Survivals Columns Part 1 Project 2010 Mohamed Elcharkawi Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport - Alexandria Campus | Egypt In those few past years many international and national disasters happened and their circumstances were that the refugees & the homeless peoples stay in tents for long periods of times that in some cases last for years, and this happen in my country. Since I spent 13 years of my life in a scouting team, I know how far it is difficult to live normally in a tent for a long period of time, tents don’t have any defensive property against fire, or climatic changes and they aren’t durable and gets weaker by the time and from the use. Also it enhances the social problems and the development of the epidemics. My project puts a solution for the bad efficiency of the refugee camps by developing a structure system that forms a spatial unit and have the advantages of the tent (light structure, can be opened and closed) and to solve its disadvantages in the environmental, social, and durability issues. My design was based on choosing light material with good properties in the sustainability & durability wise. I also tried to make a proposal of the use of this structure system and I was putting in consideration during the design process the terms of ventilation, circulation and the social issues such as the privacy.My project is solving also in other side the problem of the burning of the rice straw in Egypt that causes the black cloud that in many times covers the sky. My proposal was to use this huge amount of unused rice straw as the main coverage for the units, and it is by transforming it into wall panels using the pressure method. Homeless peoples & refugees around the world is a major problem, (survivals columns) is the project that puts a powerful solution for it, flexible units -replacing the tent structure- able to host people & create for them a suitable healthy community until the restoration of their homes & cities.Mohamed’s awareness & understanding of the tent system its advantages & disadvantages - as he spent a part of his time in a scouting team – was the main guideline in his design process. A strict criteria was put and well followed to develop a suitable system for these units, taking the advantages of the tent system and solving its disadvantages, choosing light, sustainable & environmentally friendly materials, also the mechanical system itself developed to establish these units is simple and well understood.The problem of the burning of the rice straw - causing pollution & black clouds - was also included in this project, as he used this priceless material with some treatments to form panels that will be used in walls & ceilings. Tutor(s)Prof Mohamed Gomma