According to recent studies, the number of natural and geophysical disasters taking place each year is noticeably skyrocketing. In 1970, the average of natural disasters that were reported was 78; in 2014, this number jumped to 324.
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The National Academy of Architecture putting together a portfolio of disaster-proof housing options that people choose from, depending on where they live. They are looking for teams of young Architects and Engineers to design and build
“The Ultimate Disaster-Proof House”
Choose one location in the world, prone to a specific type of natural disaster (tsunami, earthquake, hurricane, flooding, tornado, extreme heat/drought), and design a dwelling that could withstand your natural disaster, using only local materials and technology. What works in the United States may not be a sustainable or culturally acceptable design somewhere else.
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Project Criteria:
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Your design must have a square footage between 1,000 and 2,500 square feet.
Your model must have a 10-11 square inch footprint, and be at least 8 inches
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Your design must have at least 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
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Your model must survive testing without significant structural damage.
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Your model has to be free-standing. This means that we can pick it up and move it into the testing rig(s).
Materials available: Based on your choice of natural disaster, you may need to substitute other materials; make sure that the properties of the substitutions resemble the properties of the actual materials.
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Vinyl base (12x12). You cannot anchor your building to this base - only used to facilitate construction.
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Aluminum foil
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Saran wrap
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Balsa wood
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Craft sticks
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Dowels
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Pipe cleaners
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Straws
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Craft foam sheets
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Paper
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Cardboard
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Glue
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Tape
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Any items not on the list must be provided by you and cleared with your teacher.