Open Architecture Network

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
KALLARI CHOCOLATE FACTORY AND FAIR TRADE EXCHANGE

Buildings are responsible for almost half of the global energy consumption, not only during construction but also through their occupational life. Buildings erode the soil, contaminate water and generate solid waste further impacting the local environment and ecosystems. The proposed project for Kallari, in Napo, Ecuador, located in one of the most bio-diverse spots in the word, relates to the local environment reducing its footprint to the minimum, fostering native ecosystems while providing comfortable and healthy spaces for these developing communities. The proposed facility for the project takes into account all the different actors that take part and contribute in the development of the Kallari organization, community leaders, community members and visitors alike, engaging them in public and private spaces that embrace the natural surroundings and local environment while introducing them to technology and the global market.

LOCATION

The project is located near the city of Baeza, in the Ecuadorian temperate zone descending from the Andes to the Amazon Basin, at an altitude of 1795m above sea level. Baeza enjoys a temperate weather all year round, fluctuating between 24 and 17 degrees celcius, with a mean temperature of 20 degrees. Due to a nearly constant cloud cover of up to 80%, solar heat gain is not a highly incident factor and is controlled through out the proposed facility through the use of large overhangs and natural ventilation for dissipation of accumulated heat. On the other hand, rainfall within a 250-500mm per month range is a key factor in the design of the building structure and the site itself. Due to its altitude, at 1795m2, despite the average rainfall is not a very humid location, and has variable periods of increased humidity few times a year.

SITE

The site of 30,000m2 is served by a local paved road for access and is run by the Serena River at the east. The site has a pronounced slope running from the road to its center where the landscape becomes level and descends slowly towards the river bend. Due to the rich biodiversity in the region, the site is surrounded by lush vegetation and is home to several bird and insect species unique to the region.

PROJECT

The proposed project adapts to local weather and environmental conditions to best serve the Kallari community while having a low impact on the flora and fauna of the region. The proposed project seeks to become an exemplar of sustainable design and building for the region, respecting its surroundings while utilizing and implementing design solutions and materials which do not burden local communities or organizations with an increased cost for its green features but rather turns to native materials and building systems to achieve its goals of having no impact on the immediate surrounding. The project proposed consists of one main facility which houses all activities required by Kallari, surrounded by open garden areas, open walkways, picnic areas, and three impact reduction zones: reforestation grounds, waste classification and composting, water collection and treatment.

Program

The facility is composed of four areas, all disposed in one single floor:

1) Public zone open to visitors and community members providing spaces for large group meetings, arts and crafts exhibitions and retail, cultural reading and research, and a café area for tasting of exquisite Kallari chocolate and coffee.

2) Semi-private zone open to Kallari members and communities for training and education, designed to encourage the inclusion of information technologies in the market practices of these local communities, providing a computer training lab and photography and graphics studio.

3) Private zone open to Kallari members and staff, providing healthy spaces to live and work, staff services and living quarters

4) Chocolate-cacao processing facility fully equipped, acclimatized and independent from the rest of the structure for the production of gourmet chocolate bars and products.

Shape and flow

The building is composed of several curved volumes that wrap native plant courtyards in, creating spaces for light filtering and adequate ventilation through all the facility. All the building’s volumes are elevated from the ground on stills, thus producing a minimum interference with the natural environment, allowing for flora and fauna to continue to occupy the site. The elevated structure also allows for the building to be protected against eventual floods due to its closeness to the Serena River, and protects the spaces and equipment against insects and native animals. The project’s shape allows for all areas and spaces to be served by natural lighting and flushed by natural ventilation.

The meeting hall is a round open space that allows for different activities to take place while it connects to other public spaces such as the café and gallery. The round shape of the meeting space responds to local concepts of community gathering and cooperation.

Heavy drapes can close the space as needed when required for rain or sunlight protection or for enclosing the space for privacy. The openness of the space welcomes the visitor to open vegetation courtyards and views of the whole facility from within.

The café is connected to the community research center through sliding walls or panels, which allow for both areas to be used as one continuing space during afternoons or nights for entertainment and cultural events. The café has large windows overlooking the chocolate factory, where visitors can view the chocolate manufacturing process as they make purchases and taste products offered by Kallari.

The community research library connects through an open walkway to the computer training lab and other semi-private areas.

Special computer stations have been designed to support one computer station and all required connections, printer, etc. These stations on wheels can be rolled with ease to one space or the other for use and can be later transported back to the computer lab for safe storage.

Administrative offices are within short distances to all areas of the facility, and are a direct connection to the staff services areas, which house the dining area, living quarters, laundry and staff bathrooms.

The cocoa processing plant is an independent curved volume, which is accessed from the south, through independent entrances. The factory is a sealed off space with an air chamber under the floor slab to allow for air flushing. The space is mechanically conditioned to preserve required temperatures and humidity for cocoa processing. The factory’s roof slab allows for the inclusion of 150m2 of PV system. The PV system is placed over the slab, at a 0 degree tilt, as required for local latitude 0. The system will power chocolate processing facility and lighting requirements for the building. The system will be an on –grid system, to satisfy the buildings demand.

Construction System

The construction system is a modular panel system created specifically for this project, making use of local traditional building materials in a way that optimizes resources. All panels are modular panels made from black walnut wood, a tree native to the temperate zones in the Andes.

The system was designed based on a modular panel (1.20cm.wide X 90cm. high), which can be stacked as a puzzle one on top of the other. This panel is designed as a hollow frame made up of wood with two side columns (6cm. X 6cm.). The empty space inside the columns fits through a “U” shaped metal section (2cm x 2cm), which is embedded in the raised concrete slab. The metal section allows for panels connect and rotate as required to follow the building shape. With this system the project was designed as a modular structure that uses one standard size frame.

Depending of where the panel is located, the filled material will be different. For the base of interior spaces and closed walls the panels will be filled with an earth-cement mixture acting as an improved baraheque system. The panels can remain empty to act as handrails panels or can contain an operable window with blind system, with glass or insect mesh as required according to the space.

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS

Energy

• Shape and spatial distribution allow for use of natural lighting
• The building is a passive structure, cooling spaces naturally
• Blinds on windows protect from direct solar heat gain
• Only the factory is mechanically air-conditioned
• Flat PV array on 200m2 of flat roof slab, powers most of facility’s demand

• Operable windows allow for natural airflow
• Indoor air is constantly renewed

Water

• Rain water collection system on all tilted roof surfaces, water collected incorporated to facility’s cistern
• Wastewater from kitchen and all restrooms is collected and run through a solid, grease and soap collection trap, before reaching the water treatment ponds.
• Wastewater in cleaned through a three-stage filtering pond system that cleanses the water before allowing it to run off into the soil.
• Part of the recovered water is used for underground landscape irrigation.
• Remaining water passes through a chlorination duct before being released into the adjacent river.

• Waste collection and classification point can be easily access from anywhere on the facility
• Waste collection point is located by the main road to allow for recyclables pick-up and transportation
• Biodegradable waste from cocoa facility and building spaces is collected and composted
• Fertilizer produced is used on reforestation grounds and garden areas

• Building elevated on stills to preserve natural to maintain soil’s vegetative layer and minerals, respecting local flora
• Elevated to prevent flood due to site’s natural water level or in case of river overflow
• Stills allow for structure to be elevated taking into account any irregularities the site may have without requiring site work
• Native species courtyards embedded in building to accentuate natural ventilation flow and generate microclimates
• The slopes below the road towards the site are proposed as reforestation grounds, to recover native species.
• Reforestation grounds protect the site from run off storm water keeping it within the soil and preventing landslides

• Concrete foundation, stills and slab allow for building main structure to resist humidity, possible flooding but most importantly, possible earthquakes and tremors common to the Andean regions
• All walls and partitions are built with the designed modular construction system, using wooden frames made from native, fast growing wood and filled with earth or left bare.
• Roof structure and beams made with local wood and bamboo (cana guadua), covered with totora and natural fibers.

• With the construction system designed, the building can be built on-site, and can latter be unassembled for recycling or reutilization of elements, as window frames, parts for furniture pieces, etc.

ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS

Technology hubs

The technology hub is an operable device designed to be located in remote locations within the Ecuadorian Amazon to provide Internet access and connectivity. The hubs are inspired in the cocoa pod, maintaining the oval shape to allow for users to open and close the hub as required. The hub is raised on stills to protect equipment against insects and possible flooding. The hubs roof is covered by amorphous silicon panels which power the satellite antenna for Internet access and the computers included in the station. The hub can be closed for security purposes while still allowing for ventilation through insect mesh protected louvers, thus allowing for humidity control.