Sustainable Building Renovation in the Tropics

This Summer Workshop offers GSAPP students the opportunity to participate in documentation and evaluation of this historic building, and a design charrette for its renovation, with a focus on the application of best practices of sustainability. In consultation with Columbia’s colleagues at FANJ and the City Historian’s Office, among others, to determine the needs of the project, the specific contributions of the GSAPP delegation may include:

• Advanced surveying and documentation techniques (3D scanning, photogrammetry, etc.)
  
• Production of 3D digital models and other visualization and design tools
  
• Analysis of existing building materials and systems
  
• Proposal and evaluation of specific technologies for optimal environmental sustainability
  
• Production of graphic materials to explain, to non-specialists, the integration of advanced sustainability technologies in the building restoration
  

The final product of the GSAPP 2019 Summer Workshop will be a report, produced after the delegation’s return to New York, to include a summary of the week’s work, an evaluation of the building from an environmental point of view, and specific recommendations for appropriate sustainability technologies to be deployed in the building’s restoration.

During our week in Havana, workshop participants will also be immersed in the rich architectural heritage of Havana and the challenges of its conservation, as we divide our days between field work, studio time, and visits to significant architectural sites in and around Havana