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COST AND TIME CERTAIN HOUSING SYSTEM FOR CUBA

Havana has many spectacular buildings and city blocks that attract western investors and developers. These buildings are normally densely inhabited which is an issue when the city authorities want to enter into JV development deals. The obvious solution would be to provide alternative housing for the residents, but in Cuba it can take years to build a single block of flats. We were asked to develop a cost and time certain system that could be offered to developers wishing to develop existing buildings in Havana. The system was based on steel frame construction, adjusted to cater for the local perceptions and pattern of behaviour ( solid concrete floors, for example, sustain pouring of buckets of water to both clean and cool the floors, they also provide a feeling of safety and solidity ). The system drew from the Cuban vernacular and was designed to cater for the local life styles as well as to cope with typhoon winds, corrosive seashore environment, high UV levels and torrential down pours. The architectural expression was closely inspired by the Cuban architecture with verandas, strong colour articulation, shaded courtyards and cross ventilation as a low cost means to climate management.

Cuban State Agency :
HABAGUANEX
Cuban Private Facilitator :
Glenview
Steel frame system :
METSEC, UK
External cladding and partitions :
ETERNIT, BELGIUM
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