Simple house

Belciugatele, jud. Călărași, România

Authors: arch. Lorin Niculae, arch. Andrei Ardeleanu / Asociatia Arhipera
Collaborators: Structura: ing Adrian Ciripiala (Tehnoconstruct SRL)
Executant: Belciugatele - Constructii Edilitare SRL

Authors’ Comment

The social house for Ion Marian's family in Belciugatele is the latest ArhiPera project, at the moment in building phase. Its completion during our ArhiPera Summer School, edition 5.0 in July, will be an opportunity for architects and students enrolled at SIASPA (The Arhipera International School for Social Participatory Architecture) to execute the projects they have designed during the course of their study year.
The 5th ArhiPera house for homeless people in Belciugatele gives a contextual answer to the brief's challenges. The beneficiaries live in extreme poverty. Therefore, the house is robust and easy to maintain, with simple and unexpensive components. Situated in Baragan's extreme environment (extremely hot summers and agressive winters), the house does not oppose the environment's factors, but rather understands and uses them. The project is the result of a participatory process, done together with the beneficiary-family.
The traditional porch is substituted by a high, shaded area, protected during winters by a snowfence which becomes bower (pergola) during summers. The wall gives small shades on the south and west facades. Rainwater is collected in a tank and used for irrigation, while a small wind-turbine, manufactured out of leftover materials, will produce electricity for the lightbulbs.

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