Vox Ira...

 
  A house is to create space for habitation through separation from the environment.

   In a Haitian house, however, common solutions are not enough. This is because of the external and internal factors аffecting in greater scale and variety.

Wind and rain become hurricane and flood, sunlighting becomes overheating, quiet earth becomes earthquake. On the other hand humidity, low ventilation and low direct light create conditions for spead of diseases.

   As a response to negative external and internal factors are created two layers which manage them. These two layers interact with each other to create a stable house. One of them-named solid is mainly responsible for load bearings. The other one named transparent is mainly fighting against hurricane forces and excessive light. The solid layer structurally supports the transparent layer, which in it’s turn protects the openings in the solid layer.

   The selected house shape is circular in plan and semi-elliptical in height, for its’ the most streamlined form that creates optimal living volume. Solid layer consists of exterior walls, roof and their openings. Only zones without openings remain on the boundary of the circular and elliptical shape. All the of openings are pulled into the centre of the circle and semi-ellipse, thus defining external spaces inside the house outline. On these free contour zones transparent layer is placed. It consists of grids protecting, from overheating and hurricane damages, the enclosed spaces and the openings in the solid layer. Three courtyards are situated on these enclosed spaces. There is an internal atrium in the centre of the house which becomes the heart of the family life during severe weather. It limits volumes, inside the solid layer named rooms, opened to the atrium.

   All openings are visual and mental connections resumed to three directions: from rooms to external spaces, from rooms to internal atrium and between external spaces and internal atrium. For ventilation of the rooms are used windows looking to the courtyards. Internal atrium is aerated by vertical “chimney” windows on the roof and by the interior glazed facades to the courtyards.

   As a construction solution for the circular shape, polygon with    sixteen sides is used instead. Vertical hexadecagon prism is intersected by a pyramid roof with three slopes- 1:3, 1:4 and 1:20(for openings). That allows repeating of modular structural elements. 

The major load-bearers are reinforced concrete  radial frames and concentric beams, roof and floor slabs and foundation. For walls are used Concrete Masonry Units. External elements-walls and roof, are coated with aluminum sheets. The grids covering external spaces are coloured aluminum louvre awnings. Materials for all elements are specifically chosen.They are typical for Haitian house building, but treated and developed for the particular needs for the house design. Polished silver aluminum sheets protect from overheating by reflecting sunlight, rain and wind by interlocking of small size sheets. The aluminum louvre awnings are safely attached to structural frames and play the typical Haitian shutters’ role, but are on a distance from the windows. Concrete reacts best against earthquake, hurricane and transmission of diseases compared to wood and steel construction, therefore is the best solution for this hostile environment. 

   The plan is organized as a result of the construction techniques or vise versa, to be more specific. As a result is achieved a homogenous architectural organism on a single level with main entrance form West. Porch, common courtyard and children courtyard interact directly as well as indirectly with each other with the help of the internal courtyard. Windows, floor to ceiling, connect them and allow seamless transition of spaces, optimum view and sunlight. Rooms are opened up to every other part of the house by coloured glazed doors(excluding bathrooms) and smaller coloured windows above the floor level. Skylights on every zone’s roof emphasize on the importance of direct ventilation and sunlight. Visual continuity with the surrounding environment is achieved through the openings in every direction. Common courtyard and the dining table around it are the main spaces in the composition. Kitchen is protected from the elements of nature with three walls and the roof, but at the same time is opened to the common courtyard for thermal and moisture       insulation. They both are oriented at southeast, considered to be the most wind protected and sunlit direction on the plot. Various spaces are differentiated with theme furniture in the atrium space and the focal point of the composition is marked by the central vertical construction element and the hurricane dining table around it.

Екип: арх. Димитрия Варджиева, арх. Мая Моллова