Document sans nom

This workshop was conducted under the supervision of three professors from the Central University Martha Abreu of Santa Clara (Ernesto Aragón, César Álvarez and Brian Borges) and three professors from the University of Montreal (Gonzalo Lizarralde, Thomas Schweitzer and Fernanda Córdova). To see the complete program and the list of participants, click here.

[+] Objectives

The seminar explores the challenges and opportunities of the social production of habitat in the "Camacho" district in Santa Clara, Cuba. The neighborhood is subject to the effects of climate change and presents situations of social vulnerability and poverty. These challenges require creative proposals at urban and architectural scales, along with participatory processes for implementation. The objective of the workshop is to develop participating students’ abilities to define an ethical position about the architect's social role when intervening in vulnerable communities. It also seeks to stimulate and strengthen the ability of students to develop fair, equitable and creative solutions that respond to the real needs of the community. At the technical level, the proposed solutions must also consider how to resiliently adapt to floods and hydro-meteorological effects. The solutions proposed at the end of the workshop will not only be articulated with the ADAPTO Project and will have academic value but will be handed over to the municipal government and relevant institutional actors.

[+] Methodology

1. Preliminary research: Students conducted a literature review and a contextual analysis of the site in order to identify the main problems and expose initial ethical questions. 2. Analysis of the case study: The in-situ seminar was held in Santa Clara, Cuba in March 2019. This workshop promoted a better understanding of the context and its specific problems. It also exposed the main actors and alternative approaches to housing and urban planning in the Cuban context. Therefore, it was a relevant activity for the enrichment of students' academic and professional career. 3. Formation of international teams (Cuba, Canada, Colombia, and Chile): The students formed small groups, with each group having representation from the four different countries. 4. Diagnosis: After a guided tour, the students made a diagnosis of the neighbourhood and its context in order to identify both the vulnerabilities and capacities of the community. 5. Definition of an ethical positioning and identification of intervention criteria.

[+] Results

The students developed and presented architectural and urban solutions for the analyzed neighbourhood during the field visit to Cuba. The presentations of the four teams can be downloaded here: Group 1. Aguas bélicas. PDF available here.. Group 2. Auto-Nomia. PDF available here.. Group 3. Agua y Vida. PDF available here.. Group 4. La Peña. PDF available here.. For more information on the workshop click here.