Reinhabiting Havana

Abstract

The project presented here is about the transformation of an extant fabric. The observation of the built environment in Havana revealed that people's interaction with their built environment have produced artifacts like the barbacoa. Their interaction is a creative attempt to resolve the need for more housing space. This make shift construction may solve the problem temporarily. The thesis deals with the observation and documentation of this artifact in order to develop a new model for housing based from the barbacoa and its culture. This new model will increase the density of buildings, provide a prototype that can be adapted in different buildings types and help preserve a way of life in Havana.