“With or Without a Roof” Exhibition at the Spanish Cultural Center

“With or Without a Roof” Exhibition at the Spanish Cultural Center
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 3/20/2013

The precarious habitat, the most visible image of poverty, is the type of housing in which nearly one-third of Latin America’s urban and rural populations live.

More than 60% of individualsin the world build their own homes.Population growth, expandingconcentrationsof people dwelling in cities and, above all, economic instability are the main reasons why people feel the need to organize into groups ….

Latin America has all manner of solutions on how to improve the precarious habitat, some of which are frankly novel and unique to the industrialized developed world. The “Social Production of the Habitat” unfolding in recent years is based on the involvement of the inhabitants themselves, in their organizational capacity, self-management and building of their own homes.

More than 60% of individualsin the world build their own homes.Population growth, expandingconcentrationsof people dwelling in cities and, above all, economic instability are the main reasons why people feel the need to organize into groups, neighborhoods and take responsibility for building their own homes which can be a slow and progressive process.

“With or without a Roof” [“Con o Sin Techo”]displays the most important methods and instruments that are being applied to improve informal city and rural habitats in Latin America, especially in the Dominican Republic through the so-called “Social Production of Habitat.” This is a process that generates living spaces, urban components and homes while seeking to benefit the diffusion and exchange of experiences.

The inauguration of the exhibition will take place on Friday March 27 at 7:00 pm and will remain open to the public until May 5. Hours are from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

In parallel with the exhibition, various activities are scheduled, such as speeches, colloquium and workshops related to the topic. For example there will be debate tables set up for April 10, to discuss the Dominican experience. The main protagonists in the area of housing will participate in these discussions.

The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Development of Spain in collaboration with the Latin American Federation of Planners and International Union of Architects in its labor program Actions without Borders (AWB).

The Cultural Center of Spain with support from the Municipality of Moca and the Ministry of Housing and Development of the Government of Andalusia, completed the content with projects and programs carried out in the Dominican Republic. The exhibition was prepared in Spain and the Dominican Republic with collaboration from more than 150 Latin American professionals.

Participating organizations in the Dominican Republic are: National Housing Institute (INVI), Directorate General of Land Use and Territorial Development (DGODT), Ministry of Tourism, Municipalities of Santiago and the National District, the Dominican Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Dominican Institute for Comprehensive Development (IDDI), Alternative City, Community Action Institute (IDAC), CoopHabitatand a Roof for My Country.

Parallel Program Activities for April

– 1st Seminar – Workshop in Intervention of Highly Vulnerable Degraded Material – April 4-7, at the UASD.
– Conference on Projects to Improve Housing in the Dominican Republic.Gathering of the main experts in habitability from around the country. April 10 at 5pm. Cultural Center of Spain (CCE in Spanish).
– Conference “Cities: Intermediaries of the World” given by Pedro Lorenzo andJosep Mª Llop (Spain). April 17 at 7pm at the Cultural Center of Spain.
– BasePlan Workshop. Application of Urban and Neighborhood Planning and Methodology on the case of Moca given by Pedro Lorenzo andJosep Mª Llop (Spain). April 17, 18 & 19 from 9:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the Cultural Center of Spain.
– Conferenceon “Intervention in Historic City Centers. Case Study: Cádiz andthe Colonial City of Santo Domingo” with participation of Pablo Lorenzo (Spain) and representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and the ADN. April 24at 5pm at theCultural Center of Spain.