BAR Rebuilds

Breaking Ground to Bake Bread

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:08:11 -0700

Sending well wishes to Haiti Partner’s, Extollo International, and to the people of the Bawoysa, Haiti community, as they break ground on Sunday, April 7, for the new bakery building at the Children’s Academy and learning center outside Port-au-Prince.

This new building will have multiple purposes: A bakery is located on the first floor, and will create jobs for locals who will work there, as well as a means of income through enabling community members to buy the bread as well as to take bread to other nearby villages to sell for profit. The second floor will be a multi-use classroom training space for the school and community, and the third floor will be a dormitory.

Construction of this new building will involve training of the local tradespeople in safe construction techniques, and in using materials and systems readily available in Haiti. This newly trained construction team will then go on to build the rest of the school buildings for the Children’s Academy and learning center.

Special thanks go to Yunis Social Business, co-founded by Nobel Peace winner Muhammad Yunis, who provided the loan/funding for construction.

The Haiti Partners Children’s Academy (ADECA - Academie...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:59:29 -0800

The Haiti Partners Children’s Academy (ADECA - Academie Des Enfants et Centre Apprentissage) dedication on February 24th represented the culmination of efforts by so many people. People from all around the globe gathered in Bawoysa, Haiti (southeast of the Port au Prince city center) to recognize the beginning of a new future for this community and the educational system throughout Haiti. BAR is so fortunate to be involved with Haiti Partners by way of Architecture for Humanity and the joy this project has brought to our lives is almost indescribable. Many have thanked us for our help and efforts and most times those thanks are met with OUR thanks for the opportunity to be involved. There is a running joke amongst those of us who worked and lived in Haiti that a piece of our hearts will always be there.

BAR had the chance to meet many members of the community over the weekend prior to the ceremony as we helped clean, decorate and even finish painting parts of the building, such as newly installed handrails in prep for the big event. “Getting our hands dirty” couldn’t have been more fun!

Haiti Partners’ commitment to the community served by the school has been one of inclusion all along and that continued up to the day of the ceremony when the final accent paint color for the building was chosen by vote. Additional photos of the ceremony and freshly painted school can be seen at http://haitipartners.org/2013/03/the-color-of-democracy-at-the-childrens-academy-dedication/. Additional information about the school can be found at www.adeca.org.

Thanks for joining us so far on this journey!

Following our siteseeing parts of downtown we headed to...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 20:09:06 -0800

Following our siteseeing parts of downtown we headed to John’s house to settle in. John lives southeast of Petionville in a more remote part of the City. Our journey up the hillside ended with a warm greeting by his lovely family- wife Merline, son Daniel and daughter Leila. We all commented on how at home we were made to feel right away! In the evening we headed back to Petionville to attend an open office meet and greet session at Architecture for Humanity’s office (http://architectureforhumanity.org/programs/haiti-rebuilding-center) where BAR employees worked on-site while in Haiti during 2011. Many of the same amazing staff remain, continuining their efforts in Haiti to rebuild following the earthquake. Such a treat to see old friends! We concluded the evening with a stop at the Hotel Montana for dinner and views overlooking the City’s nightsky.

Thank you all for your patience in our posting of photos...

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:41:18 -0800

Thank you all for your patience in our posting of photos following the Dedication Ceremony trip! To catch up, our group arrived on February 22nd to a quick day of sightseeing. We met John Engle (our client and friend) in Petionville and headed off downtown to take in some of the wonders of downtown Port au Prince. We made our way past the Cathedral (still sitting in ruins from the earthquake), the site of the former President’s Palace and then to see the Iron Market, a bustling open air market where many Haitian crafts people sell their goods. We had the assistance of John’s colleagues (Benaja, Robinson and Harold) in traveling around the City from site to site and with their connections had the chance to see the view of downtown from the rooftop of the Market. Such an amazing view! All around us the streets were bustling and travel from place to place was filled with vibrant colors, close calls with nearby vehicles and pedestrians filling the streets. An active arrival and whirlwind tour for many of us who had never been to this part of the downtown. We ended our first afternoon before heading up to John’s house (where we stayed during this trip) with a pitstop at Harold’s restaurant, La Reserve, a beautiful venue in Petionville with outdoor seating and some amazing traditional Haitiian Rhum Punch. Delicious!

Dedicated!

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:21:23 -0800

The attendance at the ceremony today was incredible! So many people from the community came out to support the school and hear the beautiful words shared by so many great people. Our client, John Engle led most of the ceremony with the help of his brother-in-law Alex and fellow Haiti Partner Benaja. He recognized the long list of groups involved in making the project possible, including BAR Architects and Architecture for Humanity. We all joined John on stage when recognized with a plaque and were so thankful to be a part of the ceremony. There aren’t words to express how moving it was to see the families, the children, the community and all who had traveled from far places to be together in honor of the opening. We ended our evening at the Engle home with a celebration dinner…and just a little more dancing. Lucky isn’t even a big enough word to say in sharing how we feel to be here, seeing and helping with this great and exciting event.

A quick image from our drive on Friday of the typical transit...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:28:02 -0800

A quick image from our drive on Friday of the typical transit method for many people in Haiti.

Children's Academy Dedication!

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:40:51 -0800

The day has arrived and we are soon headed to the site to celebrate the dedication of the school. We spent the morning at the site delivering more art supplies, sweeping, decorating and making last minute touches to the painting of building elements such as the newly installed handrails. The site looks amazing and the community has really stepped in to help make the space clean and fresh for the ceremony. Our Internet connection is not excited about uploading photos but they are soon to follow. Bati Byen! Congratulations to the many, many people who had a hand in making today a success.

The BAR crew arrives safely!

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:50:21 -0800

The BAR team arrived safely in Port au Prince to be pleasantly surprised by an updated airport arrival terminal. Such progress has been made in a short time since our last trip! We spent our first day out around PaP and attended the AfH monthly meet-n-greet in the evening. We’re so lucky to be here and seeing many friends and amazing sights. Our adventures yesterday included seeing the Cathedral, the Iron Market and a stop at La Reserve, a great outdoor restaurant on our way home. In the evening we spent time with our AfH friends at one of the beautiful hotels in PaP, the Montana. Salsa music filled the air, conversation and laughter surrounded us and there may have been a little dancing. :D Some pictures to follow!

The Haiti Partners Children’s Academy Dedication Ceremony...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:05:59 -0800

The Haiti Partners Children’s Academy Dedication Ceremony will take place this Sunday, February 24th on site near Port au Prince. A portion of the original design team from BAR Architects is traveling to Haiti to attend the ceremony and share in the celebration with the community we have been so fortunate to work with. Stay tuned for photo updates of our trip and time spent acknowledging the hard work of so many people to make the Children’s Academy a reality! Bati Byen! See the event page for more information about the Dedication Ceremony: http://haitipartners.org/what-we-do/schools/haiti-partners-childrens-academy-and-learning-center/

... but who needs a Roof?

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:09:00 -0800

The trusses are being installed now, but well before that (in October 2012) the youngest students began their education at the Children’s Academy. They used the lower level as classroom space, as you can see in these photos. Soon they will be able to move up to the main floor and take advantage of the fresh air and sunlight as they learn. The lower level will become administration space, as planned.

Trusses are Being Installed!

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:42:56 -0800

What a great way to end the year: the trusses were delivered to the site last week and are being installed today!!

Construction is continuing! The first gatherings have been held...

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:18:00 -0700

Construction is continuing! The first gatherings have been held in the building and school has started on the property. The first 25 students have begun classes. They have also constructed the first of the GiveLove composting toilets on the site.

Here is a video of the fist students and Haiti Partners recapping progress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txMgujtEOmo

Look for more updates soon as construction wraps up and color is applied.

Cheers!

Our client, John Engle of Haiti Partners, reports that...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:54:00 -0800

Our client, John Engle of Haiti Partners, reports that construction is proceeding nicely at the Children’s Academy site! There are 50 community members participating in “Circles of Change” training, which helps develop communication and collaboration skills. In addition, they are doing research toward developing a business to generate revenue for the school. There is a 4-minute professional video about Haiti Partners that features a “Circles of Change” gathering at the Children’s Academy site: http://youtu.be/O3bLhh220BI

The man with the mustache and sky blue t-shirt is 82-year old Montclaire Bien-aime, who said, “I never thought in my lifetime I’d see such a wonderful program in our community.”

Progress from the Job Site!!!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:04:19 -0800

Things are moving along! Click here to see more photos:

http://gallery.me.com/englejohn#101196&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=24

A great series of events happening at the site. Construction is...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:33:01 -0800

A great series of events happening at the site. Construction is underway! There was also a large gathering of community members to help direct the future of this school. This is an incredibly exciting time and we look forward to more updates from John Engle. Click below for more information, videos, and quotes from the community.

http://www.haitipartners.org/2011/12/childrens-academy-community-engagement/

http://www.haitipartners.org/2011/12/community-open-space-meeting-at-childrens-academy/

The Children’s Academy Ground-Breaking on 9/22/11!!!

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:07:10 -0700

Yes, that’s right: our Haiti project broke ground last Thursday! My, how time flies. We are so happy this day has come, and CAN’T WAIT to see Phase I of this wonderful project come into physical form. Although we couldn’t be in Haiti for the ground-breaking, John Engle and the beloved Haitian families were definitely in our thoughts.

BAR Architects + Haiti Partners + Architecture for Humanity CD Wrap-Up Meeting

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:02:00 -0700

The final Children’s Academy meeting led by Will Spurzem (Designer from BAR and the last volunteer from our current efforts to travel to Haiti) occured last Friday morning. We have completed the work we set out to accomplish on the Children’s Academy and delivered the drawings and BOQs to Architecture for Humanity.

(Read Karl Johnson’s update on BAR’s work and the Children’s Academy here: http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2011-08-25-a-timoun-future)

The drawing package and BOQ is now going through a final review by AFH’s Construction Coordinator (Carl Harrigan, 3^rd from left). Next week it will be sent to several Haitian contractors for estimates, and the final contract will be awarded on September 23. The ground breaking ceremony is set for Sunday afternoon September 25.

Says Lisa Victor from BAR: “Architecture for Humanity told me how impressed they have been with every last one of our volunteers, and how much they enjoyed having us. They were complimentary of not only everyone’s abilities and work ethic, but also that each person was able to adapt so quickly to the new situation and was such a pleasure to work and live with.” And BAR’s sentiments towards AFH and Haiti are exactly the same; our experience has been utterly life-changing, and the worth unmeasurable.

Architecture for Humanity is moving ahead with their plan to use our project as a model for future projects. Other architecture firms are considering donating design services based on our efforts - negotiations are in the works right now. We are so very excited for AFH and for Haiti!

At this point AFH has several schools in construction, many in the works, and 1 completed. They continue to focus on schools but have now been contracted by the Clinton Bush Foundation to redevelop urban economic corridors. More on that here: http://architectureforhumanity.org/node/2092

The one thought that was consistently reiterated among the BAR volunteers is how highly they regard Haitian people, how the people and the country of Haiti are profoundly beautiful. To the people of Haiti, we thank you for allowing us the opportunity to come into your lives. We strive to be more like you.

Sincerely and humbly,

BAR Architects

Long overdue update: I have finished the set of drawings and...

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:11:03 -0700

Long overdue update:

I have finished the set of drawings and started the Bill of Quantities. The set for phase 1 is 47 sheets. The bill of quantities will be broken down into sections: 2 Story Building/Latrine Building/Site Features 1A/Site Features 1B/Lower Level interior options/Perimeter Walls. This will allow the contractor to create a price per building, per phase (1A, 1B, Total), as well as interior work on the lower levels that may or may not be built right away. All of this documentation will ultimately help John Engle and the Construction Manager to negotiate cost, phases, and contracts with more authority.

Calculating accurate totals of rebar requires a lot of coffee. As I work through the BOQ I get a chance to correct small contradictions or errors that might have been missed in a typical QA check. Jeremy’s sketchup model of the structural sequencing is proving to be very helpful for calculating the volume of concrete. Other AFH teams go so far as to model every piece of rebar in sketchup to get accurate numbers.

I will meet with the project team on Friday before I leave, and hopefully the bid announcement/packages will go out next week.

-Cheers

Bonjour. All of the AFH team is working from the house today...

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 14:26:53 -0700

Bonjour. All of the AFH team is working from the house today due to Tropical Storm Emily. Thomas Crowley and I (Will Spurzem) are hoping to wrap up CDs by the end of the week as Thomas leaves on Friday. Hopefully the storm will pass by then. In the last 30 minutes the dark clouds came, the temperature dropped, and the thunder started booming. We were lucky to get out to the site with John Engle yesterday. As we wrap up our site plan detailing, it was good to get a feel for the existing grades/vegetation. Hopefully the storm weakens and we will get less than the predicted 10” rainfall. Cheers.

Our Sunday adventure also took us up to Boutelier, a lookout...

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:33:24 -0700

View, view, view!!!

My travel mates for the day.

Shapes!

Red shoe and a view!

More view!

The artist's chair.

The mix and mingle.

Somewhere out there...

Our Sunday adventure also took us up to Boutelier, a lookout point about mid-way between our house and the Baptist Mission. After a steep descent up a narrow mountain road we arrived at a level spot with many people. Paintings were displayed to one side and a little snack shack and street merchants to the other. We parked and made our way through the merchandise, down a few steps to the lookout platform. With cold beverages in hand, I walked up to the railing and was fronted by the most breathtaking view of Port au Prince. The spot is an incredible little place. All of the materials certainly show their age but it is evident that any signs of wear are simply from how popular this place is, not from neglect. I was captured by the textures, the shape of the handrails, the curving stair leading down to a lower level terrace (currently inhabited by a family whose drying laundry can be seen in one of the above photos) and all the vegetation. Artist’s eisles were set up along the edge of the platform and one area off to the side housed a really amazing turquiose chair, set against the tones of the stone wall. The photo doesn’t do it justice. There was a calm, quiet and beauty about this spot. Really, really great.