Church Building Blue Prints
Below are the preliminary blue prints that will be used to reconstruct the damaged church buildings. Since the structures will be composed of wood and steel they will preform much better at withstanding any future earthquakes or hurricanes. The basic structure will resemble a pole barn that can then be added onto later by the congregation as needs grow.
West Side-Gable Side 2 Wall Girt View
Pole Layout
North Side-Eave Side 2 Wall Girt View
North Side-Eave Side 2 Truss and Purlin Layout
West Side-Gable 2 Steel Wall Layout
Download a PDF of the Reconstruction Blue Prints
Rationale for Provisional Structures
Based on the best available information, it is reasonable to believe that the Haitian government
will now require a building code for public buildings such as churches and schools. Given the
typical political process in Haiti it is reasonable to assume that for the ease building codes to
be established a bureaucracy created to manage the approval and inspection process at the
very minimum will take at least a year. Congregations cannot wait that long for protection
from sun and rain. We have chosen to build wooden pole barn structures as provisional
buildings because:
They are durable – Constructed with pressure treated lumber, these buildings are resistant
to insects and weather damage so that they can actually be permanent buildings. They
can be built to both earthquake and hurricane codes.
They are economical – There is no way to build structures of this size for a cheaper
square footage price.
They are scalable – In most cases we intend to build a 40 x 64 foot main structure. This
primary building can be increased to a 72 x 96 foot building by constructing a simple
extension on all four sides.
They are flexible – Because the entire building rests on perimeter walls the interior space
can be left wide open for use as a sanctuary or divided by interior walls in any way
desired.
They are attractive – There are a number of ways these buildings can be finished for an
attractive appearance. The roofs are finished with colored steel and the exterior wall can
be done in a variety of ways including familiar stucco.
They can be built quickly – This basic building can be built in a week.
At present the population in general is very fearful of block and concrete buildings, having
witnessed the loss of life caused by masonry structures. There is an important psychological
effect for this generation to be gathering in a safer building for an active earthquake zone.
