2/23/2017 PHENIX MEETS CHIMERA ­ Laka Reacts

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 PHENIX MEETS CHIMERA

HONORABLE MENTION:
PHENIX MEETS CHIMERA
AUTHORS (PORTUGAL):
Humberto Miguel Aguiar
Pereira (Architect)
Luis Duarte Ferro (Architect)
REG. NO. 0035

AUTHORS’ DESCRIPTION:
PHENIX MEETS CHIMERA
Reborn from the ashes in a body with two natures

Syrian Civil War destroyed million of houses and most of the cities. With the end of the
war, the refugees will wish to return back to participate on the reconstruction of the
country. They will ퟺ�nd everything in ruins. How to live in the rubble? The question of the
Laka Competition requires a further analysis on the human, geographic and architectonic
context. Due to the vast destruction of the land, and to create an architecture that reacts,
we need to think in a proposal of a territorial strategy at the scale of the country, not just
the proposal of a building for social housing. In the middle of a chaotic post-war
cityscape how will it be possible to construct houses for thousands of Syrians? What are
the available resources to construct?

Our answer and proposal is: rubble. It consists on broken pieces of concrete and bricks,
that treated and cleaned, can be reused for construction. Furthermore, it became the
symbol of destruction, the scar of the war. Working with the rubble means to reborn from
the ashes, like the Phenix, mythological creature and symbol of regeneration. We propose
the creation of a system to transform the rubble into brick as a way to provide tools and
means for the population to regenerate their own houses and the country. The
proposition consists on the development of a building that combines two functions:
brick-making unit & housing unit. Together as a Chimera. The idea is to give housing as

well as dignity, based on the opportunity to work actively on the reconstruction of own
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2/23/2017 PHENIX MEETS CHIMERA ­ Laka Reacts

country. The combination of Life + Work, comes as a important proposal to solve the
economical sustainability of the returned refugees. With the money of a project-type for
social housing, we can construct ퟺ�ve Chimeras, that lodge 250 persons, and has the
possibility to rebirth Syria. We propose the construction of one ែ�oor, with the possibility
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of self-construction through the production of bricks that can be used to build up to three
more ែ�oors . Each ែ�oor of Chimera can lodge 50 persons.

Program of the Chimera:

1. Brick-Making Unit
This zone is the part where it is possible to transform the rubble into bricks. It has a kiln,
storage areas and a productive patio, for the brick to be dried by the sunlight.
This is a signiퟺ�cant economic and working area, to provide dignity to the dwellers of
these Chimeras.

2. Housing Unit
Its a set of appartment with different typologies (T5, T4, T3 & T2). The zones of water
(kitchen and WC’s are detached from the principal body of the building).

To conclude, its important to mention that the architectural structure of the proposal is
purposely very ែ�exible, so that in the future, when the country is full regenerated, it can be
adopted to other functions, such as- institutional, social, religious, working functions or, to
dismantle brick by brick to support other constructions.

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