Project: Onagawa Container Temporary Housing

Location: Onagawa, Japan

Introduction:

Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku
Earthquake, severe natural disaster that occurred in northeastern Japan on March 11, 2011. The event
began with a powerful earthquake of magnitude 9.0. The epicenter was located some 80 miles (130
km) east of the city of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, and the focus occurred at a depth of 18.6 miles
(about 30 km) below the floor of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the strongest earthquake to strike
the region since the beginning of record keeping in the late 19th century, and it is considered one of
the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded.

The sudden horizontal and vertical thrusting of the Pacific Plate, which has been slowly
advancing under the Eurasian Plate near Japan, displaced the water above and spawned a series of
highly destructive tsunami waves. A wave measuring some 33 feet high inundated the coast and
flooded parts of the city of Sendai, including its airport and the surrounding countryside. According to
some reports, one wave penetrated some 6 miles (10 km) inland after causing the Natori River, which
separates Sendai from the city of Natori to the south, to overflow. Damaging tsunami waves struck
the coasts of Iwate prefecture, just north of Miyagi prefecture, and Fukushima, Ibaraki, and Chiba, the
prefectures extending along the Pacific coast south of Miyagi. In addition to Sendai, Other
communities hard-hit by the tsunami included Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate, Ishinomaki, Kesennuma
and Shiogama in Miyagi, and Kitaibaraki and Hitachinaka in Ibaraki.

The earthquake triggered tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific basin. The tsunami raced
outward from the epicenter at speeds that approached about 500 miles (800 km) per hour. It
generated waves 11 to 12 feet (3.3 to 3.6 meters) high along the coasts of Kauai and Hawaii in
the Hawaiian Island Chain and 5-foot (1.5-metre) waves along the island of Shemya in the Aleutan
Island Chain. Several hours later 9-foot (2.7-metre) tsunami waves struck the coasts
of California and Oregon in North America. Finally, some 18 hours after the quake, waves roughly 1-
foot (0.3 meter) high reached the coast of Antarctica and caused a portion of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf
to break off its outer edge.

Findings:

‘Onagawa temporary container housing’ along with a community center and atelier within the
town of Onagawa in the miyagi prefecture of japan. offering families privacy during the recovery, the
firm initially embarked upon installing 1800 units of their 2 meters by 2-meter emergency partition
system within 50 evacuation facilities. during the process, they learned about the state of the town of
Onagawa and their difficulties to provide temporary shelter due to the lack of flat land.

To resolve the geographical location’s terrain, a proposal for a three-storey structural

framework to allow the stacking of 20-foot shipping containers in a checkerboard fashion. this
alternating arrangement allows for airy and open living spaces with built-in shelves and closets for
storage, a missing element within the temporary houses issued by the government. since many areas
share similar landscape characteristics, these buildings may be constructed in many disaster situations
and continue to be used as a long-term residential solution due to their excellent seismic performance.
three variations are formed by the placement of units, forming a 19.8 square meter unit for 1 to 2
individuals, 29.7 m2 for 3 to 4 inhabitants and 39.6 square meter residences accommodating more
than 4 dwellers.

A community center and market are centrally located in the complex, offering a gathering
space for community members. the center’s walls are formed with white shipping containers and are
capped with a plywood gable roof. triangulated clerestory windows introduce natural daylight into
the interior. the area for the food market is formed with a ring of containers and a tensile roof protects
from changing weather.

Shigeru Ban’s aim was to adapt the houses to their climate, to use local labor and materials to
bring profit to the region, and to respond to the villagers’ own requirements through direct
consultation. For example, kitchens and bathrooms are included within each house, as requested by
the villagers, but a central covered area separates them from the living accommodation, as stipulated
by the government. The covered area also provides an entertainment space from which women can
retreat to maintain privacy.

Application to the Project:

https://architexturez.net/doc/az-cf-166701-9

https://www.britannica.com/event/Japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-of-2011/Relief-and-rebuilding-
efforts

https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/reviews/onagawa-container-temporary-
housing

https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/onagawa-container-temporary-housing
Bibliography
Shigeru Ban Architects. (2014, March 23). Onagawa Container Temporary Housing. Retrieved from
https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/onagawa-container-temporary-housing