In May 2006 there was a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java. The region most seriously affected by the earthquake is densely populated, with people living in small villages separated by rice fields.
*Ngelepen* During the earthquake, the homes in Ngelepen were not only rocked by the quake, but many houses were, in effect, swallowed whole by a catastrophic landslide. *Emaar, WANGO and DFTW* Less than three months later, a meeting between Taj Hamad, Secretary-General of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO), and Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Chairman, Emaar Properties, resulted in both men agreeing to bring relief to the villagers of Ngelepen through an innovative plan to quickly recreate the village whose destruction had instantly left so many homeless. Soon after that July meeting, and after the completion of an extensive feasibility study, Domes for the World Foundation (DFTW), a Utah-based non-profit organization, was retained. DFTW was tasked to rebuild the village of Ngelepen by applying its expertise in the construction of environmentally friendly homes that can withstand the severe effects of natural disasters. With a generous grant of $1 million from Emaar to WANGO, WANGO then contracted DFTW and work began in October of 2006. From the outset, WANGO and DFTW acted cooperatively in determining the design, in securing all the requisite approvals, and in carrying out every facet of the construction. The project has been completed two months ahead of schedule-- April, 2007. *New Ngelepen* The new, completed village is comprised of 71 houses, 6 MCKs (laundry, toilet and shower facilities), a mosque, primary school, playground and medical clinic. The homes are clustered in groups of 12 surrounding an MCK and green space. Six new wells have been drilled to supply each cluster with potable water at the source. Six independent septic systems have been installed. Each home is equipped with ample ventilation, light fixtures and power outlets. Clean drinking water flows from every faucet in every kitchen in the village. Read more: http://web.mac.com/hankardinata/IndonesianGreenDesign/Blog/Entries/2008/1/22_New_Ngelepen_-_Indonesia%3A_A_New_Way_of_Life.html . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Visit Indonesian Green Design <http://web.mac.com/hankardinata/> regularly and click: Blog<http://web.mac.com/hankardinata/IndonesianGreenDesign/Blog/Blog.html>, to see many useful information compiled here to help us greener. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
