Enabling communities. Restating communities by a collaborative self-construction practise

Malgorzata Tchorzewska (Year: 2)

The project aims to consolidate the existing community through connecting the inhabitable units in an existing housing block. It acts against the existing government policies and instead of relocating the people it works with the existing architecture and expands its potential through the use of concrete shell structures. It is located in Havana Centro - the poorest and most neglected part of the city. The structure supports the decaying buildings and allows for the building restorations by the use of scaffolding. It opens some of the dark spaces and brings beauty to the cramped and destroyed interiors through the use of concrete shell structures. The construction will have the ability to interfere with the structural behaviour of the building, at first thanks to the scaffolding that will allow to redistribute the load of the ceilings and the walls. Then, the shell structures will allow to reorganise the structure as well as the program and by that embrace the fluid circulation and connections between units. It is a strategy for the future development of Havana Centro. It will preserve the life of existing buildings and allow the community to expand its potential. It will create a new language of architecture that allows for people’s participation.
The concrete shell structures will be built as a connecting spaces on the ground floor and the tensile will be stretched on the roofs.

The concrete shell structures will be built as a connecting spaces on the ground floor and the tensile will be stretched on the roofs.

The first concept model of concrete shell structures

The first concept model of concrete shell structures

The construction process will begin with the scaffolding, then the fabrics and finally the concrete.

The construction process will begin with the scaffolding, then the fabrics and finally the concrete.

The construction process of the shells will involve the local community.

The first conceptual collage of the shells next to the existing buildings of Havana Centro.

The first conceptual collage of the shells next to the existing buildings of Havana Centro.

The organisation of the block will allow for the decision making area and workshop in the middle. The communal spaces will be built next to the existing.

The organisation of the block will allow for the decision making area and workshop in the middle. The communal spaces will be built next to the existing.

The construction will have the ability to interfere with the structural behaviour of the building, at first thanks to the scaffolding that will allow to redistribute the load of the ceilings.

The construction will have the ability to interfere with the structural behaviour of the building, at first thanks to the scaffolding that will allow to redistribute the load of the ceilings.

Then, the concrete shell structures will open up the cramped spaces and bring light to the dark rooms.

Then, the concrete shell structures will open up the cramped spaces and bring light to the dark rooms.

Due to the double-curved geometry the structures could be used from different sides.

Due to the double-curved geometry the structures could be used from different sides.

By creating the connections the housing is also redistributed. Rather than having big rooms with a lot of people lying on the beds the space is divided into individual bedrooms

By creating the connections the housing is also redistributed. Rather than having big rooms with a lot of people lying on the beds the space is divided into individual bedrooms