Little Havanna's Little Eden
The location of this project is in Little Havana, Miami. The surrounding site is not inviting, very run down, an lacks a sense of community. This inspired the concept of the design, to create a sense of community and a little Eden inside of Miami. The initial passage through the design starts at the street; the project prominently sits 3’ higher than the street to create a distinct boundary between the street and the residential community and to respond to drainage (especially since this is near a flooding zone). The passage throughout the courtyard is a sensory experience, filled with vibrant and sensational flowers and trees, which create shade and floral fragrances, as well as a water feature to create relaxing white noise. These design elements are used to promote an inviting oasis for the residents in the community . The semester included multiple studies and graphic analyses of courtyard housing types in pursuit of gleaning viable strategies for generating communal living at our site. Anthropometrics were incorporated in the design of the dwelling units, which then were combined in clusters to provide rich variations of public/private spaces responsive to site and climate.” The door and height of walls adds an element of security /safety to the patios of each unit, which create a public space within the home, creating a type of private “street’’. The design includes the use of high ceilings, in combination with large windows and cross ventilation in every unit, to ensure that living spaces have plentiful access to both fresh air and light (cutting power and cooling requirements).
The main social element of the scheme is the different internal and external courtyards that provide a secure space between the adjacent buildings.As a whole the project focuses on the public-private gradient to enhance the relationship between ownership and the use of the space to promote safety under regulations.
Jane Jacobs’ notion of a ‘watchful street,’ a city street of prosperous city neighborhoods, influenced the theoretical approach to the design. Based on this premise, the plan was created to establish a location that improves a friendly and secure community by having “eyes on the street.” This was accomplished by adding active frontage elements such as entrances, corridors, circulations, and activities to elevations facing the major street to generate continuous movement and a sense of connectedness amongst people.
The main social element of the scheme is the different internal and external courtyards that provide a secure space between the adjacent buildings.As a whole the project focuses on the public-private gradient to enhance the relationship between ownership and the use of the space to promote safety under regulations.
Jane Jacobs’ notion of a ‘watchful street,’ a city street of prosperous city neighborhoods, influenced the theoretical approach to the design. Based on this premise, the plan was created to establish a location that improves a friendly and secure community by having “eyes on the street.” This was accomplished by adding active frontage elements such as entrances, corridors, circulations, and activities to elevations facing the major street to generate continuous movement and a sense of connectedness amongst people.
