Determining Design Challenges for Post-Disaster Temporary Housing Units Using the DEMATEL Method

Post-disaster temporary housing units (PDTHUs) are crucial to the rebuilding process after disasters; however, current designs fall short in several areas, including user comfort, contextual relevance, and long-term flexibility. This situation suggests that design weaknesses emerge through interactions among multiple factors, requiring an analytic approach that goes beyond isolated evaluation. This study aims to (1) identify the main design issues in PDTHUs, (2) explore the relationships among these issues, and (3) prioritize interventions by grouping causes for decision makers. First, eleven primary design problems were identified through a systematic literature review. Next, a matrix-based questionnaire was developed and administered to five experts with experience in post-disaster projects. In the third stage, expert opinions were analyzed using the DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method. As a result, the design problems were classified into “cause” and “effect” groups, and a cause-and-effect diagram was created. The findings indicate that the lack of contextual and cultural integration in design (4.485); the absence of pre-disaster planning and prototyping (3.964); and low thermal, acoustic, and ergonomic comfort (3.385) are the most influential issues because they belong to “cause groups” with high Pi values. This study provides a guiding framework for practitioners and policymakers to allocate resources efficiently, plan strategically, and develop context-sensitive designs.