Resilient Tsunami Housing, or the box of memories

From the M.I.T. experience for the Prajnopaya Foundation in Sri Lanka, we took a number of fundamental concepts when thinking about a house that is resilient to tsunamis. Our intention with this proposal is to collaborate in thinking about the solution of the problems caused by the tragedy of February 27 in Chile and above all to avoid rebuilding precariousness, minimizing the future risk. Thus we present the housing antitsunami or the box of memory.

Resilient It is decided to work with the flood as a data and not trying to avoid it. Thus, the first stage is delivered under the flood quota guaranteeing resilience. The inhabitants can build with any technology without worrying about the flood quota.

Penetrable
Tsunami resistance is maximized with three linear and independent cores, perpendicular to the coast. We thus replace the uniform skins in the current housing types models. In addition, housing is raised to ensure better water circulation.

Enhanceable Between the cores composites, panels are delivered – to the exterior and floor – and panels to the interior; Over time the inhabitants can transform, customize and/or reuse these panels, involving the residents and promoting the reuse of existing debris in the area.

Flexible
The prototype raises the possibility of being used as isolated housing or as paired housing. In addition, when the user is enlarged on the upper floor, flexibility is increased in the ground floor, allowing the rooms to be rearranged in a medium class house structure.

Enhanceable
Between the cores composites, panels are delivered – to the exterior and floor – and panels to the interior; Over time the inhabitants can transform, customize and/or reuse these panels, involving the residents and promoting the reuse of existing debris in the area.

Identity
Tsunami not only destroys the daily life but also the memories, that make up the identity of the people, are lost. The structure besides serving as bearing have a manual action device to seal tightly certain areas and thus to be able to conserve their memories.

Low Tech
The walls of the cores are made of concrete blocks reinforced with iron bars; The ceiling is a series of prestressed standard tiles in the market, 8 tech panels for the exterior walls and phenolic tables with insulation for the floor, making the proposal a simple and economic construction.

Comfort
The tech panels offer optimum insulation conditions and minimum openings reduce losses. A solar collector system provides hot water and a thermal conditioning system significantly reduces heating costs in winter. In summer, cross ventilation makes the house a cool place.

CREDITS

client >Gobierno de la Región del Bio-Bio
location > Región Bio-Bio, Chile
built area > 35.000 m2 / 376.737 sqft
built area > 9.000 m2 / 96.900 sqft
project >2010
construcción > –
status > project [concurso internacional]

authors > ONE CHANGE [Oliverio Najmias, Matias Lloveras, Ezequiel Rivarola, Ignacio Villarroel]
design team > Oliverio Najmias, collaborator > Santiago Passalacqua