 While the victims of the devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province try to deal with their deep sorrow, they must also cope with concern over the safety of their buildings. Architects and construction professionals have made their opinions known about how the rebuilding effort should proceed.
Let's hear some of these views taken from media.
A Jiefang Daily commentary says the earthquake has helped us to realize that housing is not only a shelter from wind and rain and a place to enjoy family life. Housing is also a safe haven. From now on, we should attach as much importance to rural houses as we do to urban buildings. We should further promote safe construction techniques, and set strict minimum standards for each building.
The commentary continues by saying that the rebuilding effort following a disaster is an urgent and arduous project. Although the earthquake victims are in desperate need of homes, we should not rush into a housing program that will cause problems in the future. Moreover, the basic infrastructure should also be part of the overall project.
The 21 Century Business Herald carried a commentary from the Institute of Architectural Design at Tongji University. The article explains that an earthquake by itself is not powerful enough to kill; the collapse of a building kills. From the perspective of an architect, the author advocates further improvements to the regulation and supervision of earthquake-resistant buildings.
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