Mediagua
Encyclopedia
Mediagua, is the name given in Chile to a type of prefabricated house, constructed of wood panels, which can be erected in less than a day. The traditional model has an area of 18 square metres (193.8 sq ft).
They are traditionally used to provide emergency housing solutions after natural disasters, or to give an inexpensive house to homeless people.
Because they are designed as temporary solutions are commonly installed without sanitation or electricity, but often they become permanent homes.
They are made of 8 panels (2 floors, 2 sides, 2 front and 2 rear), two windows, one door, 8 sheets of zinc for the roof, plus 15 support logs of 80 centimetres (2.6 ft) long to isolate the house of the soil moisture. The house is divided in two rooms.
) built 1000 mediaguas, and by 2010 they had built over 400,000 mediaguas in total.
Mediaguas were built by the government to house the victims of the earthquakes in Valdivia (1960), La Ligua (1965), Santiago (1985)
and Tocopilla (2007).
After the 2010 Chile earthquake
the Housing Foundation "Un techo para Chile" ("A Roof for Chile") started a national campaign that brought the money to build more than 40,000 mediaguas for the victims.
They are traditionally used to provide emergency housing solutions after natural disasters, or to give an inexpensive house to homeless people.
Because they are designed as temporary solutions are commonly installed without sanitation or electricity, but often they become permanent homes.
Elements
A standard mediagua, such as those installed by the housing foundation "Un techo para Chile" ("A Roof for Chile") is of 6.1 metres (20 ft) long by 3 metres (9.8 ft) wide, which is designed to house a family of 4. There is also a model of half the area of the former, for single people and couples.They are made of 8 panels (2 floors, 2 sides, 2 front and 2 rear), two windows, one door, 8 sheets of zinc for the roof, plus 15 support logs of 80 centimetres (2.6 ft) long to isolate the house of the soil moisture. The house is divided in two rooms.
History
In mid-nineteenth century began to appear around Santiago de Chile the first slums, where unskilled workers lived. They sanitation, safety and housing were deplorable. The houses were built with waste materials. The conditions had not changed by 1960. At that time groups associated with the Jesuits began to build mediaguas for poor people. In 1962 the Hogar de Cristo (Home of Christ) Foundation (founded by St. Alberto HurtadoAlberto Hurtado
Saint Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga , popularly known in Chile as Padre Hurtado , was a Chilean Jesuit priest, lawyer, social worker and writer of Basque origin, founder of the Hogar de Cristo foundation...
) built 1000 mediaguas, and by 2010 they had built over 400,000 mediaguas in total.
Mediaguas were built by the government to house the victims of the earthquakes in Valdivia (1960), La Ligua (1965), Santiago (1985)
1985 Santiago earthquake
The 1985 Santiago earthquake was a seismic movement registered on 3 March 1985 at 22:47 UTC . Its epicenter was located on the south coasts of Valparaíso Region, Chile, close to the beach of Algarrobo...
and Tocopilla (2007).
After the 2010 Chile earthquake
2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
the Housing Foundation "Un techo para Chile" ("A Roof for Chile") started a national campaign that brought the money to build more than 40,000 mediaguas for the victims.