Created by architecture students from the Marta Abreu Central University of Las Villas, the Cayo Granma Rescue project, in Santiago de Cuba, received one of the two prizes awarded in the i-REC architecture for disaster mitigation and reconstruction competition, based in London, England.
The judging panel highlighted the project’s in-depth social analysis, as well as its serious and thorough description of the area’s organizational and institutional structure, superbly reflected in the to-scale urban design.
Under the supervision of Professor Andrés Olivera Ranero, students Ana Lourdes Barrera Cano, Royer Leno Medina, Elisa Medina Toboso and Niuris Martín Rosabal, from the provinces of Cienfuegos and Villa Clara, took on the challenge of creating a proposal for the reconstruction of Cayo Granma, practically devastated by hurricane Sandy in October, 2012.
The project’s socio-economic evaluation highlighted serious damage to existing buildings, high rates of alcoholism, low levels of schooling, unemployment and little motivation to work, in addition to deficient transportation links (just one boat to transport people to the city).
Thus, with the objective of reviving the area, the project proposes four phases aimed at providing secure housing for families, promoting small scale farming, recuperating the saw mill industry – traditionally used for boat construction, as the central component of the area’s economy – and facilitating urban development.
The project was noted for its viability, inspired by the cooperative housing which was spontaneously sprang up in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and designed to promote community living.
Participating in the competition were 15 projects from prestigious universities around the world, including the University of Montreal (Canada) and the Madrid School of Architecture (Spain). However, this is the second time architecture students from the Central University of Las Villas have won the prize.
