Abstract

Disaster risk continues to be a significant threat to everyone around the world, particularly vulnerable communities in developing countries with low resources and political stability. Despite extensive efforts being made over the years, post-disaster reconstruction often falls short of its claimed goals - primarily attributed to the centralized and paternalistic approach to reconstruction. This paper proposes the incorporation of empathic design, adopted from the human-centered field, as means for architects to understand in-depth the living conditions of those affected before prematurely deciding on an outcome. I affirm the premise that successful disaster recovery can only occur when the affected communities are completely engaged in the process. Specifically, in my paper, I will discuss Uplink’s involvement in Banda Aceh and juxtapose them against unsatisfactory reconstruction efforts in Çankırı and Gujarat to highlight the positive impact empathic architects can bring to these settings. The second attribute asserted in this paper is the significance of building resilience in disaster recovery by examining the roles of resource robustness and adaptive capacity in a community. In conclusion, there is an imperative need for architects to be more proactive in leading best practices at the scene of disaster recovery, primarily guided by empathy and sensitivity to the affected communities.