Chapter 2.2

Many Floridians who lived in Homestead Miami in 1992 still remember Hurricane Andrew, originally a category 4, but recatagorized ten years later as a category 5 hurricane, the highest rated storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. This storm leveled the Homestead area leaving in its wake thousands with out homes and power and many dead.

Hurricane Andrew hit almost 17 years ago, and it’s only a matter of time before another storm of this magnitude hits the state of Florida. According to the United States Landfalling Hurricane Web Project, Broward County Florida, has a 46.1% probability of one or more named storms making landfall in the region, of that number 18.3% have the probability of being intense storms with winds of 130mph and a storm surge of 13-18 feet. According to the project this is one of the highest rated areas for storm activity along the east coast.

Having experienced Hurricane Wilma first hand in 2004 I can relate to the feeling of loss after a storm. It also opened my eyes to the need to develop a plan to react after a strike. Families who have lost their home need a place to live and rebuild with running water and electricity. Usually the families affected the most are ones in economically depressed areas of a county or state. In Broward’s case that would be the unincorporated communities like Roosevelt Gardens, Boulevard Gardens, Franklin Park, Broadview Park and Washington Park. The average Home Income in Roosevelt Gardens is roughly $19,000 a year, while the typical home in the neighborhood in 2007 was listed at about $150,000(was $65,000 in 2000). These communities already suffer from an existing affordable housing issue.

If a serious hurricane were to move through an area like this one serious damage would inevitably occur displacing hundreds of families. Seeing a need prior to a problem and then solving it is key. By designing a generic core like The {s.e.e.d.} Shelter and having a series of additive parts developable into the. The {s.e.e.d} Home could also allow for more than problem to be solved. The {s.e.e.d} Home would then also be a viable alternative for affordable housing programs.