Emergency Architects Foundation facts for kids
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| Formation | 2001 |
|---|---|
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Purpose | Humanitarianism |
| Headquarters | Paris, Sydney, Montreal |
| Website | [1] |
The Emergency Architects Foundation is a group from France that helps people after big problems like natural disasters. It is a non-profit organization. This means they don't work for a government and their main goal is to help others, not to make money.
The foundation is supported by the French Order of Architects. It is also recognized by important groups like the United Nations and the European Union. This helps them work all over the world.
Emergency Architects also has teams in Australia (Emergency Architects Australia) and Canada (Emergency Architects Canada). Their main goal is to give help and technical advice to people affected by disasters. These can be natural events like earthquakes, or problems caused by technology or people. They help by checking how safe places are and by rebuilding after a disaster. They focus on making things better for the long term and preventing future risks.
Contents
How the Foundation Started
The Emergency Architects Foundation began in April 2001. An architect named Patrick Coulombel started it in Amiens, France. This happened after the River Somme flooded in 2001. A group of architects came together to offer their skills. They wanted to help people affected by the flood and protect the area's important buildings.
Emergency Architects Around the World
Emergency Architects Australia (EAA) started in 2005. This was after a big tsunami hit Indonesia. Since then, EAA has worked in many countries. These include Indonesia, Pakistan, the Solomon Islands, and Sri Lanka. Andrea Nield is the president of EAA. Over 300 people are members of EAA. Many groups support them, like the Union of International Architects. They also work with organizations like the European Union and the Australian Red Cross.
Emergency Architects Canada was created in 2007. Bernard Mac Namara is its president.
Overall, Emergency Architects has completed 28 projects in 24 countries. They have checked over 39,600 buildings for safety. They have also helped build about 8,500 new structures.
As of August 2025, the foundation is working on 12 projects. These projects are in countries like Afghanistan, Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, Chad, East Timor, and Australia.
What Emergency Architects Aims to Do
The main goals of the Emergency Architects Foundation are:
- To support architects who want to help people in need, both in France and worldwide. This also helps improve architecture.
- To train architects with the skills to help people after natural, technological, or human disasters.
- To encourage more training for architects around the world.
- To protect and promote important historical and cultural buildings and sites globally.
How Emergency Architects Works
Architects, engineers, and planners use their special skills. They know about preventing risks and how to build strong structures. They use this knowledge to help people in a way that lasts. They assist after natural disasters like tsunamis or earthquakes. They also help after technological problems, like a chemical factory explosion. Sometimes, they help after human-caused problems, like civil conflicts.
They always work closely with the local people. They also try to use building materials that are found nearby.
The foundation has 533 staff members from 23 different countries. More than 1,200 architects and engineers have helped with Emergency Architects' projects in 21 countries.
What Emergency Architects Does
The foundation helps in two main ways:
Emergency Help
- Mapping and Checking Damage: Architects quickly look at the disaster area. They figure out how bad the damage is. They also plan what people and supplies are needed to keep everyone safe right away. They also help people find new homes quickly.
- Working Together: They help create good partnerships. These are between Emergency Architects, local communities, local governments, and other aid groups.
- Keeping People Safe: They set up safe areas around damaged buildings that might be dangerous. They check public services and homes. They also plan ways to make buildings stable or move people if there's danger. They find ways to keep people secure.
- Helping in Refugee Camps: They work in Refugee camps to make living conditions better for people who have had to leave their homes.
Rebuilding Efforts
- Building New Homes: They help build strong and proper homes again. They also help fix important services like schools and basic businesses. They find new homes for people who were forced to move.
- Preventing Future Risks: They study the environment, city plans, technology, and building styles. This helps them rebuild in a way that is safer from future disasters.
- Building Skills: They help keep traditional building knowledge alive. They also add new features to make buildings stronger against future problems. They encourage training for local people, from builders to architects.
Where Emergency Architects Has Helped
In France
- Floods in the Somme Region (2001)
- AZF chemical factory explosion (2001)
- Floods in the Gard Region (2002)
- Earthquake in Martinique (2007)
In Africa
- Algeria, Bourmerdès earthquake (2003)
- Morocco, Al Hoceima earthquake (2004)
- Chad, Refugee camps in eastern Chad (2007)
- Sudan, report on displaced people (2007)
- RDC, study on displaced people
- Mauritius, improving slum areas (2008)
- Madagascar, earthquake (2004)
- Senegal, school building program
In Asia
- Timor Leste, School Sanitation project, building CVTL Headquarters and Maliana Gymnasium (2010-2011)
- Bangladesh, floods (2004)
- Iran, Earthquake in Bam (2003)
- Afghanistan, Training Workshop in Kabul (2004)
- Indonesia, 2004 tsunami (2004)
- Sri Lanka, 2004 tsunami (2004)
- Thailand, Khao Lak Island (June 2004)
- South Asia, 2004 tsunami (2005)
- Pakistan, 2005 Kashmir earthquake (2005)
- Indonesia, 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake (2006)
- Palestinian territories, rebuilding in Palestinian camps (2009)
In Europe
- 2002 European floods (2002)
In America
- Grenada Island and Haiti, Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Jeanne (2004)
- Peru 2007 Peru earthquake (2007)
- Canada, helping underprivileged people with housing (2007)
In Oceania
- Cook Islands Aitutaki, Cyclone Pat (2010)
- Solomon Islands, building school programs (2008, 2009, 2010) and latrine programs (2011)
- Solomon Islands, rebuilding after tsunami/earthquake (2007)
- Australia, building a temporary village after bushfires (2009)
Awards and Recognition
The Emergency Architects Foundation has received several awards and honors:
- The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized them for their international help.
- They have an agreement with ECHO, which is part of the European Commission.
- The United Nations works with them. They have a special status with EROSOC and work with UN agencies like UNHabitat and UNICEF.
- The Union International Architects signed a partnership with them in 2008.
- EAA is a full member of ACFID since 2008.
They also won two international prizes for their project in Sigli, Indonesia:
- The 2005 IFI AWARD, for the quality of their project and services to humanity.
- The 2006 Sustainable Development Prize from Imerys International.
Other awards include:
- The 2008 Marion Mahony Griffin Prize to Andrea Nield.
- The 2009 AMO prize for Habitat, Architecture, and Environment.
- A citation from the World Architecture Community Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Fundación Arquitectos de la emergencia para niños
- Architects Assist
- Engineers Without Borders
