Contested Terrian: C.H.U containerized housing unit

At the time of President Barrack Obama's announcement of his plan to withdraw from Iraq there were 31 million material items remaining on military bases. As one article outlines: 100,000 vehicles, 120,000 containers, 34,000 tons of ammunition, 618 aircraft, 300,000 American personnel, 2.7 million candy bars,15,000 strips of beef jerky, 1.6 million cans of soda and330,696 CDs and DVDs.

Coinciding with this, are 4.7 million Iraqi citizens who have been displaced from their homes, many of whom have lost family members and lack the support of government-funded refugee programs. In addition, the psychological cost of war is clearly illustrated by the statistics on veteran suicide. Eighteen veterans of war kill themselves every day. This adds up to 6,500 suicides per year in the United States and is largely due to the diffi cult transition back into civilian life with many suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Lastly, this moment in Iraq's history aligns well with a still greater crisis placed on humanity-that of increased climate change and the need for sustainable practices as Iraq rebuilds itself.

The combination of these transitions is the basis of the critical program that will be explored during this studio project. By viewing the combination of all of the circumstances outlined above as opportunities for positive change rather than negative results of impacts of war, a solution which benefits each group emerges. The solution takes the form of soldier-built refugee dwellings made from reused containerized housing units (CHUs). These units are adapted to accommodate the Iraqi refugees and the rich religious and cultural vernacular building forms found in their former homes.