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A Structural Nightmare Haunts This Brazilian City! The Coffin Buildings, Unsafe Popular Constructions, Continue to Collapse and Claim Lives.
In Pernambuco, the story of the coffin buildings is marked by tragedies and a warning about the consequences of irregular constructions that, decades after their construction, still pose risks to thousands of families.
According to a report from the G1 portal, these buildings, which housed a significant part of the population of Greater Recife, have become synonymous with insecurity and pain, especially after several collapses that left a trail of fatalities and irreparable damage.
Administrator Rosângela Costa, 60, is one of the many victims of this nightmare.
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In 1984, when the Beira-Mar Complex, in Paulista, in the Metropolitan Region of Recife, was still under construction, she saw a unique opportunity to achieve the dream of home ownership.
At the time, the market offered facilitated conditions, such as the waiver of down payment and interest-free installment payments.
However, what seemed to be a life achievement soon turned into torment when what appeared to be an ideal residence revealed itself to be a major engineering error.
Rosângela bought one of the apartments located in a building that today stands as a tragic example of how the lack of oversight and rushed construction can lead to fatal consequences.
According to Luiz Fernando Bernhoeft, civil engineer at the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Pernambuco (Crea-PE), the building was a “coffin building”, a construction conceived in a completely irregular manner, that did not follow the minimum safety and durability standards.
Over the decades, these buildings began to show serious signs of fragility.
In 2023, at least 11% of the population of Greater Recife lived in such buildings.
These buildings, which did not comply with basic engineering standards such as the use of beams, pillars, and reinforced concrete, became an imminent risk.
Since the 1970s, Pernambuco witnessed the proliferation of this type of construction, driven by commercial interests, with no concern for residents’ safety.
Until today, the problem remains unresolved. Even after the prohibition of coffin buildings in 2005, the population still coexists with the remnants of these irregular constructions, many of which are abandoned or occupied precariously.
The residents and former residents are still waiting for compensation, but the feeling of helplessness is growing, as many know that the chances of being compensated for all they have lost are minimal.
What Are the Coffin Buildings?
The story of the coffin buildings is not unique to Pernambuco, but the state has certainly become one of the main examples of the consequences of poorly planned and executed constructions.
The lack of oversight, combined with the use of inadequate materials and pressure from ceramics unions in the 1970s, accelerated the construction process of buildings with up to four floors, but without any type of structural safety.
What are, after all, the coffin buildings? They are constructions made without the use of reinforced concrete, beams, or pillars.
The idea was to create “resistant masonry” buildings that, without the essential materials to ensure the safety of the structures, became, over time, unstable.
That’s why the name “coffin building”: the simple, square shape without architectural details, resembling a box, is the most distinguishing characteristic of constructions of this type.
The box shape and fragile structure are not the only problems, however.
The urban land policy of the time dictated that buildings did not need elevators, and thus were limited to just four floors.
This made construction cheaper, but at the same time, extremely vulnerable to structural damage.
The shape of the buildings favored the use of poor-quality materials, such as poorly manufactured ceramics and other low-cost components.
These practices aimed at financial feasibility of the project but ignored the risks to safety.
The Current Problem
One of the biggest examples of this tragedy is the Muribeca Complex, in Jaboatão dos Guararapes.
With 2,200 apartments, the residential complex, which was built in the 1980s, was closed in 2014 and demolished in 2020.
The problem was not exclusive to a single development, but a systemic condition affecting thousands of people even today.
Estimates indicate that throughout Greater Recife, there are around 5,300 coffin buildings, many of which have a high chance of collapsing due to the precariousness of their structures.
Studies conducted by the Institute of Technology of Pernambuco (ITEP) indicate that at least 226 properties present a very high risk of collapse, and another 2,120 are at high risk.
This occurs, largely due to the use of inadequate materials and constructions built directly on unstable soils, which further exacerbates the problem over time.
Tragedy and Consequences
The consequences of these failures are not merely theoretical.
In August 2023, the nightmare became a reality for the residents of the Beira-Mar Complex.
Part of the building where Rosângela Costa lived collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and leaving another 21 injured.
This tragedy, which could have been avoided if the constructions had followed basic technical standards, underscores the severity of the problem and the urgent need for a solution to what is still a drama experienced by thousands of Pernambucans.
The sad reality of the victims and former residents is a constant in Pernambuco.
Like Rosângela Costa, many people bought their property with the hope of achieving stability and realizing the dream of home ownership.
But this dream turned into a nightmare for those who lived for years in buildings constructed with no regard for safety.
Many, like Rosângela, spent decades believing they were safe, only to ultimately face the harsh reality of a property that, instead of offering a home, became a risk to life.
Solutions and Actions
The solution to this problem requires more rigorous action from the competent authorities, as well as increased awareness of the importance of following safety standards in housing projects.
Although the coffin buildings have been banned for almost 20 years, the legacy of this poorly executed construction still haunts many families.
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