By: Emily D. Beat the flood

Global context and learner profile The global context I think was shown was globalization and sustainability. I think this because you are changing things globally. This is effecting how people live The learner profile I think it showed was risk-taker. I was a risk-taker by using popsicle sticks which absorb water but I still used them as the key element of my house.

Real world application In southern Bangladesh the fear of flood is real. People that build houses there have to consider the environment and what materials that are available in this region. How homes are built now are based on what has or has not worked in the past to withstand the environmental elements. I tried to incorporate my research and knowledge about the area into building my model home to know what materials I would have access to if I were building it there. The three main components of the home I built were large popsicle sticks, hot glue, and clay. These three items would have represented concrete, hardwood, and nails to build a house in this area.

research These are all the risk factors I have taken in and the ideas I have had. An idea I had was to build the home on stilts. As I was researching I had realized that stilts may not be the best option, because if water came down too hard the stilts could collapse or the house could cave in. An idea I had is to make the door with clay so there is not a possibility of water leaking in threw possible cracks in the door.

Understand the needs of your community Clay If you put clay around the seems of the walls it will help keep water out of the house. Popsicle Sticks If you place this around where the windows are, it counts as an extra layer of protection to keep the water out. Cling Film If you put this on the inside of your house it will be protection from bad weather or rain.

Design specification What properties do you need the materials in your home to have? To make sure they are waterproof and they will keep stable. What features do you want your home to have to make it suitable for the people who will live in it? I want to make sure there is enough space for the people to live comfortably and that there is insulation or something to keep them warm. What are the maximum and minimum dimensions of your design? The maximum I want is 30 cm x 30 cm and the minimum is 25 cm x 20. What type of structure do you think best suits the conditions and materials available on the island? The construction method I want is a square house with a triangular roof. I want to have extra protection by the windows. Will you consider the effect of your choice of materials on the environment> Yes, I will make sure that the materials I use will last and make sure they are environmentally friendly. What is the maximum cost you can spend on your design? The maximum cost I want to spend is $475.00.

Design ideas

Costing my home Material Quantity used Cost per unit Cost Hardwood 30m $10 $300.00 Corrugated iron 1 $40 $40.00 Concrete ½ block $20.00 Nails 50 10cents $5.00 Glass 2 $30 $60 Softwood (small) 12 $2 $24 Softwood (medium) 15

Material activities summary Water Proof? Strong or Bendy? Cost? Availability Hardwood Absorbs Water Bendy $10.00 River Corrugated Iron Waterproof $40.00 Boat Concrete Nails $0.10 Glass $30.00 Softwood (small) Strong, Not Bendy $2.00 In Forrest Softwood (medium)

Final design This is the finished product of my research and development. As you can see my main material is hardwood (aka large popsicle sticks). My design was okay at first, so I thought. After the flood came, my home warped and there were gaps where the nails came out of the wood. When I was building my house it seemed like it was going good, little did I know it was not sturdy. I was able to fix it but it was hard. This is what came out of all that hard work.

Visual presentation

Troubleshoot The problems that there were when I first tried to get the house wet was the walls of the house started to curve and warp as the home started to dry. Another problem when building was that the walls were built at different heights which made it difficult to attach the roof and made the roof unsteady. The hardest problem to solve was making the peak of the roof waterproof, we solved this by adding extra glue and clay.