CAN THE STONE SPEAK?

Undergraduate Degree Course in Architecture Construction Conservation - 2nd year (2016-2017)

Course: W.A.Ve. 2017 - International Workshop

Professors: Solano Benitez, Javier Corvalán

Work Group: Chiara Meneghello, Federica Carollo, Mariachiara Cerceo, Paolo Ciocchetti, Eleonora Veneziano

The key theme of the W.A.Ve. 2017 International workshop was Syria, in particular the village of Nahlaya. 

In April 2015, Nahlaya was again on the frontline for the battle of Ariha city, one of the last cities in Idleb province, and still under the control of the regime. The village was again targeted several times and suffered from heavy destructions of its residential buildings and infrastructure. Most of its inhabitants had left their homes for more secure places. In 2016 families started to go back, but out of 1,000 houses, over 50 % have been partially damaged, many severely damaged, a few buildings totally destroyed and 50 houses completely burned to the ground. The majority of the buildings are used by families with even the severely damaged ones as shelters; many families have already started some basic self-rehabilitation and repair works.

It is in this context that our project takes place. The need of temporary shelters that allow the rebirth of the village and at the same time its growth in population and in infrastructures. By using the debris we designed a triangular module built in concrete that can be arranged to build a structure that hosts humanitarian help, temporary hospitals and schools, and between these structures a nylon roof that gathers water in the middle and that can create covered public spaces and squares that encourage gatherings between people.