Architect Shigeru Ban had begun his experiments with ecologically-sound building materials such as cardboard tubes and paper. His remarkable structures are often intended as temporary housing, designed to help the dispossessed in disaster-struck nations such as Haiti, Rwanda or Japan.
Shigeru ban started exploring the structural possibilities of the cardboard tube as a building component, testing its stability and durability in the development of temporary constructions. he discovered that no only was the material strong, but also easy to waterproof and fireproof, making it an affordable, cost-effective material option. having been involved in a number of monumental projects and integrating cardboard tubes into his architectural schemes, ban realized that his practice and selected medium could be pushed further.
Shigeru ban recently spoke at TEDx Tokyo about the responsibility of the architect in the wake of a natural disaster, and why he started to construct emergency shelters out of paper.
