1. Laura van Santen
born 22.4.1985 in Leiden, the Netherlands
Molslaan 155
2611 RL Delft
+31 (0) 651488389
laura.vansanten@gmail.com
2. EDUCATION
2009 - 2010 Master of Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences : Archiprix Nominee
Delft University of Technology
- Nomads in No man’s land : an extraterritorial settlement for Burmese refugees in Thailand
spring 2009 Urban Emergencies Pilot Studio : Case Bangladesh
Cordaid (International)
- Workshop, Exhibition, Symposium, Publication : post disaster spatial redevelopment
fall 2008 Architectural Engineering Pilot Studio : Material Pavilion
Delft University of Technology
spring 2008 Erasmus Exchange Program : Wood Program
Helsinki University of Technology (Finland)
2005 - 2007 Bachelor of Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences : Hybrid Building
Delft University of Technology
- The Bridge as Urban Agora : a design for infrastructural intersections as places for street art
2004 - 2005 Propedeuse Architecture, Landscape and Design : Dwelling Settlement
Leeds Metropolitan University (United Kingdom)
1998 -2003 International Baccalaureate Program
Het Rijnlands Lyceum Oegstgeest International School
1994 - 1998 Middle School
American Embassy School New Delhi (India)
QUALIFICATIONS
Adobe Suite Illustrator / InDesign / Photoshop
Microsoft Office Word / Excel / PowerPoint
3D modelling Autodesk / Maya / Vectorworks
EXPERIENCE
fall 2009 Urbanism Internship : Industrial Ecology
2012 Architecten Rotterdam
spring 2007 Architectural Internship : Wood Architecture
Onix Architecten Groningen
3. selection of 3 projects
1
architecture // nomads in noman’sland
urbanism // urban emergencies bangladesh
building sciences // material pavilion
11
19
5. 2
Ethnic minorities (nearly half the
population) have been fleeing Bur-
mese militairy junta attacks into rela-
tive safety in Thailand for fifty years.
This has resulted in humanitar-
ian border management since 1985
(hosting 200 000 refugees in camps,
2 000 000 illegal migrant workers)
and formal and informal interweave.
7. A field study revealed the refugee can
either choose to legally stay in a pro-
tected refugee camp without right to
work or move, or he can choose to il-
legally work as an economic migrant
risking deportation. Thailand does
not honor the UN Rights of Refu-
gees and a return to Burma is unsafe.
Is there a potential between borders?
4
8. 5
An extraterritorial floating settlement was pro-
jected in the Moei River that divides the two
countries. In order to create an environment
of working and living, a garment factory was
designed as a catalyst for settlement ; a parasite
hanging underneath the Friendship Bridge...
9. 6
The refugees from Burma are generally tradi-
tioanlly nomads, and highly skilled in weaving
textiles and as well as bamboo construction...
10. 7
Colorful textiles protect the workers and the
products from the wet season wind and rain.
They also help orientation inside the factory.
The products are cut on the second floor and
sown on the ground floor. The textiles come
from Burma and will be exported via Thailand.
11. 8
Experienced bamboo builders hang the struc-
ture between the existing concrete beams. The
bamboo is reinforced with wood and bolts.
12. 9
Important actors in the refugee world are the
nongovernmental organisations, responsible
for education, healthcare, often venturing into
spatial planning. In this case the NGOs could
implement sanitation blocks, which would
dictate the form of the floating settement.
15. 50 000
200 000
Rajshahi
$
150 000
Dhaka
ta 1 bilion dollars of
c api donor aid annually:
er
Pp
this equals 2,5% of
GD on
the total incoming in-
lati
vestments. 100 000
l popu 90 000 Sylhet
independence
epende
n tota
on 80 000
ati
partition o india a
tion of ndia and
n d pul
l po
east and w pakistan
nd west
d rura
70 000
Chittagong
60 000
abolishment of
a l m
abol hme f
feudal sys
feud l system
f d s
50 000
12 November 1970 22 April 1991 11 June 2007
Cyclone Bhola Cyclone Gorky Chittagong mudslides
split o east and we pakistan
split
sp t of east a d w st pakistan
p as an west a t tion
300 000 casualties 140 000 casualties 330 casualties
la
GD P p opu
The Pakistani recieved severe critisism for its relief operation 10 million people left homeless 8 000 people evacuated from the slums in the hillsides
im p
musl
er capita a
gainst average
40 000
awami league
$ awami a e
awami league
w ague Barisal
first elected
f re- c d
-
re-elected
30 000
government
go e nme
g vernm t
nment go n ent
o
overnme e
government
$
perce
ntage 20 000
1 2
1982 1991
1991 BNP party elected
a y d of world
military cou
military coup
milita y cou
tary u devel
opm ent aid 10 000
tion
pula
n po
11 Nov 2007
urba
Cyclone Sidr 7 500
Khulna
3 500 casualties
language war
lan
langua e
lang
n 2 million people evacuated to storm shelters, damage estimated to $450 million
1975 c u of
1975 coup of
5
urdu to bengali
rdu t
d g 5 000
B
BNP party
t
2 500
500
hin population
hindu popu
u
100
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
The delta of Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to A three month field study was undertaken in a
the flooding which is responsible for succesful team of three students, investigating the post
agriculture, as well as to super cyclones that disaster spatial redevelopment along Bangla-
form on the Indian Ocean. With a population desh’s coast. Academic interviews, bottom up
of 160 000 and a population density of 1100 investigations and humanitarian collabora-
Bengalis / km2, land and resources are scarce. tions led to the resulting insights...
16. LIVING OF THE LAND THE EMBANKMENT
Life in the countryside Land usage Requirements Coping mechanism Decisive in settlement Storm surge Aforestation Road infrastructure
of Bangladesh is The fishing industry isn’t using any Based on extracting fish from the The materials used for fishing
patterns of Bangladesh The storm surge is a tidal wave created by the cyclone as the winds put To protect the embankment from erosion (mangrove) The embankment is, linear and raised above the rest of
pressure on the surface of the sea. As the cyclone moves inland the wave trees can be planted on the sea side of the embankment. the land, the basis for the road network in Bangladesh.
directly linked to the land to speak of but is based on the rivers and the sea the fishing (boats and nets) are the biggest is the embankment.
Fishing
rivers of Bangladesh and the Bay of sector doesn’t have any specific concerns in relation to cyclones. builds up. The impact of the storm surge is the most destructive aspect of a Aforestation has the additional advantage that it lowers In the aftermath of a cyclone the embankment is used
land itself. 90% of the Bengal. land requirements. To cope with the cyclones the This raised dike is cyclone. The storm surge of a supercyclone can reach up to ten meters. The the impact of the wind from cyclones. alongside waterways to bring in relief aid.
storm surge by cyclone Gorki had a height of six meters.
area is used for fishing boats are anchored in Bangladesh’s first line
coves in mangrove forests along
agricultural the coast. of defense against
production. Fishing, cyclones, in particular
Salt and shrimp farming requires a Salt & shrimp farming is done at The salt from the salt fields can be
salt & shrimp farming, Salt & shrimp large investment to be profitable and large fields close to the coast. stored in large sacks underground the storm surge. The
rice cultivation and are as a result run by large land Salty water is pumped into to protect it from the surge wave embankment divides
lords. The sector requires salty water shallow pools, and as the water of the cyclones. No such
stockbreeding are the and is located close to the coast, evaporates the salt is harvested. In possibility exists to protect the the land in two, inside
most common often outside the embankment. the rainy period the same pools shrimps. and outside. The
are used for shrimp cultivation.
livelihoods in the area. embankment is largely
All livelihoods have Rice cultivation has a reasonably Rice in Bangladesh is cultivated in Due to the seasonal nature of constructed by the
low investment cost and is often wet paddies. The paddies require harvesting rice there’s no effective
different requirements, done by small-scale farmers in a high amount of fresh water for way to protect the rice paddies government and the
Rice
characteristics and combination with other work. The irrigation. from cyclones. The harvested rice land outside the
sector requires fresh water irrigation can, however, be stored on
coping mechanisms to and is located inside the suspended platform inside the embankment is usually
deal with cyclones. embankment. home. governmental land,
Inclination Sluice gate
kash land.
Stockbreeding
Stockbreedng can be done at a small Smallscale stockbreeding can be To protect the livestock from To break the wave of the storm surge and protect the Essential for the embankment is a sufficient amount of
household scale. Chicken, goats and done with just a small patch of cyclones they can be brought to 1 embankment against erosion the embankment is functioning sluice gates. Insufficient sluice gates can
cattle are the most common land. This can be directly adjacent specific, raised platforms, killas. constructed with an inclination of 1:5 on the sea side lead to waterlogging during the rainy season while
animals. to the home. Stockbreeding These protect the livestock from a 5 3 and 1:3 on the inland side. broken sluice gates form a risk during cyclones.
On this scale stockbreeding is rarely requires fresh or dry food for the storm surge up to a certain height.
the main form of income but rather livestock.
a complement.
Ibrahim, fisherman
The research in Bangladesh was con-
13
I moved here 35 years ago
when I lost my land through
ducted in four areas; the salt fields
river erosion. I do river fishing
now. I don’t own a boat. I
also work on my landlord’s
field. I sell my fish at the
Ahmedul
and harbor city of Chittagong, as
Joshi, fisherman bazaar. My landlord sells his
salt to a broker, who hires a
Nuran, rice farmer farmer
I go deep sea fishing for a boat to transport to the city.
week at a time with my crew It took us 3 years to restore I survived the
During 1991 cyclone I didn’t There was a
well as the delta and resort of Barisal.
of 8 men; we share profit. I the rice paddy after the
own the boat, and it cost me believe the warning, and took surge but we
cyclone in 1991. I employ 12
500,000TK (5000E). I am not shelter in a haystack. The know it was co
day-laborers, and share
insured against disaster. shelter is 4 km from here. my own house
irrigation with other farmers.
During the last cyclone I There was a 6-meter storm hands. It is ve
We moved here to be closer to
The four sections are composed of a
stored my boat inside a canal. surge and three of my sons has central colu
the cyclone shelter where I
Last year pirates robbed us. died in the storm. It took 6 a killa (plinth
am also teaching to pay for
months to repair my house cattle in the ne
my children to attend college.
and cost 20,000TK (200E).
cloud of topics, personal interviews,
building types and material flows.
rope sh salt shrimps bamboo
salt water
sh sea water
THE SALT FIELDS jute
30 50
17. WATER AND THE LAND MULTIPURPOSE CYCLONE SHELTER
The availability of The most visible sign of The essence of mixed-use cyclone shelters Since the great cyclones of 1970 and 1991 a
Five points of cyclonic architecture
fresh drinking water is Latrine pit Ponds Bangladesh’ struggle
1
lot of single purpose cyclone shelters have pilotis against flooding
been constructed. The cyclone shelters were
central to life in Sanitation in the countryside of Bangladesh is The pond is the source of water for washing and irrigation. Ponds can be used by a single against the elements is only used during cyclones, and were In order to protect the cyclone shelter
solved by latrine pits adjacent to the homes. Latrine household or by the community. Pond filtration systems can be installed to provide fresh
Bangladesh. With pits are usually constructed of concrete ring slabs, a drinking water from ponds. This system is used in areas where drilling tube wells isn’t possible. the cyclone shelters. therefore exclusively designed for that use. from storm surges, the building has been
Due to the resulting lack of daily use raised 6 meters into the air by using
arsenic poisoning and floorplate and a small structure for privacy. If tube wells nor filtration systems are available the ponds might be used for drinking water. This These concrete outside the cyclone seasons, there was a pilotis made of concrete.
is a big health risk, especially in combinations with flooding and low lying pit latrines. Diarrheal
epidemics caused by buildings are raised lack of money to maintain the building.
2
outbreaks occur annually due to this reason. roof terrace for extra capacaty
Cyclone shelters therefore deteriorated in
flash floods it’s the above the land, acting due time, some of which had to be
Since the cyclone shelters are often
most critical health as a safe haven during single purpose cyclone shelter single purpose school single purpose concrete building
demolished later on.
crowded during the disaster, the roof
issue the country has to a cyclone and its storm terrace can allow for extra capacity as
well as rain water storage for drinking.
deal with. surge. NGOs and the Combining the need for specific functions
= 3
with the cyclone shelters could optimize the concrete walls for protection
government are now use of cyclone shelters. These structures
then become multi purpose cyclone To make sure that all people using the
trying to create hybrid shelters, opening the space for various cyclone shelter are safe and sound, the
functions for these functions for the community. These walls have to be strong enough to
include: primary schools, madrasas, office withstand the strong gusts of wind.
arsenic, As 33 cyclone shelters. For spaces for NGOs, mosques, etc.
4
instance: cyclone multi purpose cyclone shelter ... used also as... primary school free floor plan
shelter cum school, The floorplan should be free enough, so
that the shelter’s program can change all
150m cyclone shelter cum
=
Concrete structures in Bangladesh are not around the year. It can then be used as
Shallow tube well Deep tube well mosque, and cyclone very common, especially the rural areas of school or office for instance.
the country. These ”pucca” buildings could
shelter cum office. The
5
Shallow tube wells are used to extract ground water for Deep tube wells are the most common source of fresh potentially provide shelter for people windows with metal shutters
during cyclones, but most do not provide
drinking. In most areas of Bangladesh shallow tube wells are a drinking water. In order to avoid arsenic poisoning deep tube modernistic concept this option, so that both the cyclone During a cyclone, the open windows
health risk due to high levels of arsenic in the ground. wells are dug to a depth of 150 meters.
shows through the five shelters and the concrete structures are should be protected from outside winds.
single purpose buildings. Metal shutters make sure that everyone
points shown here. concrete structure ... used also as... concrete struture used as cyclone shelter
inside is safe and sound.
Rasheda, Razia, shrimp
housewife farmer
My husband is a day laborer
I used to live in a bamboo Mumtaz, teacher
house but now we have built a
14
on other farms. He earns brick and concrete house. Our I work as a primary teacher in
150TK (1,50E) per day. The relatives helped us with the the cyclone shelter and
NGOs call us hardcore poor. I costs. We do not own this receive training from an
work in the household. Other land, and we work on our NGO. We have a lot of space.
women in the village think landlord’s land. In the wet Children start school at age 4.
I’m crazy. We don’t have any season we cultivate shrimp School is free for girls and
money to repair our house, or and in dry season collect salt. 50TK a month for boys.
llah, salt make it stronger. During a cyclone warning we
In the 1991 disaster I lost my evacuate furniture and books.
parents and 6 siblings. It took
storm in 1991. us two years to repair the We would like a megaphone
6-meter storm fields. We also migrated here here to sound the alarm but
e heard didn’t 30 years ago due to river we don’t have it. Our main
oming. I rebuilt erosion. We never received problems in the shelter after a
e with my own any help from NGOs to build disaster are with water and
ery strong and back as this is considered a sanitation. There are no
umns. We need high-risk disaster area. separate toilets for men and
h) to save our women. We would like to
ext disaster. store rainwater on the roof.
bricks clay palm tree
ken brick
bam
boo ma
t fresh water bro s
boo po
bam les
metal led metal tal rods clay bricks sand cement iimestone
roll me
18. Next to organizing an interdiscipli-
nary workshop in Bangladesh, as well
15
as an exhibition, symposium, publi-
cation back in the Netherlands, we
designed a game to express complex-
ities in designing suitable dwellings.
Bangla Roulettes’ players experience
the architectural dilemmas related to
local customs, materials and disaster.
Cyclones hit Bangladesh in the transitional pe-
riods before and after the wet season. The wet
season brings floods, and cholera outbreaks are
common during this time. In order to survive
the extreme storm surge of a cyclone, houses
and livelihoods have to be adequate
19. Bangladesh relies heavily on humani-
tarian aid and has the largest amount
17
of registerd nongovernmental organ-
izations in the world. Unfortunately
many of these organizations operate
parallel to eachother and there is no
central planning in place for disaster
relief, rehabilitation or preparedness.
NGOs are accountable to the donor.
The game is played in around the seasons, and
each player must build up his house. He makes
money according to his livelihood, and can
purchase his materials at the bazar. Fate is an
important aspect of the cycle, and Insha’Allah
cards are a must be drawn as part of the game.
20. 16
The four players represent the four case stud-
ies, an urban and a rural person from both the
east and the west. The direction of the cyclone
is unpredictable and may strike either side.
Saving lives has improved over the last years as
Gorki caused 150 000 deaths vs Sidr’s 3500.
21. 18
Pucca (permanent) and katcha (non perma-
nent) materials can be bought at the bazar. The
game looks at specifically at the rehabilitation
period: how to build back better, as the relief
phase is covered by cyclone shelters, and long
term preparedness involves coastal protection.
23. 20
The material pavilion is designed for architec- The pavilion is expressed as wall of drawers,
ture students to research material properties as and can be entered when the drawers contain-
well as a storage for the sample library. A pro- ing the samples are pulled out. The focus of
gram for the sensual experience of the material the project was on the succesful transforma-
properties was added. tion from conceptual design to prototype.
24. 21
The metal drawer system was tested using the The acoustic space where material samples can
Finite Element Method in iDIANA software. be tested was designed using BOA software.
This program guided structural design aspects. This program guided us in the choice of wood.
25. 22
The foam insulated heating elements were A prototype was built in the workshop of a
tested using TRISCO software, in order to de- composite sandwich beam in an unusual
sign the optimal directional heat. shape. The prototype was built full scale.
26. 23
The beam was designed as a composite of foam
and metal. The two were connected with a lot
of glue, many C-profiles and bolts!
27. 24
The design and manufacture of the prototype
was carried out in a team of two. Skills such as
welding, bending and spinning were applied.
29. 26
In the flat landscape of
the Netherlands, large dol-
mans have always repre-
sented marking points in
the landscape. The stones,
deposited here during the
ice age are places of orienta-
tion, ‘eyecathers’. The large
stones are still sold in the
area where the brief was
developed and are a symbol
engrained in local culture.
31. The design was inspired both by
these marking stones, as well as the
way they have been piled up to rep-
resent a new landscape. The large
openings provide lighting shafts for
the office interiors. The contrast in
materialisation of rough rubble con-
crete with glass creates contrast like
a precious gem with rough exterior.
28
33. 30
A lamp is sometimes a lan-
tern, a flashlight, a focused
light, or a reading light.
This design lets the lamp
fold out according to need,
and the electrical wiring
makes a connection at the
hinges which are cast into
four U-profile composites.
This enables a design with
natural fibre, giving a beau-
tifully soft glow of light.
