Michael McDaniel: Cheap, effective shelter for disaster relief

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

譯者: Karen SONG 審譯者: Marssi Draw

So, I'm going to start off with kind of the buzzkill a little bit.

我要以一個掃興的事實來開講

Forty-two million people

4200 萬人

were displaced by natural disasters in 2010.

在 2010 年發生的自然災害中流離失所

Now, there was nothing particularly special about 2010,

但 2010 年並沒有特別倒楣

because, on average, 31 and a half million people

因為每年平均有 3150 萬人

are displaced by natural disasters every single year.

在自然災害中流離失所

Now, usually when people hear statistics or stats like that,

人們聽到這樣的統計資料

you start thinking about places like Haiti or other kind of

通常會想到像海地這樣的外國

exotic or maybe even impoverished areas, but it happens

或者是更遙遠、更貧困的地區

right here in the United States every single year.

然而這卻是每年發生在美國境內的數量

Last year alone, 99 federally declared disasters

僅去年一年，聯邦應急管理署 (FEMA) 認定

were on file with FEMA,

並登記在案的天災有 99 件

from Joplin, Missouri, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama,

從密蘇里州的喬普林 阿拉巴馬州的塔斯卡羅薩的龍捲風

to the Central Texas wildfires that just happened recently.

到最近發生在德州中部的野火

Now, how does the most powerful country in the world

這個全世界最強勢的國家

handle these displaced people?

又是怎樣安置災民的呢？

They cram them onto cots, put all your personal belongings

他們讓災民塞在簡易窄床上，把你所有的東西

in a plastic garbage bag, stick it underneath,

裝進一個塑膠垃圾袋，塞在床下

and put you on the floor of an entire sports arena,

然後讓你住在體育場

or a gymnasium.

或者體育館的地板上

So obviously there's a massive housing gap,

顯然，這是一個很大的居住匱乏問題

and this really upset me, because academia tells you

這讓我非常痛心，因為學術界告訴我們

after a major disaster, there's typically about

在重大災害發生後，一般來說

an 18-month time frame to -- we kinda recover,

大概經過 18 個月後，我們才開始恢復

start the recovery process,

開始重建過程

but what most people don't realize is that on average

但大多數人都不知道

it takes 45 to 60 days or more

惡名昭彰的聯邦應急管理署平均要花

for the infamous FEMA trailers to even begin to show up.

45 到 60 天或更多的時間，才會派拖車到現場

Before that time, people are left to their own devices.

在這之前，災民只能自己想辦法

So I became obsessed with trying to figure out a way

因此我沉迷於找出一個好辦法

to actually fill this gap.

來填補這個缺口

This actually became my creative obsession.

這件事讓我成為了創意狂熱者

I put aside all my freelance work after hours and started

我推掉了所有的兼職工作

just focusing particularly on this problem.

開始專心研究這個問題

So I started sketching.

我開始畫草圖

Two days after Katrina, I started sketching and sketching

在卡崔娜颶風發生的兩天後， 我開始整日畫著草圖

and trying to brainstorm up ideas or solutions for this,

試著腦力激盪出解決方案

and as things started to congeal or ideas started to form,

當想法開始成形

I started sketching digitally on the computer,

我開始用電腦來繪圖

but it was an obsession, so I couldn't just stop there.

我沉迷其中，無法就此停手

I started experimenting, making models,

我開始做實驗、做模型

talking to experts in the field, taking their feedback,

諮詢這個領域的專家， 接受他們的反饋意見

and refining, and I kept on refining and refining

去蕪存菁，不斷改善

for nights and weekends for over five years.

利用晚上和週末的時間，研究了五年多

Now, my obsession ended up driving me to create

最終，我的狂熱導致

full-size prototypes in my own backyard — (Laughter) —

我在自家後院裡製造了等比例的樣品模型 （笑聲）

and actually spending my own personal savings on

花的是我自己的儲蓄

everything from tooling to patents

來購買工具、申請專利

and a variety of other costs,

以及負擔其他的各種成本

but in the end I ended up with this modular housing system

最終我完成了這個組合式的房屋系統

that can react to any situation or disaster.

可以對任何情形或災害做出緊急應變

It can be put up in any environment,

它適用於任何環境

from an asphalt parking lot to pastures or fields,

包括柏油路面的停車場，或是草地、田野

because it doesn't require any special setup

因為它無需任何特殊搭建

or specialty tools.

或者特殊工具

Now, at the foundation and kind of the core

整個系統的基礎與核心

of this whole system is the Exo Housing Unit,

是 Exo 居住小屋

which is just the individual shelter module.

是獨立的避難模組

And though it's light, light enough that you can actually

它的重量非常輕

lift it by hand and move it around,

可以徒手舉起、搬動

and it actually sleeps four people.

還能住進四個人

And you can arrange these things as kind of more

你可以將這些居住小屋

for encampments and more of a city grid type layout,

安排成營地或是市景街道的棋盤式格局

or you can circle the wagons, essentially,

也可以圍成一圈

and form these circular pods out of them,

可以如圖所示排列

which give you this semi-private communal area

這樣就能形成一個半私密的公共區域

for people to actually spill out into so they're not actually

人們可以在這裡透透氣

trapped inside these units.

而不必把自己關在小屋裡

Now this fundamentally changes

這個發明從根本上

the way we respond to disasters,

改變了我們應對災害的方式

because gone are the horrid conditions

因為體育場館裡的

inside a sports arena or a gymnasium, where people

混亂狀況將不復存在

are crammed on these cots inside.

人們不再需要擠在那些簡易窄床上

Now we have instant neighborhoods outside.

我們在室外就有現成的社區

So the Exo is designed to be simply, basically

Exo 小屋基本上被設計成

like a coffee cup. They can actually stack together

咖啡杯的樣子，能夠逐個疊起來

so we get extremely efficient transportation

所以運輸和儲存

and storage out of them.

就變得效率非凡

In fact, 15 Exos can fit on a single semi truck by itself.

事實上，1.5 輛卡車就可以 裝下 15 個 Exo 小屋

This means the Exo can actually be transported and set up

這就意味著運輸和組裝 Exo 小屋

faster than any other housing option available today.

比現有的任何一種組合屋都要快速

But I'm obsessive, so I couldn't just stop there,

但是我已深陷其中，無法就此罷手

so I actually started modifying the bunks where you could

所以我開始調整床舖的位置

actually slide out the bunks and slide in desks or shelving,

以便能把床鋪方便地 替換成桌子和擱架

so the same unit can now be used

這樣一來同樣的小屋就能

for an office or storage location.

作為辦公室或儲藏室了

The doors can actually swap out, so you can actually put on

門板也可以輕易拆卸

a rigid panel with a window unit in it for climate control,

所以你可以換成有窗戶的硬板 來配合天氣做變化

or a connector module that would allow you to actually

或者換成一種連接模組

connect multiple units together, which gives you

讓你可以組合這些小屋

larger and kind of compartmentalized living spaces,

形成更大且可劃分的生活空間

so now this same kit of parts, this same unit

如此一來，同樣的組件，同樣的小屋

can actually serve as a living room, bedroom or bathroom,

可以作為客廳、臥房、浴室

or an office, a living space and secure storage.

或是辦公室 可以是居住的空間和安全的倉庫

Sounds like a great idea, but how do you make it real?

聽起來是很好的想法，但如何實現呢？

So the first idea I had, initially, was just

我的第一個想法

to go the federal and state governments and go,

就是去聯邦政府和州政府遊說

"Here, take it, for free."

「免費拿去用吧！」

But I was quickly told that, "Boy, our government

但很快我就被告知：「小夥子，我們的政府

doesn't really work like that." (Laughter)

可不能這樣辦事。」 （笑聲）

Okay. Okay. So maybe I would start a nonprofit

好吧……我也許能設立一個非營利性組織

to kind of help consult and get this idea going

向政府推廣這個想法，提供諮詢服務

along with the government, but then I was told,

但我又被告知

"Son, our government looks to private sector

「小夥子，我們的政府只會向私營部門

for things like this."

進行這種採購。」

Okay. So maybe I would take this whole idea and go

好吧……也許我該把我的想法

to private corporations that would have this mutually shared

分享給能夠創造雙贏局面的私營部門

benefit to it, but I was quickly told by some corporations

但很快我就聽一些公司說

that my personal passion project was not a brand fit

我個人的熱血計畫 不符合他們的品牌訴求

because they didn't want their logos stamped

因為他們不想讓自己的商標

across the ghettos of Haiti.

遍佈海地的貧民區

Now, I wasn't just obsessed. I was outraged. (Laughter.)

這下我就不只是被迷惑了，我被激怒了！ （笑聲）

So I decided, kind of told myself,

我暗自下定決心

"Oh yeah? Watch this. I'll do it myself." (Laughter)

「哦，是嗎？走著瞧吧，我自己來！」 （笑聲）

Now, this quickly, my day job sent me to work out of

不久之後，我的全職工作讓我

our Milan office for a few months, so I was like,

離開米蘭的辦公室工作幾個月

what will I do? So I actually scheduled sleep on my calendar,

我問自己，能不能做點什麼？ 於是我在日曆列上睡眠的行程

and spent the 8-hour time difference on conference calls

然後利用 8 小時的時差進行電話會議

with material suppliers, manufacturers and potential customers.

聯繫原料供應商、製造商和潛在客戶

And we found through this whole process, we found

經過這段努力的過程

this great little manufacturer in Virginia,

我們找到了這家位在維吉尼亞州的優秀小廠商

and if his body language is any indication,

從這個人的動作可以看出

that's the owner — (Laughter) — of what it's like

他就是老闆 （笑聲）

for a manufacturer to work directly with a designer,

這就是建築商與設計師直接共事的情形

you've got to see what happens here. (Laughter)

你們一定要看看這裡發生什麼事 （笑聲）

But G.S. Industries was fantastic.

G.S 工業是一家了不起的企業

They actually built three prototypes for us by hand.

他們用手工做出了三個樣品模型

So now we have prototypes that can show that four people

因此，我們現在擁有了展示模型

can actually sleep securely and much more comfortably

顯示小屋可以安全地容納四個人生活

than a tent could ever provide.

這種生活也比以往 住帳篷的方式要舒服得多

And they actually shipped them here to Texas for us.

他們把模型運來德州

Now, a funny thing started happening.

這時，一件有趣的事情發生了

Other people started to believe in what we were doing,

別人開始相信我們所做的事

and actually offered us hangar space, donated hangar

有人捐了一個停機棚給我們

space to us. And then the Georgetown Airport Authority

喬治城機場管理局 也不遺餘力地幫助我們

was bent over backwards to help us with anything we needed.

提供我們需要的一切

So now we had a hangar space to work in,

現在我們能在停機棚裡工作

and prototypes to demo with.

也有展示模型

So in one year, we've negotiated manufacturing agreements,

不出一年，我們談妥生產合約

been awarded one patent, filed our second patent,

獲得一項專利，申請了第二項專利

talked to multiple people, demoed this to FEMA

與各種各樣的人交流 向聯邦應急管理署展示模型

and its consultants to rave reviews,

該署的諮詢師（對模型） 給予很高的評價

and then started talking to some other people who requested

還把我們介紹給前來諮詢

information, this little group called the United Nations.

稱為聯合國的小團體

And on top of that, now we have

除此之外

a whole plethora of other individuals that have come up

還有無數的個人找到我們談合作

and started to talk to us from doing it for mining camps,

包括採礦基地

mobile youth hostels, right down to the World Cup

流動的青年旅館，供給世界盃

and the Olympics.

和奧運會使用

So, in closing, on this whole thing here

總而言之，至今為止發生的一切

is hopefully very soon we will not have to

讓我們很可能不用再苦苦應付那些

respond to these painful phone calls that we get

災後充滿痛苦的來電

after disasters where we don't really have anything

而拿不出任何可供銷售或捐贈的東西

to sell or give you yet.

來應對災難

Hopefully very soon we will be there,

我希望不久之後 我們就能趕赴現場

because we are destined,

因為我們註定

obsessed with making it real.

且狂熱地要讓夢想成真

Thank you. (Applause)

謝謝大家 （掌聲）