AMPHIBIO: A home for a fishermen's community by the mangrove - 3rd Year Design Studio
Authors: Emily Bezerra and Matheus Andrade Lima / Instructors: Ana Rolim & Dyego Digiandomenico
Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), Brazil
Under the Limoeiro Bridge in Recife, Brazil, life thrives amidst the mangroves. Historically a connection between Recife and Limoeiro, it now hosts various relationships: between professional and amateur fishermen, regional boat construction knowledge, and one of the last artisanal shipyards. Unfortunately, it also witnesses the accumulation of garbage, contrasting with the Capibaribe River's beauty.
This proposal addresses the need to physically shelter the fishermen's association, organizing their production cycle with storage facilities, a pier, walk-in freezer, changing rooms, accommodation, and a fish market. Integrated into the design are an artisanal shipyard and educational sector to teach boat construction techniques and research water depollution.
Inspired by amphibians and mangrove fauna, the design adopts a stilt typology, preserving the building regardless of tide conditions. Steel parts ensure load relief on foundations and facilitate assembly and disassembly, providing sustainability and adaptability.
The building's concept mirrors the mangrove's flora, rising for breath with free spans and a steel membrane envelope, promoting thermal comfort and panoramic views. Placed along the main pedestrian access street and river axis, two linear blocks house fishermen's needs and public spaces like a fish market and bar. A tensioned canvas, resembling boat sails, connects both volumes, protecting against water and sunlight while offering a view of the river from the large deck.