History
Haiti Housing Collaborative

After the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, our organization – Haitian Housing Collaborative (HHC) – was initiated and mobilized by the AIA NY Global Dialogues Committee. This group has a diverse membership of New York City-based architects and planners. Right after the earthquake some of the members visited Haiti to assist in both short and long-term relief.

Haiti Housing Collaborative hosted a Charette to develop four designs to be built in Haiti. Each home is estimated to cost less than $5000 to build. These designs are the collective effort of a group of dedicated architects from around the world who came together in an amazing international endeavor to help rebuild Haiti.

These designs are the collective effort of a group of dedicated architects from around the world who came together in an amazing international and electronic outpouring of faith to submit dozens of proposals for affordable housing to rebuild Haiti. The collective name of these homes is “Haiti Housing Collaborative.”



Haiti Housing Collaborative January 12th 2011 Exhibition and Fundraising Event.

More than $20,000 was raised though HHC’s fiscal sponsor at the reception held January 12, 2011 in cash and pledges for immediate construction of HCC’s four homes in Haiti. Funds raised are to be used towards their construction with Humanity 4 Haitian Development (hfhd) in Grand Goâve. Volunteers, coordinated by the Haiti Housing Collaborative, are standing by to assist with this process that will result in the first 8-12 homes being built in Haiti in 2011.


Haiti Housing Collaborative January 8, 2011 Charette Event.

Call for Collaborative Design consisted of a three-step process:

Stage One - Design

The first stage involved the submission of designs for a single-family house, based upon the criteria outlined in the Collaboration Brief. (These designs emphasize adaptability under any geographical condition in Haiti. Collaborators were to utilize local materials and construction methods to the largest extent possible. Overall construction costs have adhered to a cost structure provided within the Collaboration Brief). The proposed design is part of a small community cluster of approximately six structures, which shares common utilities (such as a wastewater management system) and support structures (such as a shared garden and/or shared cooking and toilet facilities). These designs emphasize adaptability under any geographical condition in Haiti. Collaborators have utilized local materials and construction methods to the largest extent possible. Overall construction costs have adhered to a cost structure provided within the Collaboration Brief.

Stage Two - Charette

From the designs submitted as part of Stage One - Design, approximately twelve concepts were selected for participation in a one-day Charette in New York City. During the Charette day, the chosen participants, together with a diverse panel of experts, collectively reviewed, combined and improved the proposed designs. These designs were be modified for specific site conditions to be determined at a later date. The twelve submissions selected for participation in the charette can be viewed here.

Stage Three - Fundraising

After the Charette, participants were asked to prepare deliverables for presentation at a fundraising event and exhibit. The final and collective presentation included renderings of four diverse prototypes that were developed as a result of the collaborative charette process.

At the fundraising event, potential sponsors/donors were given an opportunity to fund the construction of these four collaborative designs.

These where the deadline dates for the process of the final four designs