shigeru ban: emergency paper partition system
designboom DESIGN-AEROBICS competitions interviews art architecture design technology shop

shigeru ban: emergency paper partition system


'emergency shelter paper partitions' by shigeru ban architects
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom


on december 1st and 2nd, 2011, the design for asia (DFA) award was presented at the business of design week (BODW), both organized by
the hong kong design center. for their emergency shelter paper partition system, japanese architect shigeru ban together with the voluntary
architects' network were honored with the gold DFA award in the category of environmental design.

the BODW in hong kong is asia's leading annual event on design, innovation and brands. designboom attended as international media partner
of BODW and has been a jury member of the DFA - design for asia awards. shigeru ban lectured also at the BODW on december 3rd, 2011. 



the post tsunami shelter in before the partitions were put in place
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom


after the earthquake in japan, many families found themselves living on the floor of shelters and gymnasiums, 
sharing one space with strangers in the same situation. although this was tolerable for a few days, their lack of privacy 
started becoming an issue after weeks of living in this way. 
made of two sizes of cardboard tubing, plywood, ropes and white curtains, the modular system allows for fast and easy assembly 
and disassembly. the structure can be made different dimensions for different sized families depending on where the cloth is hung.

1,800 individual units of PPS paper partition system were assembled in 50 provisional shelters for evacuees affected by the disaster.
it is a cost effective solution to harness materials that are easily available and recyclable.

designboom first wrote an article on the PPS paper partitions back when they were first being distributed, immediately following the earthquake.


made for easy transportation
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



laying out all materials needed for the partitions 
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



the lightweight beams require no specific skills and can therefore be put together by people in the shelters 
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



an example of a completed portion of the partition
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



shelter in use during japan earthquake
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



overhead view of assembly 
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



example of shelter accommodation 
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



joint detail
image courtesy of shigeru ban architects
photographed in the DFA award exhibition by designboom



shigeru ban giving a speach at the BODW 
image © designboom



video © designboom


is asia's leading annual event on design, innovation and branding is organized by the hong kong design centre (HKDC) since 2002. 
bringing the best of the global design world to hong kong, the week-long event encourages businesses to unleash the power of design by focusing 
on the vital relationship and complex interplay between design and business. 
 
DFA awards
a record-breaking number of applications has been received this year. in what is widely acknowledged as one of the most important programs to reward 
outstanding designs in asia pacific, the hong kong design center invited a spectrum of international winners and guests from creative industries, business 
and media to the award presentation ceremonies on december 1st and 2nd, 2011, to recognize the power of excellent designs and innovative minds in the region. 
among the 156 design for asia (DFA) awards honoring outstanding design professionals from around the world, the HKDC also bestowed 10 seminal 
grand awards for significant impacts and contributions to the world’s sustainability in asia, showing capabilities beyond design form and aesthetics
bora db
12.15.11  
6
Great, great, great !
Andrée Lauzon   12.15.11
be proud of good architecture.
seti-off   12.15.11
This is what good design should be about man ,
nwz   12.16.11
Functionality, simplicity, easy to build, easy to replace, low impact on environement.
This guy understand what is design
King of punk   12.18.11
when I was in architecture school many years (1982) ago as a first year architecture student, we had a similar exercise of providing temperary structure and I proposed paper tubes just like SB, and my professor was extremely dismissive and raised all sort of reason why it is not safe, not practical.....
Goes to show you, those who can't do, teach....
Sugarbomb   12.21.11
Beautifully simple construction. I can't tell how the structure is formed at the bottom to prevent the light weight tubes from tipping over. This is essential or the whole thing could domino. How is the cube of tubes held down at floorlevel?
patfln2006   12.21.11
BODW hong kong 2011 (6 articles)

shao fan: contemporary chinese furniture
design | 01.09.12

the artist's traditional chinese furniture techniques combined with modern day design practices executed in humble materials, result in a framework which aims to maintain the history of his native china while add...

3

jeff dah-yue shi: LED bamboo
design | 12.22.11

formed of bamboo with embedded LED lights, the bamboo piece functions as a recessed luminaire in addition to being incorporated into walls as a structural component. a separate mountable lamp serves smaller spaces.

1

jimmy choo: chinese celebrity shoe designer
design | 12.14.11

the iconic shoe couturier has been recognized in an award meant to honor chinese designers who are not only great in their discipline but have also furthered design through social commitment. 

0
shigeru ban (33 articles)

shigeru ban + Hermès: module H
architecture | 04.20.12

the patented H of the french luxury brand has been perforated into aluminum sheets in a stacked and interlocking pattern allowing for a wall application which displays flexible motifs made from rectilinear panels.

4

shigeru ban: SOHO camper store
design | 01.19.12

the retail store's main feature is a lenticular wall formed by many vertical cubbies running down the entire length of the space.

0

shigeru ban architects: aspen art museum
architecture | 11.29.11

located in downtown aspen, colorado, this museum features a rooftop sculpture garden offering visitors panoramic views of the encompassing mountains.

5
design for asia award 2011 (13 articles)

DFA awards 2011: rising stars from hong kong
design | 01.19.12

the annual designsmart young design talent award recognizes two young practicing hong kong designers by granting HKD 0.5 million to each to work and study overseas, providing sufficient resources to encourage them...

0

money portraits by senseteam
art | 01.16.12

at first look resembling fabric patchworks, the portraits are actually created by the careful cutting and assembling of currencies from around the world.

1

DFA awards: design for environment
design | 01.13.12

four very different projects by asian architecture firms are acknowledged for their respect to our natural environment, with consideration to the functionality and aesthetic beauty of space.

1

atelier du pont: tres honore restau
READER'S SUBMISSION

a space filled with elements of fantasy and make believe. it is a world of fairly tales and new experiences. a wonderland for y...

the camerette collection by florens
READER'S SUBMISSION a collection of wardrobes that represent the opportunities the future brings, and objects of desire that are key aspects of mainta...

deep ocean technology: underwa

architecture

the submerged resort is located up to 10m beneath the surface of the sea, is approximately 500m2 and consists of 21 rooms whic...

gTar digital guitar

technology

the digital guitar is designed as a solution for beginners to the instrument, constructed with the weight and feel of an entry-...

design time breil award ceremony
DESIGNBOOM COMPETITIONS the designs explore a variety of topics from comic memorabilia to pop culture. s

curved visions digital art competit
DESIGNBOOM COMPETITIONS designboom in collaboration with INFINITI is excited to announce the CURVED VISI

GRAPHIC DESIGN - may 17 - july 17
DESIGN - AEROBICS make graphic design work for you. with this course you’ll enhance your understanding of the basics and learn more about emerging developments within the field.

SHOPPING - may 17 - july 17
DESIGN - AEROBICS we'll look at the seamless way in which design and consumer culture cross paths, with a focus on; shop design, packaging, carts, carriers, online shopping and markets.
designboom news
348,825 subscribers

keep up to date with recent articles and upcoming events.
to receive both newsletters please check 2 boxes.

DAILY - see sample BIWEEKLY -see sample
© copyrights 2000 - 2012 designboom, all rights reserved. all material published remains the exclusive copyright of designboom.
no contents, including text, photographs, videos, etc. may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of designboom. in addition,
no material or contents may be reproduced on the world wide web by techniques of mirroring, framing, posting, etc. without the written consent of designboom.