Community centers have a long history of helping bring people together, giving a common ground for strangers to meet and interact. This study explored a potential design solution that could be beneficial to the people displaced due to natural disasters who are relocated to FEMA trailer parks.
This design thesis examines several different aspects important to the design of a community center for people who have been displaced, then applies these concepts to a theoretical design. Modular building units were used because they allow the center to be moved and quickly assembled. Place attachment allows a greater appreciation of the behavioral bonds associated with the displaced person’s homes that they were forced to abandon. Historic Southern architecture provides solutions to manage heat and climate conditions in the Southern states. Finally, architectural standards of successful community centers and architectural pattern theory are examined. This research forms the foundation for a theoretical community center design solution intended for a Federal Emergency Management Agency hurricane disaster trailer park.
The proposed design is a mix of shipping containers combined in a way to meet the displaced individuals’ social needs. Careful thought is given to the individuals’ social needs, helping to provide a solution for these new residents of Federal Emergency Management Agency’s temporary housing.
