Concrete Roof Tiles, puzolanic cement, earth houses, ecomaterials: EcoSur

The 43 presentations for the EcoHabitat Competition were of such high quality that the organizing committee had an arduous task, not only to select the first ten finalists, but from among them to choose the two winners. Selected in the executed projects, is a “Home for Single Mothers in Yeredemém Mali, presented by the team of Fernando Martín-Consuegra, Francisco Botella y Carlos Higinio Esteban. In the category of ideas in the design process the winner is a “Dwelling for Fishermen” in Venezuela, presented by Fabiana Zapata. Their work will be presented at the EcoMaterials Conference in Santa Clara.

The two winning proposals in the EcoHabitat Competition “EcoMateriales applied in executed projects or design ideas”, convocated on the occasion of the III EcoMaterials Conference, were announced alter an arduous selection process among the ten finalists. The winners will attend EcoMaterials 2005, which will take place November 14-17 en Santa Clara, Cuba, with the theme “Connecting Science with the Grassroots”.

Among the architectonic designs not executed, in the ante-project phase, that will use EcoMaterials in their execution and/or will develop them, the chosen project was presented by Fabiana Zapata: Dwelling for fishermen, Venezuela.

The proposition of this project is based upon the furniture of the peninsula, the so-called “goat fences” made by the local inhabitants enclose the goats which grow in great abundance in the zone. They are made from sticks with irregular forms, united by pieces of wood, nails and wire and in this manner a space begins to develop and the fence becomes an ornament, protection and even a structure of the developed dwelling.

Fabiana Zapata

In the category of executed projects that have substationally marked the growth of a community and the improvement of living conditions, the winning  project was presented by the team of Fernando Martín-Consuegra, Francisco Botella y Carlos Higinio Esteban: Home for Single Mothers in Yeredemé, Mali.

The project consists of the construction of a building to absorb current activities that actually take place in two different places of the association Yeredema A.J.M.C., which they have been renting for six years.

A more ample space will allow improvement of the activities in progress and the possibility to develop new activities (nursery, fabric dying, weaving, etc.)

The program of the building responds to these activities with workshops where the women of the association can earn their living.

Francisco Botella, Fernando Martín-Consuegra y Carlos Higinio Esteban

Both proposals are considered both simple and committed, based upon concrete realities of the place where the Project is carried out, created with the aim to alleviate actual problems f difficult to resolve. They also unite aesthetics and creativity, and provide technical solutions easy to build, as well as employ durable EcoMaterials.

You can download the documents of the winning proposals, as well as the other eight finalists.

• Fabiana Zapata, Habitáculo para pescador, Venezuela
  
  
• Fernando Martín-Consuegra, Francisco Botella y Carlos Higinio Esteban, Casa para madres solteras, Yeredemé, Mali
  
  
• Raquel Barrionuevo,  Centro de salud Qotowincho, Perú
• Roxana Abud, Viviendas de  interés social, Tilcara, Argentina
• César Reyes, Casa para un hombre de maíz, Guatemala
• Leandro Chacón, Parque Semillas de Esperanza, Venezuela
• Yitzy Suárez, Alas para mirar, Venezuela
• Axel Huhn, Casa de huéspedes, Playa Ventanilla, México
• Gabriela Polliotto & Fernando Galíndez, Proyecto de vivienda ECOSOL, Argentina.
• Alejandro Folga,  Vivienda Evolutiva de tierra y madera, Chile