DESIGNING FOR RECOVERY

In January 2011, a year after the earthquake in Haiti, Studio Unité was invited to present a housing prototype design at the Building Back Better Communities conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Our masterplan for the Oranger site is designed to enhance natural cycles and strengthen the local community. Building designs use local and renewable resources to generate solar power for each home, provide purified rainwater and encourage passive ventilation to create healthy and sustainable environments. Clusters of multi-family homes reflect the custom of Haitian “lakou”, respecting existing social relationships and providing a settings for a heterogeneous community.

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE CONSTRUCTION

Rebuilding strong communities in Haiti will require more than just housing, and our proposal for the Oranger community incorporates health, education, and community gathering places. The primary school, family health clinic and community center are key components of the site strategy, and would be developed in collaboration with the community in response to their needs.

SUSTAINABLE HOMES

The incorporation of three types of housing encourages the development of a mixed- income community with room for different ownership models and family structures. Ranging from a small, single family unit to multi-family units arranged in lakou clusters, the housing designs allow for flexibility and adaptability to family lifestyles. Each home is a highly self-sufficient unit, providing for the health and well-being of the family
with natural ventilation, daylighting and outdoor living spaces for cooking and eating. The housing designs incorporate solar power and solar hot water, rainwater collection and storage and composting toilets for each unit, providing sustainable solutions to rebuilding communities.

PUBLIC SPACE FOR THRIVING COMMUNITIES

Public spaces are dispersed throughout the site, creating area for commerce and recreation in the neighborhood. Adaptable street furniture built from local bamboo provides shaded seating and tables for selling goods, while solar powered street lights increase community safety in an environmentally responsible way.

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

Rebuilding strong communities in Haiti will require more than just housing, and our plans for the Oranger community incorporate health, education, and community gathering places. The primary school, family health clinic and community center are key components of the overall site, and will be developed in collaboration with the community in response to their needs.