3.02 Venice - A place of a unique 'Character' due to its traditions, historical and natural conditions. 34. 3.03 A remote Indian village. - 'Character' expresses ethnic and social values of the place. 34. 3.04 Kandy - An 'imageable place'. 35. 3.05 Old Delhi - Image to understand and respond to events and persons. 35. 3.06 'Spirit of Place' uplifts ones inner mind and soul. 35. 3.07 Colombo - Identifiable through physical features and appearance. 37. 3.08 Galleface green - Identifiable through observable activities within the physical context. 37. 3.09 Taj Mahal - Symbolically identified as India. 37. 3.10 Rajasthan - 'Image' as a prerequisite for the understanding of its identity. 38. 3.11 A 'Centre' demarcated by a physical feature. 39. 3.12 A'Centre'enclosed by physical features. 39. VI 3.13 The Hindu temple as the 'Centre' of the Hindu town 39. 3.14 A Tswana women's home 40. 3.15 A place enclosed by continues boundary. 40. 3.16 A place enclosed by a moat. 40. 3.17 'Enclosure' emphasises the gathering function. 40. 3.18 A ' sense of no-place', created by repetition of new structures. 41. 3.19 A small Scottish town - 'Sense of place', created by a combination of both new and old structures, with the continuity of a certain character. 41. 3.20 Munster, Germany - Pre world war. 43. 3.21 Munster, Germany - Post reconstruction. 43. Chapter Four. Post War Housing At Pessac. 4.01 'Quartiers Modernes Fruges ' - Products of standardisation. 47. 4.02 Houses as homogenatic identical objects. 47. 4.03 Wide, open, plain windows. 48. 4.04 Open stair case of the housing 48. 4.05 Houses with open terraces. 48. 4.06 Layout of the housing scheme 49. 4.07 Monotonous facades. 49. 4.08 Homogenatic identical facades - The given product. 50. 4.09 Individualisation - After the changes made by the inhabitants. 50. 4.10 Houses with long strip windows. 50. 4.11 Reduction in the size of the windows - To reduce the degree of exposure. 50. 4.12 Houses of the region with rich ornamentation and pitched roof. 51. 4.13 Houses reconstructed as 'pure' forms. 51. 4.14 Houses before changes made. 51. 4.15 Houses after the roof terraces were spanned with pitched roof. 51. 4.16 Decorative features introduced to facades to individualise each unit. 51. 4.17 Decorative features introduced to facades to individualise each unit. 51. vi! L < The Kalawewa Resettlement Scheme 4.18 Approach to the Kalawewa re-settlement scheme. 53 4.19 Dwelling units facing a quieter frontage. 53 4.20 The self built house and the extended commercial centre. 53 4.21 A dwelling unit. 54 4.22 Entrance of a dwelling unit - Very similar to their former dwellings in scale, proportions and design. 54 4.23 A dwelling and a demarcated boundary, defining a space for social interaction. 54 4.24 A cluster of dwelling units defining a central open space. 54 4.25 A'Centre ' for children. 55 4.26 Decoration on walls - For individual identity. 55 4.27 A semi-public area of the scheme. 55 4.28 The happy re-settled community of the scheme. 56 The Reconstructed City Of Hiroshima 4.29 Hiroshima - The geographical location. 57 4.30 The Hypo Centre area destroyed by the atomic bomb. 57 4.31 Hiroshima Castle surrounded by the Military installation in 1927. 58 4.32 Hiroshima Castle area after the bomb blast. 58 4.33 Reconstruction work in progress. 58 4.34 Post war 'Peace Memorial Reconstruction Plan' 59 4.35 Pre war Hiroshima. 59 4.36 Post war Hiroshima. 59 4.37 The Atomic bomb dome. 60 4.38 The Hypo Centre 'Peace Memorial City Development and the Peace Boulevard. 60 4.39 The river bank development as a recreational area. 60 4.40 Peace Memorial Ceremony. 61 VIII