名古屋から能登半島に届けられる万能簡易住宅　開発のきっかけは、東日本大震災で被災した子どもの声 (24/01/11 16:17)

The Noto Peninsula earthquake, which registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7, caused the collapse of many houses. Many people are still living in evacuation shelters. With concerns about the prolonged period of evacuation, temporary housing was delivered from Nagoya to the disaster area to provide a safer space. On the evening of the 10th, a group led by Professor Keisuke Kitagawa of Nagoya Institute of Technology, who specializes in disaster prevention engineering, departed from Nagoya for the disaster area in Ishikawa Prefecture. "We're taking 100 indoor instant houses and three outdoor instant houses. First, we're heading to Wajima Junior High School," said Professor Kitagawa. The temporary housing, "instant houses," developed by Professor Kitagawa and his team, will be delivered to the disaster area in two separate shipments: this one and another on the 12th. Eleven days have passed since the earthquake. Many houses have collapsed, and there are concerns that the evacuation shelter life for the victims will be prolonged. "After a week or ten days, people are in places with no privacy, so even small conflicts can arise in evacuation shelters, sadly. I hope that these shelters can become places where people can feel warm and cozy, where everyone gets along and cooperates with each other," (Professor Kitagawa). Warm with insulation, and designed to prevent snow accumulation. The features of the instant houses delivered by Professor Kitagawa are: "The outdoor instant houses are inflated like a balloon, and then people enter the inflated state and spray insulation material inside. Because the entire structure is insulated, the temperature rises just by people entering, and with a little air conditioning, it can be kept as cool as a refrigerator even in summer. It also has high sound insulation, and various adjustments can be made, such as opening windows," (Professor Kitagawa). The roof is angled at 45 degrees, making it difficult for snow to accumulate. Furthermore, the high ceiling and lack of corners on the walls prevent a feeling of confinement. The tent sheet folds compactly for easy transport. Air is pumped inside, and it's ready in about four hours. The indoor version is made of cardboard and has a double-layered structure, which is said to provide excellent insulation. Professor Kitagawa visited the site immediately after the earthquake and delivered 10 indoor instant houses to an evacuation center in Wajima City. She assembled them together with the evacuees. A two-year-old girl who helped there— "She came up to me and shouted, 'We have a house!' Her mother was also there, and when I spoke to her, I learned their house had been completely destroyed. To hear a child say they had a house after their home was gone really touched me. I immediately went outside the gymnasium and cried uncontrollably," (Professor Kitagawa). The initial plan is to use these instant houses for changing clothes, breastfeeding, diaper changes, and as a warm place for the elderly. Developed over nine years: "Outdoor Instant House" Professor Kitagawa began developing the instant house after hearing what children said to him when he visited an evacuation center after the Great East Japan Earthquake. "They pointed towards the playground and said, 'Temporary housing will be built there, but it will take three to six months to finish.' They added, 'If you're a university professor, you can build it next week...'" (From Professor Kitagawa's past statements) He wanted to help people in disaster-stricken areas who couldn't afford to live in proper homes. He spent nine years developing the outdoor instant house. Last February, after the major earthquake in Turkey, he also delivered instant houses to the affected area. "We'll be building a lot of these over the next few weeks. The phase where temporary housing is completed should arrive somewhere in a few months. These will serve as places where people can gather, like community centers, where they can stay warm, sing karaoke, or do something like that. Without such places, things can get quite bleak. We hope to deliver them as quickly as possible," (Professor Kitagawa) (From Me-Tele's "Dodesuka!+" broadcast on January 11th at 15:40)