The 41 projects of GREAT 2013 exhibition "THEIR FIRST BUILDINGS"

20.5 - 9.6 2013
AT MEGARON ATHENS

THEIR FIRST
BUILDINGS

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Gousia Marina

Viviendas de bajo costo: Architecture to the poor

2009

Undergraduate

Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

Professor(s): Claudio Conenna, Constantin - Victor Spyridonides

Under conditions of extreme poverty, malnutrition, insufficiency of the road net and markets, lack of potable water, sanitation and electricity are designed houses to give shelter to people that live with the danger of sliding and to plan a new expansion of the settlement. The village Ángel 2 is located in the north of Nicaragua, in an altitude of 900-1.000m above sea-level, the ground is characterized by large gradients and the temperature fluctuates between 20 and 27C throughout all year.
In order to locate the new settlement it was chosen the place with the smallest gradient, next to the central point of the village where the public buildings are. The theoretical plot for each house is of rural dimensions 20x50m., so to plant products for autoconsume. The human organic waste is exploited through a fertilizer latrine and the rainwater is collected in tanks.
The formulation of the plots are totally adjusted in the geomorphology of the ground giving direction to the drawing-axes of the public space. The relations between the houses are formed through the vicinity-core and the square-core enhancing the social interaction. The squares are formed by plateaus that facilitate the gathering of the people and the children’s play. About the residential unit the aim was to avoid the uniformity that rejects the uniqueness and the needs of each family. That's why only one part is given completed putting in the same time the basis for the future expansions. In that way, a diversity of the plans and the facades is achieved, the design isn’t limited in only one typology and the uniqueness of each house is enhanced.
One typology is analyzed as indicative: the variable part can be closed with perforated elements or it can be open so as to convert the space to a gallery. Double roof is used for reasons of ventilation and storage.
For the construction of the house is proposed the system ECO TEC that exploits the wastes, usually plastic bottles, that are “built” in a similar way with bricks. The method is simple and applicable by non-specialized users. For the impermanent elements are proposed local techniques and materials.
Three final models are constructed in scales 1/1000, 1/50 and 1/5. Carton from milk carton-box is used for the model of the house (1/50), in the spirit of the idea of re-use of bottles for the construction in 1/1.

CV

Marina Gousia was born in Ioannina in 1984 and grown up in Thessaloniki. She studied Architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and graduated in 2009. She attended the “Universidad Politécnica de Madrid”, where she was specialized in the cooperation for the development of the human settlements in the third world.
She made her internship in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2006, at the Universidad de la Salle, she worked voluntarily in archaelogical excavations at Despotico of Antiparos and as a scenography and costume assistant for the Opera of Thessaloniki. She participated in many workshops, exhibitions and congresses that have taken place in Europe.
In 2009 she won the first prize in Saie Selection 09 (Bologna, Italy) and the Award Thought-Provoking from the World Architecture Community for her thesis, “viviendas de bajo costo: architecture to the poorness”. Her thesis is published in greek newspapers (“TA NEA”) and magazines (“ecotec”), radio stations (“SKAI”) and television channels (“ERT info+”). Her professional experience started in Greece and since 2010 she collaborates with offices of architecture in Italy.