Excerpt: Chicken Itza is a barn designed by the architectural firm ArchiGuru. In a community garden in Mexico City, a chicken coop made from reclaimed construction waste draws inspiration from the Mayan pyramid culture. The design of the frame references the pyramid Chicken Itza in the Yukatan, geodesic domes, and sacred geometry.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by Architect] In a community garden in Mexico City, a chicken coop made from reclaimed construction waste draws inspiration from the Mayan pyramid culture.
The total wooden frame comprises salvaged posts that were discarded from a previous construction site and brought to the garden for reuse. These posts were cut into pieces, treated, and assembled to make a sturdy geometrical shape. The design of the frame references the pyramid Chichen Itza in the Yukatan, geodesic domes, and sacred geometry. The structure inside houses the 18 chicken beds and is built entirely with Tetra Pak panels composed of recycled aluminium and plastic bottles pressed into 1 x 2m boards. Three openings are located inside, allowing for accessible egg collection and maintenance.
For the façade, salvaged pieces of bamboo from previous projects were cut into pieces and assembled into a horizontal pattern. A wire mesh that protects the chickens from outside predators and weather elements covers the whole exterior frame. The geometry of the coop allows for various areas inside to be repurposed for other animals, such as rabbits on the ground floor and doves in the upper areas. Guarding the entrance of the chicken coop is a custom-made Chac Mool stone statue referencing a Mayan deity placed in front of temples and pyramids in ancient Mexico.
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