Architectural Association School of Architecture

Jorrit Vulker

The Golden Box: A place that gives people a save haven and the possibility to bring their personal belongings during natural disasters.

Thousands of people did not have the possibility to evacuate New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. People were stuck in traffic, had no money to leave the city or stayed at home because of previous hurricane experiences. Thousands of people took shelter for a few days in the Superdome. Without enough food, medicine, camp beds and sanitary facilities, these days became a horrible experience for many people.

The Golden Box is a primary object in the Lower Ninth Ward, situated in New Orleans-East. The Lower Ninth Ward was New Orleans' hardest hit area during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. This primary object functions as a symbol of survival where people can have a safe haven and have the possibility to bring their personal belongings.

Each person in the shelter has six coupons a day to buy food and drinks. The food store is a dynamic element that moves between the floors which means an absolute form of organisation, avoiding queues of waiting that result in chaos.

The building is organised in different zones that refer to the separation of the neighbourhood. Eight zones are sleep facilities, one for personal belongings and three zones for the different types of primary life facilities. The facade is an individual element of the building where people can open windows along different points to have a view over their neighbourhood. Between these zones and facade is open space where ventilation, rain and sunlight controls the environment of the corridor where people can have a walk to change their position.