Lavallee Brensinger congratulates team member Kimberly McCarthy on her 2015 International Architecture Award for 2nd place in Temporary Structures (Concept).
McCarthy describes the design of her award-winning Resilient Crisis Cube as a “repurposed shipping container that has been adapted into an emergency shelter as part of a strategy developed for Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery through Resilient Thinking.”
“It can be used for individual housing emergencies, such as home fire, or in mass distribution following a disaster such as a tornado. As part of a recovery phase, the Resilient Crisis Cube would be distributed to impacted disaster areas in need of immediate housing. The flexibility of the shipping container makes it transportable by air, truck, train, and water. The small footprint and corner supports which level allow for the opportunity to place the shelter in more locations. The exterior design instructs the recipient as to how to orient their shelter on site to maximize its potential.”
The Resilient Crisis Cube design resulted from McCarthy’s graduate studies in Sustainable Design at Boston Architectural College. Her thesis focused on developing community resilience to prepare for natural and manmade disasters.
The 2015 Architecture Podium International Architecture Awards recognized work from around the globe, awarding up to three projects in each of the 36 categories.