Parque das Tribos
Parque das Tribos is the first legalized indigenous neighborhood in the city of Manaus, located in the periphery of the city, along the igarapé Bolivia. It is home to over 3,000 people who collectively speak over 30 Indigenous languages. Residents of Parque das Tribos have struggled and succeeded in acquiring the neighborhood’s legal/formal designation, yet remain disconnected from the city’s water and sanitation infrastructure.
1 Second Roof
Here, we propose an elevated shared roof structure (image 1) that reduces solar heat gain by adding an extra gap from the houses’ original roofs. The second roof introduces deep overhangs that provide shading and protection from rain, is used to collect and store rainwater for greywater use, and is designed to accommodate incremental vertical densification as families grow. A shared veranda is introduced between the homes. The roof design draws inspiration from indigenous architectural practices and Severiano Porto’s Federal University of Amazonas campus.
2 Shared Varanda
We envision a shared covered walkway (image 2) connecting houses facing opposite streets. Varandas currently operate as gathering “backyards” – by creating an extended veranda parallel to the streets, we allow for the creation of a community gathering space. Block-scale wastewater collection pipes run under the varanda.
3 Sanitation system (community sewage and septic tank)
We propose block-scale wastewater collection system (image 3) designed after the condominial sewerage model that lays the groundwork for future connection to municipal sanitation infrastructure. The collection pipe runs through back yards, attached under the shared varanda, to a septic tank designed to filter the wastewater of 32 households. The sloping topography allows the wastewater to flow through the system towards the collection point using gravity.
A communal septic tank at the block’s collection point treats wastewater from the 32 households. Municipal sludge removal services maintain the system until piped connection becomes available, after which the septic tank can be bypassed. Effluent flows to a constructed wetland lined with gravel and planted with native aquatic plants for further treatment. The shared wetland can receive effluent from multiple blocks before discharge to the igarapé or to a drain-field.