We heard about two recent events, PechaKucha for Haiti, and a karaoke fundraiser for Haiti.

At PechaKucha for Haiti, we heard several interesting presentations, including one from a group at MIT that is helping people in squatter villages map their own communities using cameras attached to balloons. This helps the residents [...]]]> EVENTS, PAST AND FUTURE

We heard about two recent events, PechaKucha for Haiti, and a karaoke fundraiser for Haiti.

At PechaKucha for Haiti, we heard several interesting presentations, including one from a group at MIT that is helping people in squatter villages map their own communities using cameras attached to balloons. This helps the residents claim the space they are living in, and we are thinking about using this in the Kenya project (read on for more on that!).

Karaoke for Haiti was a big success! We had a great turnout, raised $1000 through a fun and whacky raffle, and got some incriminating video to boot.

Our next event, May 1, is the annual 5k fundraiser. The BSA and Sasaki are going to be our main sponsors, and we still welcome additional sponsors.

We still need a t-shirt design! Please bring your brilliant ideas to the next meeting (April 8), or else we will be seeing the star design from the first two races again.

We also need help getting food donations so we can feed the runners and volunteers.

Entertainment at the event will be provided by the Woodrow Wilsons, a local band.

COMPETITIONS

USGBC – Natural Talent: We have a group signed up as a student team.

PROJECTS

Upward Bound Project: Erica Pernell of Upward Bound at UMass Boston is looking for interns to work with Upward Bound and the United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury. Interns need to be 18-25 years old and interested in youth leadership and gardening. There is a small stipend and a $1000 educational grant at the end of the internship. Erica can be reached at erica.pernell AT umb DOT edu.

We also need a space to do the geodesic dome construction. The dome will be 12 feet in diameter, so the space needs to allow that. Outdoor is fine, but we also need a secure indoor space to store materials for a few days while the build is happening. A few possible options were discussed, but if you have a suggestion, please email it to: info AT afhb DOT org.

We're looking at the dome (built from bamboo and wire ties) as a design that may work for Haiti. Bamboo is grown there to help with erosion problems, but we've also heard that it can be invasive. At any rate, it will be a fun and interesting project, whether we use bamboo or another cheap raw material for the struts.

Kenya – Kipsongo Housing: We are working with the Ambassadors for Sustained Health to develop a sustainable housing model for the Kipsongo slums near Kitale, Kenya. The model should address local building methods and available resources so that the residents can replicate it with little or no cost. The ideal model would have no cost, considering that the Kipsongo residents are extremely poor. They are looking for a good map at a cheap price of the area, but in the meantime, developing our own base on the information we have gathered, and we are going to connect with the MIT aerial mapping group. We are also looking into Kitale's waste building materials and low-cost alternative building methods. We hope to do a site visit in August.

The project team is currently in the site research phase and scheduled to meet on March 24th at Wentworth Institute of Technology. If you are interested in joining the team, please contact Sia Herr at: sia.her24 AT gmail DOT com.

90 Windsor Street Community Center: We have very exciting news on this project! The team is putting the final touches on the book, which will be used for fundraising. The project is also going to be submitted to the NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) competition, and at the end of this month, members of the team are going to the Structures for Inclusion conference at Howard University.

Another possible construction method for Haiti: We heard from a local builder about a method using large foam sheets and sprayed-on concrete. Some houses using the method have already been built in Haiti (also Arizona, Hawaii, and Mexico), but none – yet! – in the Boston area. There are lots of pictures at the company website.

The foam is EPS, styrofoam like you see in coffee cups, and the concrete is regular concrete plus a special polymer which keeps moisture out. This type of foam is also used in shipping containers, as filler so things don't rattle around during transit (so there may be unwanted foam just lying around in port areas?). The concrete is sprayed on 1/4-1/2 inch thick on walls, and 1/2 inch on the roof. Roof spans can go up to 100 feet! It is a quick method – the foam is glued together, and held to the foundation with rebar – and inexpensive. A 400s.f. house in Mexico was built for $2500. The interior of the structure can be finished with plaster. It is also sturdy – the construction has survived 400mph winds in wind tunnels, and has passed all ICC ratings.

This might also be useful for the Guatemala project, the roof in particular, as that part of the structure has not been easy to work out with the materials they are using.

AIAS – Accessibility Project: We may be working with the AIAS on a project with the Carter School. They want an accessible pool; when the weather get a little nicer, we are planning on doing a tour.

Other projects: We didn't have any news to report on Long Way Home or Nyaya, and little on Tanzania. One of our members has done some research on Tanzania, but we need to know more about the precise site, which hasn't been chosen yet, before we can proceed further.

OTHER THINGS

Build Boston workshop: Build Boston is coming up! In November. But we need a proposal for our workshop really soon! By March 19. Perhaps we will demonstrate how to build a geodesic dome? Send other ideas to mike AT afhb DOT org. 

Not a meeting note, but a request from the person responsible for the website: Please send me pictures! And correction/additions, more information on projects, etc. Email me at: cat AT aq DOT org. Thanks!

PechaKucha for Haiti, February 20, at MIT. See the event page to register and for more details. We will be presenting slides provided by Architecture for Humanity. Read more about this global event at the main PechaKucha for Haiti site.

Karaoke for Haiti at Charlie's Kitchen in Harvard Square. We are sponsoring a [...]]]> UPCOMING EVENTS

PechaKucha for Haiti, February 20, at MIT. See the event page to register and for more details. We will be presenting slides provided by Architecture for Humanity. Read more about this global event at the main PechaKucha for Haiti site.

Karaoke for Haiti at Charlie's Kitchen in Harvard Square. We are sponsoring a Karaoke for Haiti Night on Tuesday, March 9, at 8:00pm. Come down and see us make fools of ourselves to raise money for Haiti!

Our fifth annual 5k will be Saturday, May 1, 10:00a.m. at Artesani Park! There is plenty of time to get in shape and come run with us! You can register online now. We also need volunteers to help out with organizing, securing entertainment and refreshments, and designing this year's t-shirt – email michael@afhb.org.

COMPETITIONS

USGBC – Natural Talent Competition: The USGBC and Salvation Army have teamed up to sponsor a design competition for a small, green, affordable 800sf (max) residence for an elderly couple in the Broadmoor area of New Orleans. We would like to put together a team or two for this competition. See the website at the Open Architecture Network for more details.

We can put together student teams, emerging professional teams, or mixed teams, and judging from the interest at the meeting, may be able to do more than one! At least one member of the group is working on another New Orleans project for school, and is planning to visit the area again soon. Email info@afhb.org to let us know you want to join a team.

PROJECTS

Haiti Earthquake & Upward Bound: We are planning to work on an emergency shelter project with students of Upward Bound. We are going to build a geodesic dome structure using bamboo, wire tires, and fabric. This will be a demonstration/learning project for building a sturdy structure fast out of cheap materials. We are going to try to have it ready to set up at the 5k on May 1.

Boston University – Kenya project: We got a detailed presentation from a student group at BU that would like to work with us to find a solution to a serious health problem faced by a group of extremely poor people living in Kitale, Kenya. They are living in housing built from whatever materials they can find (trash, mostly), and have no solid flooring. This leads to their feet becoming infested with a parasitic arthropod called a jigger; this can lead to severe disfigurement, inability to walk, and additional infections. We need to do research to figure out what kinds of materials these people have access to, and how those materials can be used to provide flooring in their shelters that will keep the jiggers out. One of the students has already spent time in Kitale providing medical support, and she will be traveling there again this summer.

Long Way Home – Guatemala: Erika Temple is back in Guatemala, working on the rammed earth tire school project.

AIAS – Accessibility: A local AIAS chapter is looking for a project with an accessibility project. One possibility is to work with a school to make their swimming pool accessible. We may do a field trip to this site when the weather gets a little warmer.

Nyaya Health – Bayalpata Hospital: Nyaya Health has moved into the hospital; we will continue to work with them to program their expansion into the remaining buildings on site. During a previous meeting, we learned that one of the great benefits they are providing is free health care to women and their children.

Tanzania School Project: AfHB is working with a nonprofit called Chris Cares that is planning to build a school in Tanzania. We are working on researching Arusha, Tanzania, and a preliminary program.

90 Windsor Street Community Center: We have been working with the United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury to redesign their abandoned building at 90 Windsor St. into a revitalized Community Center. We are working to finish up the Design Development package that UNLR will use for fundraising and to request proposals from architects to develop the project through construction documents. We are putting together two sets of documents: one simple plan, so that they can go forward with a basic version of the project even if it does not get full funding, and one fully developed plan, with all of the features they want.

OTHER THINGS

One of our members brought a couple of books to pass around to help people get ideas for design – we want to have a section on the website to keep track of such resources. And now we do! We need more items for it! The Open Architecture Network was also mentioned as a great resource.