The challenge

On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck, becoming one of the most devastating natural disasters in modern history. The disaster severely impacted over 1,000 kilometers of Sri Lanka’s coastline, leaving an estimated 31,000 people dead and 450,000 homeless. In total, nearly 99,000 houses were completely destroyed and another 130,000 were damaged. Our goal was to help rebuild communities and provide safe, stable homes for those who lost everything.

Our role

From September 2005 to April 2006, Smart Shelter Foundation was commissioned by the Canadian aid organization CRWRC to design and estimate costs for new homes. During this period, 170 new houses were successfully built in the villages of Kurukkalmadam and Mankadu within the Batticaloa District.

Following our initial work, CRWRC continued using our designs to rebuild approximately 900 houses across the east and south coasts of Sri Lanka between 2005 and 2008. They also launched a variety of livelihood projects in numerous villages, providing further support to the affected communities.

How we worked

SSF designed each house to meet both governmental minimal requirements and the unique needs and preferences of the homeowners. Our process emphasized community involvement: homeowners were responsible for purchasing materials and hiring local masons and carpenters.

Our team provided supervision and quality checks at four key stages:
1. Foundation
2. Walls
3. Roof
4. Finishing

This approach ensured high-quality construction and empowered local residents to take ownership of their new homes.

Our partners

This rebuilding initiative was a collaborative effort, initiated and funded by the Canadian relief organization CRWRC, in partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka. We also collaborated with a range of other local and international organizations to address various community needs, including housing, water, sanitation, and livelihood projects.