Empowerment Model for Post-Earthquake Reconstruction of Urban Housing in Haiti

For the first time in human history, the majority of the world?s population lives in urban areas and of the 15 most populated cities, 11 are located in developing countries. This trend towards urbanization in the developing world is creating massive vulnerabilities to natural hazards, especially in housing, something that was tragically demonstrated in the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. This thesis offers a novel framework for post-quake residential construction in the developing world, which extends beyond engineering, and into financial, capacity, and cultural constraints. The ultimate goal is to establish sustainable solutions through the empowerment of local populations. This thesis also details a case study in the implementation of the framework in Haiti, which results in a paradigm shift from traditional masonry construction to a frame and panel system. The latter half of the thesis details the design of the new system, as well as constructability issues in urban Haiti.