Housing Design Proposal

Expatriate Housing Programming 

Our team signed up to work on the expatriate housing programming.  We used two methods of diagramming to portray our interpretation of program relations.  The first was a more simple, quick look at what spaces are related, a "bubble" diagram.  The connections made could either be because the spaces should be attached for circulation, or more functional aspects like sharing a plumbing wall.

The second diagram, an Adjacency Matrix, is a much more in depth look into how each program is related to every other space in the house.  We decided to created four categories to help us define these relations.  Adjacent, or primary the primary connection, means that the spaces should be attached for convenience or functional purposes.  Nearby is a secondary connection, and not adjacent means that the spaces should not or would not be near each other in the house for privacy reasons or for front/back placement within the house. Not related are simply spaces that do not have an important correlation.

Expatriate House Design Scheme

After defining these adjacencies we diagrammed a layout for how we could achieve everything on our list, as well as focusing on passive ventilation and creating a private courtyard.

When designing this house, our team thought about the site plan and about the multiple driveways and pedestrian paths that border many of the lots. In thinking about an expatriate coming back to Haiti after living in the US for a while, we thought they might have grown accustomed to the American standard of a private backyard.  So, we wanted to create a house plan that would give them a sense of privacy with a courtyard in the back of the house.  If they want to lay down outside and read a book and not feel like everyone can see them, or even if they want to open up all the doors to the courtyard and truly blur the definition between interior and exterior, then they can do so without everyone being able to see inside.

Another aspect of this courtyard, and "H" shape plan arrangement is that it helps to promote passive ventilation, a leading factor in our house design.  With each branch of this house being single loaded, cross ventilation is easily achieved.  The bathrooms are pulled from the main form to obtain cross ventilation, as apposed to only having one window in the bathroom wall and having more stagnant air.  Also when designing the roof plan and gables, we added a clerestory for stack ventilation. 

Reflection & Next Steps

Traveling to Haiti gave us a whole new perspective on life, culture, construction, climate, and all kinds of other local conditions. It was a truly humbling and life changing experience. We could go on and on about key issues we were able to identify, but we've chosen the ones that are most relevant to our project:

Local Materials / Construction Technologies:

When designing in any unfamiliar context, it is always important to look at local construction practices, available materials, and feasibility of access/transportation. Being wise about your material palate is mandatory when designing in these conditions. Concrete and masonry were pretty much the norm.. Concrete block are often cast on site, making transportation to remote locations much easier. There was hardly any glass on the structures we saw. Rather, vent blocks were used. These allow cross ventilation, and cooperate well with the wall assembly module. Like blocks, they can be cast on site as well.

Vent blocks: the local standard for ventilation and openings in Haitian construction. Photo by Zach Smith

Shade, Light, and Ventilation:

Lack of air-conditioning is the standard in almost all of Haiti. This makes solar orientation, aperture sizing, shading methods extremely important. Haitian construction utilizes vent block, or hollow cmu shapes, for window construction. If planned well and placed correctly, these may also contribute to cross ventilation. Shade is another thing to strive for. Haiti is very hot almost all year round. Planning using solar orientation is an important part of construction. Deep overhangs are also a way to provide shade to openings in the structure.

Open air vent block in Haitian classroom. Photo by Zach Smith

Porch and Community

We quickly became aware that the porch of a Haitian house is usually the most important "room" of any residence. Our clients mentioned that almost all gatherings at one's house took place on their porch. Through our design, we must look for a way to give hierarchy to this important space in Haitian culture.

Porch area in Fond-des-Blancs home. Photo by Cassidy Barnett

Privacy

While the Haitian People had a strong sense of community, privacy was also a significant thing. The idea of having one's own property was very important to people there. Almost all the property lines in Fond des Blancs we marked off with rows of cacti. In a country were everyone has very little, the people are very proud of the things they do possess.

Local privacy fence with wooden gate entrance. The actual fences are cacti. Photo by Cassidy Barnett

Pragmatic, Sustainable Construction Practices

What we American's know as "style" is not as high of a priority in a country like Haiti. We must find ways to create architecture with a sustainable material palate, without being wasteful or inefficient. We must find ways to building sustainably in a country that often doesn't have the luxury to use green technologies.

Concrete blocks cast on site. Photo by Zach Smith