Sunay Chauhan

CONTAINER MODULAR HOUSING

Accommodation for the Renovation of the City

Colon City, Panama

On the crosshairs of the former canal zone perimeter and the existing main artery into the city of Colón at the Atlantic mouth of the canal, this project is a gateway into the city. It seeks to catalyse a series of future developments that will rejuvenate the deteriorating area of the city without displacing the inhabitants far from their city, jobs, and livelihoods.

The project proposes a series of residential towers composed of three distinct types of dwellings, scaled to the unit of the shipping container and stacked to produce volumetric complexity. These apartments intertwine with vertical gardens and terraces that are publicly accessible yet do not compromise the residents’ privacy. Private/individual, quasi-external terraces on the east and west façades respond to the sunrise and sunset. The new housing is linked to an idea for the restoration of the historic architecture of the city, sequentially accommodating neighbourhood communities as their building are repaired. Afterwards the project continues as a major new district of Colón.

A translucent polycarbonate folding screen provides the occupants with an operable façade, with the added benefit of providing light to the surrounding park area at night. The geometric lattice structure allows swift construction and stack/cross ventilation, with easy access to areas such as service ducts, which will need maintenance throughout the year. The façade will incorporate a mesh support for plant growth, which will help to improve air quality and wildlife habitat.