what if a typhoon hit tonight tonight but when so strong it’s already blowing
but when so strong it’s already blowing
but when so strong it’s already blowing roofs of the buildings around you you
roofs of the buildings around you you
roofs of the buildings around you you have to evacuate any minute
have to evacuate any minute
have to evacuate any minute and you can only grab a handful of
and you can only grab a handful of
and you can only grab a handful of things on the way out what would you
things on the way out what would you
things on the way out what would you bring I return to Tacloban City four
bring I return to Tacloban City four
bring I return to Tacloban City four months after typhoon Haiyan the
months after typhoon Haiyan the
months after typhoon Haiyan the strongest typhoon to ever hit land
strongest typhoon to ever hit land
strongest typhoon to ever hit land devastated the central regions of
devastated the central regions of
devastated the central regions of Philippines destroying more than 4
Philippines destroying more than 4
Philippines destroying more than 4 million households and a private
million households and a private
million households and a private thousands of lives the study center that
thousands of lives the study center that
thousands of lives the study center that I had built with the community was gone
the waves caused by the typhoon had
the waves caused by the typhoon had destroyed it they do nothing behind the
destroyed it they do nothing behind the
destroyed it they do nothing behind the traces of the foundation a man
traces of the foundation a man
traces of the foundation a man approached me with a roll of paper in
approached me with a roll of paper in
approached me with a roll of paper in his hands and he told me he had saved it
his hands and he told me he had saved it
his hands and he told me he had saved it from the typhoon and he wanted me to
from the typhoon and he wanted me to
from the typhoon and he wanted me to have it it was a blueprints of the study
have it it was a blueprints of the study
have it it was a blueprints of the study center his only thing that he had stayed
center his only thing that he had stayed
center his only thing that he had stayed on he and his wife and daughter escaped
on he and his wife and daughter escaped
on he and his wife and daughter escaped the waves caused by the – he could have
the waves caused by the – he could have
the waves caused by the – he could have taken anything but he chose to take the
taken anything but he chose to take the
taken anything but he chose to take the blueprints and he did that because he
blueprints and he did that because he
blueprints and he did that because he believed that the one thing that they’ll
believed that the one thing that they’ll
believed that the one thing that they’ll need after a typhoon has come back
need after a typhoon has come back
need after a typhoon has come back together again the same way to be built
together again the same way to be built
together again the same way to be built the study center the situation for the
the study center the situation for the
the study center the situation for the community was already tough before the
community was already tough before the
community was already tough before the typhoon the father’s struggling every
typhoon the father’s struggling every
typhoon the father’s struggling every day to get a job to put food on the
day to get a job to put food on the
day to get a job to put food on the table for their families apart from
table for their families apart from
table for their families apart from managing the household and taking care
managing the household and taking care
managing the household and taking care of the children the mothers was also
of the children the mothers was also
of the children the mothers was also working in the market to make ends meet
still they could not afford breakfast or
still they could not afford breakfast or lunch
lunch
lunch not to mention school expenses like
not to mention school expenses like
not to mention school expenses like books or uniforms for the kids imagine
books or uniforms for the kids imagine
books or uniforms for the kids imagine imagine how it feels like to graduate
imagine how it feels like to graduate
imagine how it feels like to graduate see your children give up and drop out
see your children give up and drop out
see your children give up and drop out of school street light was a local NGO I
of school street light was a local NGO I
of school street light was a local NGO I was working to help these kids back to
was working to help these kids back to
was working to help these kids back to school and I was invited to build a
school and I was invited to build a
school and I was invited to build a study center for this purpose but to
study center for this purpose but to
study center for this purpose but to truly address why the children dropped
truly address why the children dropped
truly address why the children dropped out of school we needed to involve their
out of school we needed to involve their
out of school we needed to involve their parents in the process to enable them to
parents in the process to enable them to
parents in the process to enable them to address the underlying issues and
address the underlying issues and
address the underlying issues and challenges that they were facing in
challenges that they were facing in
challenges that they were facing in their everyday life we were no longer
their everyday life we were no longer
their everyday life we were no longer designing a building you’re not
designing a building you’re not
designing a building you’re not designing a process for us and the
designing a process for us and the
designing a process for us and the families to come together at first we
families to come together at first we
families to come together at first we asked the children to draw their dreams
asked the children to draw their dreams
asked the children to draw their dreams for the future and later we ask the
for the future and later we ask the
for the future and later we ask the parents to guess which drawing belongs
parents to guess which drawing belongs
parents to guess which drawing belongs to your child but they couldn’t it’s
to your child but they couldn’t it’s
to your child but they couldn’t it’s made a deep impression on the parents
made a deep impression on the parents
made a deep impression on the parents but it also became a reason for them to
but it also became a reason for them to
but it also became a reason for them to come together to make an effort to
come together to make an effort to
come together to make an effort to support their children becoming coming
support their children becoming coming
support their children becoming coming together wasn’t that easy at first the
together wasn’t that easy at first the
together wasn’t that easy at first the children did not want to speak up in
children did not want to speak up in
children did not want to speak up in front of their parents and the voiced
front of their parents and the voiced
front of their parents and the voiced Rashied to speak in front of their
Rashied to speak in front of their
Rashied to speak in front of their husbands so to enable everyone to come
husbands so to enable everyone to come
husbands so to enable everyone to come together we needed to separate the
together we needed to separate the
together we needed to separate the family members into groups of mothers
family members into groups of mothers
family members into groups of mothers fathers and children to enable them to
fathers and children to enable them to
fathers and children to enable them to speak freely to build their
speak freely to build their
speak freely to build their self-confidence and to contribute to the
self-confidence and to contribute to the
self-confidence and to contribute to the project but to be able to contribute we
project but to be able to contribute we
project but to be able to contribute we needed to provide the time and the space
needed to provide the time and the space
needed to provide the time and the space for the parents to be able to engage so
for the parents to be able to engage so
for the parents to be able to engage so we employed the fathers on the
we employed the fathers on the
we employed the fathers on the construction site providing the security
construction site providing the security
construction site providing the security of a steady income during weekly
of a steady income during weekly
of a steady income during weekly workshops with food and entertainment
workshops with food and entertainment
workshops with food and entertainment for the kids the mothers got a break
for the kids the mothers got a break
for the kids the mothers got a break from their daily responsibilities and
from their daily responsibilities and
from their daily responsibilities and the possibility the time and the space
the possibility the time and the space
the possibility the time and the space to think about the future
to think about the future
to think about the future during this weekly gathering so children
during this weekly gathering so children
during this weekly gathering so children would visualize what they needed to
would visualize what they needed to
would visualize what they needed to realize their dreams and the mothers
realize their dreams and the mothers
realize their dreams and the mothers would give shape to these needs to
would give shape to these needs to
would give shape to these needs to drawing a model
drawing a model
drawing a model the fathers would take these designs and
the fathers would take these designs and
the fathers would take these designs and these ideas and test it out in
these ideas and test it out in
these ideas and test it out in full-scale on-site before building the
full-scale on-site before building the
full-scale on-site before building the study center itself the building was not
study center itself the building was not
study center itself the building was not just a building to come in to the
just a building to come in to the
just a building to come in to the community there was a symbol of their
community there was a symbol of their
community there was a symbol of their efforts for their children
efforts for their children
efforts for their children and they had built it through a process
and they had built it through a process
and they had built it through a process that they later called by Annie hunt
that they later called by Annie hunt
that they later called by Annie hunt Bunyan is a Filipino tradition of coming
Bunyan is a Filipino tradition of coming
Bunyan is a Filipino tradition of coming together to make a shared effort towards
together to make a shared effort towards
together to make a shared effort towards a common goal and actually I learned
a common goal and actually I learned
a common goal and actually I learned that we also have a very similar
that we also have a very similar
that we also have a very similar tradition in Norway that we call doing
tradition in Norway that we call doing
tradition in Norway that we call doing odd but for by Nia not big not to exist
odd but for by Nia not big not to exist
odd but for by Nia not big not to exist the needs to be a sense of community and
the needs to be a sense of community and
the needs to be a sense of community and had created this by coming together for
had created this by coming together for
had created this by coming together for the shared purpose of supporting their
the shared purpose of supporting their
the shared purpose of supporting their children
children
children the building was their take on behind a
the building was their take on behind a
the building was their take on behind a bottle a Filipino typology of heavy
bottle a Filipino typology of heavy
bottle a Filipino typology of heavy stones with a light Kimbra structure on
stones with a light Kimbra structure on
stones with a light Kimbra structure on top this light timber structure allows
top this light timber structure allows
top this light timber structure allows for natural ventilation to pass through
for natural ventilation to pass through
for natural ventilation to pass through the building but it also allows strong
the building but it also allows strong
the building but it also allows strong winds to pass through without destroying
winds to pass through without destroying
winds to pass through without destroying the building and this was a principal
the building and this was a principal
the building and this was a principal use on their own houses
use on their own houses
use on their own houses this allowed the study center to survive
this allowed the study center to survive
this allowed the study center to survive several star strong typhoons but also a
several star strong typhoons but also a
several star strong typhoons but also a major earthquake but on the 8th of
major earthquake but on the 8th of
major earthquake but on the 8th of November 2013
November 2013
November 2013 typhoon Haiyan created a storm surge by
typhoon Haiyan created a storm surge by
typhoon Haiyan created a storm surge by hit Tacloban City this is a video
hit Tacloban City this is a video
hit Tacloban City this is a video showing how the children the parents and
showing how the children the parents and
showing how the children the parents and streetlight escaped the race by climbing
streetlight escaped the race by climbing
streetlight escaped the race by climbing onto the nearby roof this was filmed by
onto the nearby roof this was filmed by
onto the nearby roof this was filmed by my friend Allen which runs street light
my friend Allen which runs street light
my friend Allen which runs street light founded it the study center was
founded it the study center was
founded it the study center was destroyed many were traumatized by the
destroyed many were traumatized by the
destroyed many were traumatized by the waves and I wanted to move off the coast
waves and I wanted to move off the coast
waves and I wanted to move off the coast permanent and temporary houses was being
permanent and temporary houses was being
permanent and temporary houses was being built in the northern relocation zone
built in the northern relocation zone
built in the northern relocation zone for families that lost their houses but
for families that lost their houses but
for families that lost their houses but the uneven distribution and in random
the uneven distribution and in random
the uneven distribution and in random relocation of families contributed to
relocation of families contributed to
relocation of families contributed to split communities apart it no sense of
split communities apart it no sense of
split communities apart it no sense of belonging the lack of livelihoods
belonging the lack of livelihoods
belonging the lack of livelihoods and infrastructure there was an increase
and infrastructure there was an increase
and infrastructure there was an increase in crimes and conflicts they became
in crimes and conflicts they became
in crimes and conflicts they became important for us now that we were also
important for us now that we were also
important for us now that we were also moving to the northern relocation zone
moving to the northern relocation zone
moving to the northern relocation zone to not just think about what we were
to not just think about what we were
to not just think about what we were building back but how we would build
building back but how we would build
building back but how we would build back to deal with the trauma the
back to deal with the trauma the
back to deal with the trauma the community identified two concepts that
community identified two concepts that
community identified two concepts that were important for them see the that was
were important for them see the that was
were important for them see the that was the idea of the heavy and the lights the
the idea of the heavy and the lights the
the idea of the heavy and the lights the heavy represented a castle that the
heavy represented a castle that the
heavy represented a castle that the children have seen from the roof had
children have seen from the roof had
children have seen from the roof had survived the race and became a symbol of
survived the race and became a symbol of
survived the race and became a symbol of safety the lights represented a
safety the lights represented a
safety the lights represented a ventilated timber structure of the study
ventilated timber structure of the study
ventilated timber structure of the study center it was a symbol of comfort this
center it was a symbol of comfort this
center it was a symbol of comfort this these two concepts became a common
these two concepts became a common
these two concepts became a common language for us to create and to build
language for us to create and to build
language for us to create and to build back what we lost true role play the
back what we lost true role play the
back what we lost true role play the children omission what kind of
children omission what kind of
children omission what kind of activities the building needed the
activities the building needed the
activities the building needed the mothers who take these activities and
mothers who take these activities and
mothers who take these activities and position I mean said the heavy and the
position I mean said the heavy and the
position I mean said the heavy and the light volumes we test these heavy and
light volumes we test these heavy and
light volumes we test these heavy and the light columns in full scale on site
the light columns in full scale on site
the light columns in full scale on site to understand how the Sun works how the
to understand how the Sun works how the
to understand how the Sun works how the climate works I’m Eeva dimensionally
climate works I’m Eeva dimensionally
climate works I’m Eeva dimensionally also looked in models to understand the
also looked in models to understand the
also looked in models to understand the structure the roof the doors the columns
structure the roof the doors the columns
structure the roof the doors the columns the windows it became important for us
the windows it became important for us
the windows it became important for us to change the focus away from the
to change the focus away from the
to change the focus away from the building as a product to the building as
building as a product to the building as
building as a product to the building as a series of qualities and activities to
a series of qualities and activities to
a series of qualities and activities to design the doors and the windows the
design the doors and the windows the
design the doors and the windows the children wrote poems these poems
children wrote poems these poems
children wrote poems these poems Illustrated what they meant a window is
Illustrated what they meant a window is
Illustrated what they meant a window is for them trying to identify what this
for them trying to identify what this
for them trying to identify what this meaning was the fathers would look
meaning was the fathers would look
meaning was the fathers would look around the village where similar doors
around the village where similar doors
around the village where similar doors windows already existing their word
windows already existing their word
windows already existing their word document is presented back to each other
document is presented back to each other
document is presented back to each other the way would make new designs in
the way would make new designs in
the way would make new designs in different materials and test it out on
different materials and test it out on
different materials and test it out on site or for eventually getting it
site or for eventually getting it
site or for eventually getting it approved by their wives the signing of
approved by their wives the signing of
approved by their wives the signing of the windows
the windows
the windows and the building’s themselves was a
and the building’s themselves was a
and the building’s themselves was a process of understanding not only what
process of understanding not only what
process of understanding not only what these objects are but also what they do
these objects are but also what they do
these objects are but also what they do it was trying to understand one because
it was trying to understand one because
it was trying to understand one because these objects mean to us what resources
these objects mean to us what resources
these objects mean to us what resources and knowledge do we really have and how
and knowledge do we really have and how
and knowledge do we really have and how can you use this to create something
can you use this to create something
can you use this to create something that that matters to everyone as a group
that that matters to everyone as a group
that that matters to everyone as a group the office the Study Center the
the office the Study Center the
the office the Study Center the orphanage the part was recently
orphanage the part was recently
orphanage the part was recently completed it took us three years and a
completed it took us three years and a
completed it took us three years and a hundred workshops to design and build
hundred workshops to design and build
hundred workshops to design and build back what we lost
back what we lost
back what we lost remember the blueprint that the father
remember the blueprint that the father
remember the blueprint that the father had saved from the typhoon when we open
had saved from the typhoon when we open
had saved from the typhoon when we open it on a table in front of us there was a
it on a table in front of us there was a
it on a table in front of us there was a strong sense of salt water that’s now
strong sense of salt water that’s now
strong sense of salt water that’s now filling the room and we realized that
filling the room and we realized that
filling the room and we realized that all the drawings and illustrations they
all the drawings and illustrations they
all the drawings and illustrations they had already washed away but he told me
had already washed away but he told me
had already washed away but he told me it’s not the blueprint itself that
it’s not the blueprint itself that
it’s not the blueprint itself that mattered
mattered
mattered it’s the meaning and the story is
it’s the meaning and the story is
it’s the meaning and the story is embedded in this blueprint that later
embedded in this blueprint that later
embedded in this blueprint that later enabled the community to come back
enabled the community to come back
enabled the community to come back together to deal with the trauma and
together to deal with the trauma and
together to deal with the trauma and build that what we lost I believe and I
build that what we lost I believe and I
build that what we lost I believe and I learned this from this project is that
learned this from this project is that
learned this from this project is that it’s not so much what we do it’s also
it’s not so much what we do it’s also
it’s not so much what we do it’s also how we do it
how we do it
how we do it so whatever profession you have whatever
so whatever profession you have whatever
so whatever profession you have whatever you do if you can come together with
you do if you can come together with
you do if you can come together with others build on each other’s differences
others build on each other’s differences
others build on each other’s differences and create something a matter so all of
and create something a matter so all of
and create something a matter so all of you you sound stronger whatever happens
you you sound stronger whatever happens
you you sound stronger whatever happens in the future thank you
”
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