DISASTER MANAGEMENT

ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN RELATED TO

DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN JAPAN

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
BIT MESRA
SHIVANGI SAWARN
BARCH/10040/16
SEMESTER VIII
YEAR 2020
PROF. IN CHARGE : Dr. Smriti Mishra

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 CONTENT

 Introduction
 Japan As A Disaster Prone Country
 Reducing Impact of Disaster Through Design
 Architecture And Urban Design Related To Dm :
• Stand-Up Dams In Response To Volcanic Eruption
• Stone Walls In Response To Typhoon In Ehime
 Architecture And Urban Design After A Catastrophe :
• Earthquake Resistant Reinforcement Work
• Shirahige Disaster Prevention Base In Tokyo
 Spatial Planning On Phases Of Disaster Cycle
 Reference

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 INTRODUCTION

An architectural process can be a primary contributor to a disaster and also can

provide meaningful solutions and significantly impact the overall effectiveness
of aid relief.
In recent years, there have been multiple tragedies resulting from poorly built
or under-supported structures.
Architectural design might prevent or decrease destructive consequences
of disasters on structures.
Architecture and urban planning play important role in disaster mitigation and
recovery after hazard events.
Architectural planning provides forethought of needs, sustainable development
and a wider vision for an area, which inspires both efficiency as well as hope
within a community.

Fig 1 : Debris of buildings after an earthquake

Source : culture trip

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 JAPAN AS A DISASTER PRONE COUNTRY

Japan is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

Its location, on the boundaries of four tectonic plates (Philippine Sea Plate,
Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate, and North American Plate), mean that it is highly
susceptible to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions etc.
The nation's steep mountainous landscape and rapid river currents often
combine to subject urban areas to intense flooding .
several devastating fires that have destroyed huge swaths of densely populated
urban areas that were packed with wooden houses.
As a result of these adverse environmental factors, the Japanese nation as a
whole has evolved with a "disaster-resistant culture" and have worked diligently
to develop and incorporate disaster-resistant urban designs and architectural
forms.
For example, the relative frequency of earthquakes has motivated engineers to
design improved earthquake-resistant reinforcements for existing structure
while designing regulations that will ensure the safety of new buildings.
the extreme damage suffered by seacoast villages due to tsunami has resulted in
the development of tsunami evacuation buildings.
It is of worth to consider architectural vocabulary related to disaster in Japan in
order to appropriately prepare physical environment for future disasters.

(left) fig :2 typhoon lionrock (right) fig :3 Impact of earthquake

Source: Live japan

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 REDUCING THE IMPACT OF DISASTER THROUGH
DESIGN

We can’t prevent natural disasters, but with design and technology we can make
sure their impacts on people and cities are minimized.
Buildings with resilient designs and materials are becoming increasingly
common, especially in areas that are prone to things like hurricanes, floods,
fires, and tornadoes. Because they are designed to experience minimal damage
during such events, their owners typically have to spend less during the
recovery process.
In response to the increasing number of earthquakes, builders are creating
ductile structures that are capable of sustaining significant damage without
losing their strength or stability. This helps prevent building collapse and keeps
occupants safer during earthquakes. Steel is a highly ductile material, so it is
often used in structures in areas where hurricanes are likely to occur.
In coastal areas, homes are commonly built on stilts or pier foundations. This
type of construction allows even major floods to flow underneath the home
without causing any damage to the house itself.

Fig: 4 Earthquake resistant house

Source : live japan

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 ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN RELATED TO
DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Diverse architectural designs relevant to disaster planning are readily apparent

in Japan.
The following examples are cited to study the same :
Stone walls in response to typhoon in Ehime
Standup dam in response to volcanic eruption in Nagasaki .

STONE WALLS IN EHIME

Fig: 5 stone wall in Ehime

Source : setouchfinder.com

Ehime is a cyclone prone zone . The prevalent high speed winds have
devastating results on the lives and properties of the city .

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Thus to mitigate the effect of strong winds , Ehime adopted vernacular method
of disaster management .
People built stone walls on the boundaries of their properties to prevent
damages from the strong winds .
The stone walls act as wind barriers and have proved to be effective method to
mitigate the disaster caused by cyclone .

STANDUP DAMS IN RESPONSE TO VOLCANIC

ERUPTIONS IN NAGASAKI

Fig: 6 Sand trap dams

Source :springerlink

When Mount Unzen, which is located in Nagasaki Prefecture

Erupted in 1990 after being dormant for about 200 years, it caused serious
damage to a number of local communities.
After the volcanic activity abated, the government constructed a sand-trap dam
in an effort to prevent future pyroclastic flows from destroying other villages.
The sand strap dams prevent lava from flowing towards the villages .
Thus preventing severe damages ,by a simple construction .

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 ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN AFTER A
CATASTROPHE

In order to make urban recovery plans after an event occurs, it is necessary to

have a future vision as well as a sufficient amount of expertise. In the most
cases, architects joined with (local) governments during efforts to make urban
recovery plans.
Japan being the major earthquake prone country, pays a lot heed to the
earthquake recovery architecture and designs .
Therefore the same is discussed in the following slides :
Earthquake-resistant reinforcement work
Shirahige Higashi Disaster Prevention Base in Tokyo .

EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT REINFORCEMENT WORK

Strengthening buildings is one of the most significant measures that can be
taken in preparation for future earthquakes.
However some districts in Tokyo remain densely packed with small wooden
houses. These congested districts pose serious problems, because such old-style
wooden houses are extremely vulnerable to earthquakes, and should one occur,
the debris resulting from house collapses are almost certain to spread fire.
Educated by the experiences of the 1995 Earthquake, the Japanese Government
began serious work on earthquake-resistant reinforcement plans.
Because public facilities are considered to be a critical part of the response to
various disasters, the work on school buildings are being conducted as a top
priority.

SHIRAHIGE HIGASHI DISASTER PREVENTION BASE IN

TOKYO

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 Fig : 7 Shirahige Higashi base
Source : Researchgate

More than 100 thousand people died in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake,
hundreds of thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed and a major part
of the city burnt to the ground.
In the 1960s, in order to reduce the potential damage of future earthquakes or
great fire in the area, the government in began consideration of disaster
prevention plan which would include a complex set of open evacuation spaces,
urban disaster facilities, and a series of high rise apartments building that would
serve as a 1.2 km long firewall aimed at preventing the spread fires from the
congested part of the city to another.
This plan is now known as the Shirahige Higashi Disaster Prevention Base
The disaster prevention base contains various facilities including firewalls, a
school, a kindergartens, a hospital, evacuation areas, ground, storage areas,
shutter, drencher, water tanks, and other assets.

SPATIAL PLANNING ON PHASES OF A DISASTER

CYCLE

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR MITIGATION

Basically, there are two types of mitigation to consider, structural mitigation

and land-use mitigation.
The First Type

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  earthquake-resistant design (e.g., earthquake-proof structures and
vibration control systems),
 building designs that are fireproof both to prevent fires from occurring
and to prevent them from spreading (e.g., fireproof structures and use of
unburnable materials),
 stilted houses to reduce flood damage,
 seawall or levee to protect coasts, harbors, or riversides from the force of
waves or flooding,
 stone walls and heavy roof construction to prevent damage from strong
wind (caused by Typhoon, Cyclone, or Hurricane) and salt corrosion.
The Second Type
The form of disaster mitigation can be exercised by living apart from disaster
prone areas. It contains building regulation on active faults to avoid earthquake
damage conducted in California, New Zealand, and Taiwan, and coastal area
building regulation for Tsunami disaster damage reduction

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

When examined from the spatial point of view, it is not easy to distinguish
between Preparedness and Response.
Because, making place for activity to quickly respond after the disasters should
be prepared before disasters.
Shirahige Higashi Disaster Prevention Base, which was developed to mitigate
fire spread and to respond in the crowded area as an urban evacuation place,
might be an exponent of the space for preparedness and response.
"Udatsu", a Japanese architectural vocabulary term, traditionally refers to avoid
spreading fire to one's neighbors .
Tsunami evacuation buildings constructed in the coastal areas in Japan can also
be classified as part of this category.

Fig: 8 Udatsu in japan

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 Source :Japanvisitor

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT FOR RECOVERY

The recovery phase involves several individual/public activities aimed at

supporting victims and affected government agencies.
The most relevant space to the recovery phase for the affected citizenry is seen
in the temporary shelters/housings and permanent housings In addition to the
architectural elements of houses, other urban recovery aspects are indispensable
for catastrophically damaged cities.
In fact, most such aspects of the present city of Tokyo were developed based on
the recovery planning that took place after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake
and the aerial bombardment in 1945.
These include the creation of open spaces by removing debris. 52 Shinsai
Fukkou (Earthquake Disaster Recovery) Parks closed to elementary schools
were allocated to be used for evacuation in the future.

Fig: 9 Temporary housing in japan for disaster relief

Source: Rethink Tokyo

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 REFERENCE

 https://www.constructconnect.com/blog/building-design-
evolved-wake-increased-natural-disasters
 https://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/14_S08-032.PDF
 https://www.citylab.com/design/2016/03/an-architects-role-
in-creation-from-catastrophe-disaster-recovery/473868/

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