By far the most recognizable feature of this project is its remapping of industrial infrastructure as an ecological and public space. The project's take on factory buildings, chimneys, and processing units as architectural frameworks for air purification systems and circulation systems is a powerful one, as it strongly reimagines pollution as a phenomenon that can and should be made visible, spatialized, and remedied communally. The linear bridge system, modular industrial units, and reddish-hued material palette combine to create a highly visible identity with a high level of urgency.
However, the project’s strength is its systemic and territorial thought that nevertheless represents a weakness on the human level too: the sprawling industrial language of the project can at times be overwhelming, whereas there could be fewer moments of intimacy for the unprofessional observer to enjoy. The public spaces seem to take a secondary role to the performance requirements of the infrastructural elements that might impede social interaction on the long run. The project could benefit from better gradations between the industrial area and the “human” spaces.
Breathe
Idea projektu
Breathe is an industrial park intervention within the existing KIMA fertilizer facility in Aswan, designed to respond to a highly hazardous environment marked by air, soil, and water pollution. Without compromising the factory’s full productivity—which boosts Egypt’s maize and wheat fields by 40–50%—the project introduces a contrasting injected architectural system into an industrial toxic environment to neutralize damage. Through plant-based filtration, bioactive wall systems, and safe circulation routes, the intervention transforms toxic zones into functional, breathable spaces for workers and the public. It also embraces Aswan’s cultural identity by integrating community-centered and cultural programs throughout the site.
Popis projektu
The project establishes a multi-layered environmental and safety rehabilitation strategy embedded within the existing industrial fabric of the Kima Fertilizer Facility. It begins with the implementation of secured emergency escape routes, integrated every 75 meters with pressurized safety nodes, ensuring protection for workers during toxic gas leaks or industrial accidents. To mitigate air pollution, the intervention incorporates biofilter mesh walls aligned with the prevailing north-to-south winds, positioned to intercept and neutralize NOₓ emissions at the source. These walls are constructed with microbial-rich soil panels that actively degrade airborne contaminants. In parallel, chimney exhausts are retrofitted with biofilm-coated misting systems, significantly reducing fine particulate dispersion and ammonia vapor emissions. To combat water contamination, a system of sloped surface runoffs and sealed channels directs factory water residue toward newly constructed biologically active wetlands adjacent to the Kima pond. These wetlands enable continuous natural filtration, lowering nitrate, ammonia, and heavy metal concentrations before water reaches natural bodies. All new structures are composed of modular, reversible steel frames featuring double-skin façades made of compression-resistant clay components, which connect the biofilter walls to structural roof slabs. These façades are equipped with automated, tilting louvers that activate during emergencies, enhancing fire resistance and blast protection. The intervention is topped by a functional ecological park, planted with phytoremediation species that continuously absorb pollutants while providing a safe, shaded, and productive public landscape. The entire system is designed to maintain 100% operational efficiency for the factory while maximizing environmental and human resilience.
Technické informace
Environmental Performance (Estimated): NOₓ emissions reduction: ↓ 70–80% via biofilter walls Nitrate removal from water: ↓ 65–90% using wetlands and multi-stage biological filtration Heavy metal containment: ↓ 60%, absorbed through gravel-based root mats and natural ion-exchange materials Dust particle capture efficiency: ↓ 85% (PM10) and ↓ 60% (PM2.5) through electrostatic vertical mesh panels integrated at high wind-exposure points Ammonia vapor neutralization (NH₃): ↓ 40–65% via clay-perforated compost barriers and microbial colonization in façade skins Groundwater contamination risk: ↓ 70% with channels based closed water circulation and zero-discharge wetland endpoints Escape time to nearest safe node (simulation-based): ↓ 40% from average evacuation benchmarks via grid-based routing Modular adaptability of intervention zones: ↑ 100% reversible assembly for relocation or scaling based on shifting factory emissions
Rana Ghanem
Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering Architecture Department.
Egypt
Architektura
Projekt odevzdán
15. 06. 2025Tag
Architektura
Exhibition Center
Cultural
- Cultural Center
- Gallery
- Hall/Theatre
- Memorial
- Observation Tower
- Pavillion
- Religious
- Scuplture
- Factory
- Farm
- Laboratory
- Power Plant
- Research Facility
- Warehouse
- Water Facility
- Winery
- Playground
- Parks
- Public spaces
- Gardens
- Waterway
- Cemetery
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