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Photo Credit: AP Photo/ Josh Edelson Ghost ship – this name will bring chills for quite some time for all of us. Ghost ship ironically turned out to be a ship that carried away 36 beautiful souls early this December 2016 in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California. Called out as the one of the deadliest fire accidents after the West Warwick, Rhode Island fire which claimed 100 lives. Ghost ship was a warehouse which was not suitable for a multi-use development or at least not zoned for it. There was no ‘change of occupancy’ request provided to the city nor was any permit taken for organizing a special event on the premises. The fire department also stated that the database of the buildings they hold was compiled 15 years earlier and that no updates have been made. The city officials during the mass grave hunt in the site called it a “labyrinth of artist studios”. It was stacked with antiques, music equipment and furnishings mostly wood. The building had been constantly reported for space overrun by rats or faulty electrical system caused by circuit boxes. The fire department did not find any records of inspections done at the Ghost ship. So was the ghost ship completely invisible before this incident? Photo courtesy : SF Gate The manager of Ghost ship Derick Almena when asked by NBC news said that he was just trying to build an artist collective and did not want to harm anybody. He did confess that he didn’t have enough money to make the changes that were required and so had to do good with whatever was existing. While questioned if he is accountable for this, Mr. Almena broke into wild emotion and talked about the plight of artists and how “an Artist's Dream is bigger than pocket book “. So, who should be held accountable for such a tragedy? Who can help so that we don’t have any more Ghost ships? As a designer, I question myself if design could solve and save lives? I would like to believe that the answer is a Yes! Here is some design strategies I looked into for this particular design problem. Would you call this a design problem? Absolutely! Design problems are unique and complex and often require innovative solutions. Design problem solving involves creativity, not just dealing with the aesthetics but a way of life. A question addressed in the current research is how design can build on the stated idea of “artists collective” and also solve the issue of housing problems. Can there be buildings with more than one use? Yes. But, with the right knowledge and coordination in all aspects of design, some of the factors that should be considered for a new development are illustrated below: The present work was limited to the study of one such problem. Further research can be done and innovative solutions can be explored by creativity and informed decisions. If you do believe that design could help solve problems in the society and it can enhance the way of live, share this article with your peer folks and comment what other issues design thinking would be able to solve.
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AuthorHarini Meda is a Interior designer based in San Francisco, California. Interested in Environmental Change advocacy and believes in leading a happy and a sustainable life . Archives
December 2016
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