The initiation of START aims to harness the knowledge and expertise of TU Delft students and experts from diverse fields to develop residential solutions for individuals affected by earthquakes. Research has demonstrated that houses were not constructed to withstand earthquakes, leading to catastrophic architectural and humanitarian consequences. Given crisis sites’ varied geographical, political, cultural, and social factors, creating long-term earthquake-resilient housing solutions in Turkey is only sometimes feasible. As such, START focuses on an architectural engineering approach, collaborating with other domains such as earth sciences, psychology, and civil engineering.

The initiative’s prototype development involves a three-phase approach. The first phase involved organising a workshop week from the 20th to the 24th of March, 2023. Lectures and panel discussions complemented it, and the week allowed interdisciplinary groups of TU Delft students to create prototypes of shelters or houses for the impacted region. To ensure the students received the best guidance and support, we enlisted the help of several professionals and specialists. The workshop week was organised by five coordinators, five advisory professors, and 15 assisting students, with 60 students from various faculties participating. To make their designs as realistic as possible, the students received mentorship from over 25 experts, firms, specialists, tutors, and teachers.

We are currently in phase two of the initiative’s prototype development, which involves analysing the designs created by the students during the workshop week and building a network to develop a blueprint model. The following phase focuses on finalising the design and establishing connections with institutes that can help bring the design to life. In September 2023, we will host a summer school where students collaborate with engineering firms like ARUP and ABT to build and test a scale 1:1 model. At the same time, we will work on establishing connections with local stakeholders. We will allocate resources accordingly once we understand all local and international stakeholders who support us through financial contributions, expertise, or equipment. After successful prototype testing, the project management team will begin the actual building process.

During the project’s final phase, our foremost priority is to offer support to the local community throughout the building process. We intend to share our blueprints, contacts, and knowledge gathered during the initial two phases, thus making this information readily available online. Our ultimate goal is to aid the locals in constructing homes resistant to earthquakes. We are more than willing to assist during the construction within our capacity. We will be present on-site to clarify the blueprints and oversee the construction process to ensure no miscalculations.