A strategy for resilience. Alamar, Havana
Caso, Olindoa; Verhoeven, Wesleyb
aComplex Projects, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands bArchitect at FABRICations, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Although internal and external dynamics around Cuba's politics are far to be stabilized, yet there is little doubt that the island's economy will have to further implement a free-market system to favour (international) investments. This step will likely produce greater inequalities across Cuba's territories as investments will initially favour those locations holding ready-made values, leaving behind backward areas. The Complex Projects (CP) Architectural Design Studio at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) addressed the future of Alamar, Havana, at the brinks of the expected liberalizations by designing urban architectural interventions informed by an extensive inquire into the socio-cultural, economic, politic and territorial conditions.
Alamar has been found to be a typical risky-case of backward area. Realized by ‘microbrigadas’ on plots previously laid down to support single-family housing, Alamar shows the signs of a strong decay which is emphasized by the many disconnections: from Havana, from opportunities, from cultural movements. At the same time Alamar has developed an own valuable microsystem which could support developments on the medium term, if strategically addressed. The paper presents a ‘strategy for resilience' elaborated by the students: a circular system of interconnected architectural proposals designed for unlocking the local assets. The key for resiliency has been found into the association attitude inherited from the ‘microbrigadas’ and the diffused ingenuity derived from the ‘Special Period’. The paper reflects over the relationships between academia and practice in complex contexts, and the role of architecture and of methodological tools therein.
Keywords: Alamar; Architectural Design; Resiliency; Urban Strategy; Microbrigadas; Circularity.