Survivalist Architecture; Design for Post Apocalypse.

It’s been a few days since the movement control order to combat the contagious Corona virus was enforced. The road is emptier than usual, the routine sound of kids playing in the evening are now confined to the walls of their houses and I swear to god that the birds are singing much louder than before. There were cases reported from Venice where Dolphins and swan are coming back and roaming the now pollution free canals. Similar report has been sighted around the world.

Fact is, when human stops intervening so much, nature reclaims what has always been theirs.

It is not so hard to identify these sceneries with many post apocalypse centred movies one would at some point of their life had watched. I can’t help but wonder that in the event of apocalypse, (if human somehow manage to rebuild), how different life would be and what kind of architecture would it takes to fit in?

For example, World War 2 created an entirely new political climate, one based on apocalyptic fears and atomic or nuclear attack.

While there is no solution to plan for every end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it scenario, study shows that Our lifetime apocalypse is more based on the fear of natural disaster - hurricane, tornado, viral disease, even infected-zombie-people than nuclear attack (Vanessa Quirk, 2012).

Therefore, a comprehensive approach to sustainability can be a key factor in prepping each and every client for the inevitable and believe it or not our best chance of surviving and thriving in a post-apocalyptic world comes in less of the bunker variety, and more of the vertical farm or fortress to which post-apocalyptic designers had called ‘ESD’. Extremely Sustainable Design.

Whereas bunkers of the 1950s were meant to protect from nuclear attack from above (in fact using green roofs as camouflage), today’s apocalyptic structures are far more likely to have a green roof for food-production purposes. When natural disaster strikes - be it flood, drought, or earthquake - it will be the scarcity of resources (rather than the disaster itself) which will prove most perilous (Vanessa Quirk, 2012).

As Matt Jordan, one of the architects behind ‘Look Out House,’ the third-prize winner in Architects Southwest Zombie Safe House competition, told The Economist: “it needs to be simple and sustainable, capable of generating its own energy, food and water, and of managing its waste. This takes the ideas of 'off the grid' and 'sustainability' to great lengths, helping to push the boundaries and envision how we might live if our modern conveniences were stripped from us.”

That is what defines Extremely Sustainable Design (ESD).

Just take a look at some of the necessary characteristics suggested on Survivalist Architecture, via Coffee with An Architect:

• Energy Efficient Building Envelope - In an environment of scarce resources, the less energy a building requires, the better.

• Passive Solar Orientation - Key to both passive heating and natural daylighting, this is a key element to any survivalist.

• Rain Catchment Systems - Let’s face it, there’s no scenario on the table where potable water and sanitary sewer services will remain operational, so a basic greywater system is really a non-negotiable item to any project.

• Green Roof - Growing one’s own food is always a good idea, growing one’s own food in a reasonably defensible and concealable location in this situation would be vital.

• Solar Power / Photovoltaics - While the likelihood of finding repair parts in a post apocalypse wasteland is slim, the availability of electricity could be particularly useful during the transition period.

• Long-Life / Low Maintenance Materials - You’re going to be plenty busy dealing with the day to day business of hoarding supplies and scavenging for food, the last thing that’s going to be on your mind is, “When was the last time I water the lawn?”

• Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) Materials - There’s a significant chance you’ll be spending a whole lot of time indoors so dealing with Sick Building Syndrome is the last thing you want.

• Common Sense – There’s no substitute for it. If a coronavirus can make people lose their basic common sense, imagine what an apocalypse would do.

But let’s face it, architecturally speaking if the Apocalypse is now. It isn’t so bad after all isn’t it?

is the Future this?

or This?