According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Korea has had an average of 20 earthquakes yearly since 1978. 

The high rate of earthquakes — as well as tsunamis, landslides, and floods — inspired architect Shigeru Ban to create a simple solution for families displaced by natural disasters. 

In 2023, the world-famous architect created and showcased “Paper Temporary House for Korea,” a project that highlighted the artist’s continuing work in innovative, easily deployable housing.

“The prototype of Paper Temporary House for Korea is a simple structure with paper tubes as columns, paper honeycomb boards with Hanji (Korean traditional paper) finish as modular wall panels, and paper tubes as roof structure,” reads a statement Ban’s official website. 

“As all materials are lightweight and easy to handle, this house can be built even without skilled contractors or builders.”

Ban goes on to explain that Hanji is an adaptable material that can be used for interior walls, window units, and floor finishes — all while absorbing humidity and regulating the room temperature. 

“The design also takes into consideration easy disassembly for relocation,” Ban writes. “All parts can be dismantled easily and be rebuilt with [the] same parts.”

This eco-friendly approach to design extends down to the foundation, which Ban built out of recycled crates used to carry makgeolli — a rice wine popular in Korea. 

Ban also adds that the wall units and columns are modular, making it easier to expand the size of the house to accommodate larger families. 

“This prototype utilizes the excellent qualities of Hanji and also explores the potential of paper,” the architect surmises. 

In the years since, Ban has gone on to build a number of temporary houses around the world, from Paper Log Houses in Marigha, Morocco to Dowel Laminated Timber Housing in Suzu, Japan. 

Through his work, Ban regularly engages with up-and-coming architects. 

“When we were students, we were looking for star architects,” he said in an interview with Yale. “Now many students are really interested in social problems, so they come to me, and they help us. I think these young people are more socially oriented than we were.”

Ban told Yale he enjoys flying his students to disaster sites to help build shelters in real time. 

“That’s the best available training.”

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Header images via Shigeru Ban