Der Studiengang Architektur der Hochschule für Technik Zürich (HSZ-T) führt in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Instituto Superior Politécnico José A. Echeverria, La Habana (CUJAE) ein Forschungsprojekt durch. Untersucht werden die Übergänge zwischen dem öffentlichen und dem privaten Raum im Cayo Hueso in Havanna. Dies im Hinblick darauf, dass die Qualitäten und Defizite dieser zentralen Bereiche im städtischen Leben erkannt und für kommende Entwicklungen positiv besetzt werden können. Das Forschungsprojekt wird durch das DEZA/Swisscontact unterstützt.

Swiss Universities for Applied Sciences and Swisscontact
A development promotion program backed by SDC
Portulan – A perceptive housing project in Havana (Cuba)

Background and subject
In a city the transitional regions between the space open to the public and the private space represent “Key elements”. They have a forming and decisive influence on the social life of man. The actual encounters take place between the front door and the street and not in the street or in the house.
Large areas of the centre of Havana have hardly changed since the revolution of 1959. The city has neither been rebuilt to accommodate the increasing motor traffic nor has it been dissociated functionally. People still live and work there in front of their house or in the street, in their district. Forms of mobility as known in the West do not exist in Havana thus far.
The project aims at discovering, locating and describing the quality of these transition phenomena. As a background we presume that substantial projects renewing parts of Havana are likely to be realized in the foreseeable future. To achieve this goal in an effective manner, it is of prime importance that those in charge of the project work are familiar with the local qualities of a specific section of the city.
Method
Founded on a structural analysis made up in advance, the field and object of research will be surveyed by means of a qualitative process of reconstruction based on the grounded theory. It is the objective of this study to give proof theoretically of the imminent and potential justification for the existence of the transition phenomena to such an extent that its validity may be taken for granted. To make sure that the individual results can be compared, also by way of contrast, at any time (comparative analysis), three Cuban – Swiss research teams (lecturers and students of both universities involved) will work in a parallel fashion. New views on phenomena known can thus be generated through the exchange of cultural ideas. As these local theories are connected direct with the object examined, they have a considerable authenticity in the lifestyle involved. They can therefore be fairly easily and credibly integrated in the everyday discourse.
Period of time
2006: Scientific work in advance, structure analysis concerning the object of research, operations research
February / March 2007: Research visit in Havana
Autumn 2007: Final scientific research, presentation of results
Partners of projects in Switzerland
University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil (HSR: Rosmarie Mueller, Prof. Dipl. Arch.)
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich (ETHZ: Christian Schmid, geographer)
SeDUT: (Peter Hotz, Dipl. Eng. René Lechleiter, Arch.)
Partners of projects in Cuba
Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonia Echeverria (CUJAE: Ruben Bancroft, Prof. Dr. Arq. / Gisela Diaz Quintero, Prof. Dr. Arq.)