Unified New Ground

Cornell AAP 2017 3rd Year Core Studio
Expanded Practices Studio
Team: Lingzhe Lu

Site: Havana, Cuba
Date: Fall 2017

Located in the inner part of Fanguito, the watershed of Almendares River, our project addresses the problem of different social conditions of Fanguito fabric through designing a new collective system. This new ground is elevated 12 meters above the existing ground in relation to the Havana’s historical grid. Respecting the existing urban fabric, the new four-story aggregation system casts the footprint of its condition and provides twice more living spaces. By displacing residents and demolishing the houses in poor condition, the new space generates opportunities for green areas, public spaces and amenities. The design approach of aggregative living issues, insertion of public gathering spaces and continuation of Metropolitan Park could be applied to Almendares River’s watershed, not only resolving the severe housing problems in Havana, but also strengthening social interactions and improving the unification of urban tissue.

The riverside area of Fanguito is right at the edge where the historical grid terminates due to the topographical difference caused by the cliff. As an essential avenue in the city of Havana, our street Cello 21st contains several significant social spaces including Huge Park, American’s Park and Master planning of National Hotel at the east end. In terms of the current social condition of the inner Fanguito, the area accommodates a large number of temporary workers and floating population. In this context, the cliff edge does not only bring a geographical variation in landscape, but also affects the social difference between upper hill, downhill and waterside communities. The closer the houses are to the river, the poorer housing construction is. This proximity to the riverside also creates a higher risk of flooding.

Therefore, to construct a new public space and apply the city grid as an intersection to the Almendares River, the new street planning is a combination of housing, public space and park system that unifies both the existing urban fabric and eliminates social difference. By displacing residences down the hill, the dwellers gain twice more living spaces with courtyards and private balconies. The collective housing planning also leaves spaces for social interaction and opportunities for public programs including open-air theater, material archive center and public library. In terms of the repeating housing system, the units follow the concept of minimizing facility spaces and circulation cores in order to provide the residences with maximum spatial openings for self built.
The aggregation of two basic typologies: the liner type and the courtyard type is a projection of historical Cuban housing system as well as a current construction footprint in Fanguito’s blocks. Consequently, the shanty houses will be demolished while some concrete paneled buildings which are close to the cliff and are in better condition will be kept. The south-west part beyond the lower road towards the riverside will be transformed into green space, as a continuation of Metropolitan Park moving to the north and as a green anchor of the 21st avenue. This conversion simultaneously leads the design of upper level and converts the end of the street into a pedestrian platform.

From a long-term perspective, the new ground functions as a prototype for street expansion to riverside. The design approach of aggregative living issues, insertion of public gathering spaces and continuation of Metropolitan Park could be applied to Almendares River’s watershed, not only resolving the severe housing problems in Havana, but also strengthening social interactions and improving the unification of urban tissue.