Bus Stop, Tagpuro,
Philippines, 2015  

Collaborative design and build of a bus stop with community mapping to understand the impacts of post disaster relocation after super typhoon Haiyan.

This project was designed by four master’s students from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) under the supervision and coordination of Alexander Eriksson Furunes, as part of the reconstruction of the NPO Streetlight. Following the devastations of Super Typhoon Haiyan, Tagpuro was designated as a relocation zone and the population as anticipated to increase dramatically—from 200 to 2,000 families. Little effort had been made to inform the local community about the relocation or its impact, and relocated families were housed in enclosed compounds, separated from existing residents. Working collaboratively with both the existing community and the relocated families, the students mapped current and future households to better understand and visualize the impacts of the relocation. The local bus stop, situated adjacent to the main road and community hall, was identified as the optimal place to display the community map. Noticing that the bus stop was in poor condition, the students and the local municipality decided to build a new bus stop with a police station on top. This small but symbolic intervention served as a catalyst to engage and mobilize the community in the preparation of rebuilding Streetlight’s facilities.

Team: Anders Gunleiksrud, Lars Sebastian Østlie,
Kristin Solhaug Næss & John Haddal Mork
Supervisor: Alexander Eriksson Furunes & Hans Skotte
Partners: Barangay Tagpuro