When Natural Disasters Strike, Refugees Need Food, Shelter…and Flooring?

We might think that when natural disasters strike, those displaced often need things like food and shelter first. And while that might be the case, for those in the developing world another important need is often flooring. That’s right — flooring. Without proper flooring, refugee families are susceptible to infections, flooding and hypothermia.

That’s where a product called Emergency Floor comes in. It’s a product from Good Works Studio, a Houston social enterprise that aims to use found materials to create flooring that prevents those living in temporary shelters from having to sleep on the ground or mud.

The project started when co-founders Scott Key and Sam Brisendine met at Rice University’s school of architecture and wanted to design a basic survival package for natural disasters. Now, the two are nearing the end of a fundraising campaign to make these emergency floors, and they spoke with Houston Matters’ Edel Howlin about the history and plans for the project.