aHomeInHaiti

During a casual visit to Atlanta I sat down with my friend Shaun King as we did what all good dads do – we made fish sticks for a houseful of kids. Then settled into a great conversation about A Home In Haiti and what was going on for the next project. Shaun began to share about The Miriam Center, which houses, educates and loves on Haitian children with cerebral palsy, severe autism, and other major life challenges. It is one of the only facilities of its kind in Haiti and the current facility now houses children from the aftermath of the earthquakes and is extremely overcrowded. These kids need and deserve a permanent home.

Knowing that these children need and deserve a home, our team at LIVE Design Group didn’t hesitate to get involved in this project as we knew that this was not just another project. This is that kind of initiative where you give of your time and talents, but what happens is you get more than you ever imagined in return – you get intangible satisfaction.

Shaun put us in touch with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission [http://nwhcm.org] – the team who would be living and serving at The Miriam Center [twitter: @nwhcm].  Collaborating with NWHCM is essential to the success and sustainability of this initiative.   We began our LIVE Process of working with them as we would any client – starting first with conversation to hear the history and heart of this mission. Next we discussed the essentials necessary for functionality as well as the challenges that must be met regarding the special needs of the children; all the while considering the unique conditions of the country and the materials that are available.

The Miriam Center will be located on a 3 acre parcel of land, just a two minute walk from the Atlantic Ocean, which is situated between beautiful sandy beaches and the majestic mountains of northwest Haiti.

SCHOOL & CHURCH

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The image below features the school where children will have access to a quality education within an environment that is sensitive and custom designed to meet their needs. It will provide a foundation of learning for all areas of the Miriam Center, providing both school-like structure and regular physical therapy; encompassing a school for hearing-impaired community members and residents of the Miriam Home. The church will serve as a house of worship and large meeting space for the children, the workers, and the surround area.

The rooftops are corrugated metal, a commonly used and readily available material. They will be extended to create a deep overhang surrounding each building in a way that will dramatically reducing the amount of direct sunlight into the buildings.

Atop of each structure is a clear-story ventilation element that is designed to engage the flow of the natural breeze coming through the ground-floor windows, allowing the heat to rise up and escape, providing a circulation of air that is more comfortable and consistent.

Another common resource is concrete, which will be used to create pads for the buildings and blocks will be formed to create walls. The concrete will serve as a natural retainer of the daytime warmth and become a source of passive heat at night.

ORPHANAGE

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The shape and form of the buildings individually and collectively speak of the needs that are specific to the residents of The Miriam Center as well as the culture of Haiti. The overall layout of the community will connect the school, the church, and the orphanage in a way that speaks of a sense of place and provides a natural barrier for the safety of the children. Front and wrap-around porches, village square and walking paths that connect the entire property serve to facilitate a collaborative work flow and different places for people to gather for community.

Though designed from the inside out, utilizing some of the latest technology available for architecture, we have designed The Miriam Center in a way that it can be built utilizing simple techniques of construction, available materials, and the labor, craftsmanship, and artisan efforts of members of the local community that call Haiti home. The Miriam Center is a place of hope, where disabled children survive and thrive – it is their home in Haiti.