Recovery in Haiti

Initiative reCOVER, a UVA School of Architecture program, won first prize in an international housing competition for “Breathe House,” a design that will help with the reconstruction of Haiti in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake. The reCOVER team’s design was selected from 147 projects and received an award of $5,000.

Breathe House addresses the need for housing to reduce disease transmission in Haiti, where tuberculosis is the second-leading cause of death after HIV/AIDS. The design uses low-cost and energy-efficient ventilation systems to regulate air quality, temperature and humidity, while respecting Haitian customs, such as outdoor porches to promote community.

Along with other top designs from the competition, Breathe House will be built in the eastern coastal town of St. Marc in Haiti. Each house has a construction budget of $60,000.

“The reCOVER team is honored to be a part of this effort to build quality housing for the community of St. Marc, Haiti,” says architecture assistant professor Anselmo Canfora, director of Initiative reCOVER, who worked with a team of five students that included Aja Bulla-Richards (Arch ’13), Sara Harper (Arch ’11), Sally Lee (Arch ’11), Nathan Parker (Arch ’11) and Lauren Thompson (Arch ’11).