Global architectural firm, HOK will form a partnership with the U.S Green Building Council to reconstruct a children’s centre and an orphanage at Port-au-Prince which was affected by the severe earthquake in Haiti during January 2010.
The building will have three stories and will feature a central courtyard along with spaces for training, dining and kitchen. The building has been specifically designed keeping in mind the easterly trade winds due to which the courtyard will be placed east. In conjunction with the vernacular gingerbread construction style found in Haiti, the building will be constructed around this courtyard and will have outdoor balconies.
The building has been designed in such a manner that they do not require high maintenance and do not depend on the main city’s power grid that is highly unpredictable. In order to ensure safe water supply, the building will use a closed loop system that will carry out the functions of collecting, treating and storing of water on the site.
Resilience and Hope: HOK Partners With the USGBC for Project Haiti
The building will also have a safe zone, which will protect visitors from natural disasters. In order to promote local talent, the building will use woodwork, artwork and materials which have been made by local carpenters and artisans. The facility will have high levels of security where visitors will have to pass through public, semi private and private spaces. The design team from HOK is made up of volunteer architects, designers, engineers and experts in sustainability.
Source: http://www.usgbc.org