The Caribbean Winter School is an international annual workshop founded in 2010 by Muenster University of Applied Sciences, Polytechnic University of Catalonia and Technological University of Habana José Antonio Echeverría in Havana, Cuba.
Cuba has a rich and stirring history which is still told by the omnipresent relics of the past such as the old crumbling colonial mansions, the colourful bars and shops with interior which evoke memories of yesterday and the legendary American cars from the mid-19th-century. Currently, Cuba is in the process of opening up to the world. This development can be seen as an economical and sociological change. This means not only a transformation of the metropolises such as Havana with its iconic buildings, the old town and the lively neighbourhoods close by.
Recent occurrences revealed the ecological consequences of climate change, especially for Central America, and showed that the city has to find ways to protect itself against future tempests. The Caribbean Winter School is focussed on development of innovative concepts for urban design strategies for Havana in context of future changes. The workshop addresses students graduated with bachelor degree from a school of architecture. During your period of residence you will be faced with various cultural discussions about Havana as an expanding city of change. Thereby your subject-specific skills will be strengthened in context of contemporary issues as mentioned before. The focus of the workshop is the development of an urban design concept in an authentic way of working with the help of conventional and even digital tools. To focus on the international idea of the workshop groups should reflect a certain kind of diversity. Therefore, each working group consists of participants from different schools and countries to create a unique environment. Related to the old history of sugar trade in Cuba, the workshop will be located on a historic site of a former cane plantation. An old mansion offers great space to work on the objective together in a very special atmosphere.
The first task is focussed on a self-organized scientific analysis on common architecture literature which leads to a first short presentation as a foundation for the subsequent workshop. Literature references will be announced soon after your successful application.
