SHIP’S AFTERLIFE
Academic Work | Group Work
Core Design Studio II - Cornell AAP
Year: SP 2024
Type: Ship Cutting Guideline, Housing Complex, School
Site Location: Chattogram, Bangladesh
Instructor: Christopher A. Battaglia + Farzin Lotfi-Jam
Group: Xie Peng
The Guideline to Create Housing Community
From Ship Breaking
After ships are retired, many end up in ship breaking yards in Bangladesh. Despite the deadly and chaotic nature of this process, which harms both humans and the environment, steel from ships is crucial for Bangladesh as they need to melt it down and reuse it.
Our approach was to bring a sense of formality into the current disorganized and improvisational process. We developed a Ship Cutting and Assembly Guideline to extract pre-fabricated components from ships to create housing and School communities. So, this is the potential of ‘Ship’s Afterlife.’
Chattogram, Bangladesh
Inevitability of Ship Breaking
Ship breaking comes with significan human and environmental costs. Workers often operate without protective gear, leading to many casualties. Additionally, coastal ecosystems and local communities suffer from toxic spills and other types of pollution caused by the breaking operations.
Despite these issues, Bangladesh hosts one of the largest ship breaking yards in the world, surpassing any other nation. The primary reason for this is the crucial need for scrap steel. It is more economical for Bangladesh to reuse scrap steel from ship breaking to build infrastructure than to import steel or establish steel mines. This necessity makes ship breaking inevitable.
Despite these issues, Bangladesh hosts one of the largest ship breaking yards in the world, surpassing any other nation. The primary reason for this is the crucial need for scrap steel. It is more economical for Bangladesh to reuse scrap steel from ship breaking to build infrastructure than to import steel or establish steel mines. This necessity makes ship breaking inevitable.
Informal Formality - Ship Breaking Process
The ship breaking process consists of four main stages: 1. Dismantling machinery and removing oil, 2. Deconstructing the mega-structure, 3. Cutting the ships into smaller pieces and transporting them to the cutting yard, 4. Final cutting at the cutting yard. Once the cutting is complete, the scrap steel is sent to metal factories, melted down, and reshaped for reuse, eventually contributing to infrastructure construction across the country.
While there is a general sequence for breaking ships down into smaller pieces, the process is largely manual, with cuts made randomly, and each ship has different dimensions. As a result, the outcome varies each time. Our goal was to introduce a sense of formality to this chaotic process through the creation of a ‘Ship Cutting and Assembly Guideline.’
While there is a general sequence for breaking ships down into smaller pieces, the process is largely manual, with cuts made randomly, and each ship has different dimensions. As a result, the outcome varies each time. Our goal was to introduce a sense of formality to this chaotic process through the creation of a ‘Ship Cutting and Assembly Guideline.’
Ship Cutting Guideline
Instead of relying on random cuts, we propose a ‘Ship Cutting Guideline’ that focuses on the ribbed structure, the most common structural element in most ships. By making guided cuts toward target geometries, a once retired ship can be transformed into pre-fabricated components for housing units.
These components have inherent spatial qualities that suit the climate of Bangladesh. Through this process, a single ship can yield approximately 40 housing units.
These components have inherent spatial qualities that suit the climate of Bangladesh. Through this process, a single ship can yield approximately 40 housing units.
Ship Cutting Guideline
Assembly Guideline - Housing Units
Assembly Guideline - Housing Unit
Construction Process
1. Foundation & Pre-fab Components 2. Steel Beams 3. Bamboo Structure 4. Bamboo Cladding
Assembly Guideline - School
Construction Process
1.Foundation & Pre-fab Components 2. Steel Beams 3. Bamboo Structure 4. Bamboo Cladding
A Ship’s Afterlife
Providing housing and schools alone does not guarantee a vibrant, welcoming community where people are willing to live. Our goal was to ensure that residents feel comfortable and at home in this new environment. To achieve this, we incorporated bamboo and mud - materials abundant in Bangladesh - as cladding. This natural layer softens the steel layer and creates a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
With this final touch, those once-retired ships, originally designed to carry goods across the water, are genuinely reborn as soaces where people can live and belong. At the end of the day, what touches your skin matters.
With this final touch, those once-retired ships, originally designed to carry goods across the water, are genuinely reborn as soaces where people can live and belong. At the end of the day, what touches your skin matters.
Fingers Crossed to the Future of Bangladesh :)
While we developed a general ship cutting and assembly guideline, this project is only one example of the potential outcomes. Due to variations in ship types and dimensions, the target geometries and the ratio of housing to schools will differ, resulting in diverse assemblies and arrangements.
Following our guideline does not mean every component or community will look the same every time. However, with this framework, ship breakers can aim to identify components suitable for creating housing, rather than simply cutting ships into smaller pieces for easier melting.
We believe that having intentional target geometries can make a significant difference. We hope that this shift in focus will help address the housing crisis, improve literacy rates, and rehabilitate mangrove forests in Bangladesh. Fingers crossed!
Following our guideline does not mean every component or community will look the same every time. However, with this framework, ship breakers can aim to identify components suitable for creating housing, rather than simply cutting ships into smaller pieces for easier melting.
We believe that having intentional target geometries can make a significant difference. We hope that this shift in focus will help address the housing crisis, improve literacy rates, and rehabilitate mangrove forests in Bangladesh. Fingers crossed!
Thanks to my precious craftsman Pete (Xie Peng)