Resisting an adverse context and navigating its restrictions, Grupo Finca emerges, a collective that explores the practice of architecture from an artistic and pedagogical dimension in Havana, Cuba. Given the complexity of the country's political and social situation, informal architecture is common: low resources, difficulty in obtaining materials, high costs, and a lack of skilled labor, among other challenges, are some of the obstacles faced by independent architecture professionals. Coupled with the absence of a regulatory legal framework that would allow them to work formally in the labor market or acquire materials and supplies, the construction of contemporary architecture in Cuba is relegated to independent processes that can somehow overcome these barriers.
Furthermore, the most vulnerable communities are especially affected, as, in the absence of efficient public policies, they see their neighborhoods and gathering spaces in decline. In this context, Grupo Finca presents a powerful reflection on public space, where they, independently, have the opportunity and the tools to transform it and return quality spaces to the communities. The collective proposes a model of action based on the freedom to work without specific commissions or clients.
As a team, we found in acting without commissions and in the informality of our city a legal loophole where we could operate. We recognize the value of the intuitive city, the one that grows organically from the need for shelter, and we position ourselves critically in response to government management. We approach public space as active citizens, reclaiming a political right to regenerate our environment. Here, connected to transformation, the classroom takes shape. In the changing setting, another transformation immediately arises: that of the individuals. Then, an educational process is unleashed, guided towards a critical-spatial vision of pedagogy.
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In an abandoned urban void, formerly used as a dump in the community of Los Pocitos, stands Inua, an installation of swings that also serves as an extension of a local school's classroom. The site already had nearly all the materials needed for its creation; it only lacked the design and coordination. The construction process was collective, involving the community that embraced the project as its own from the very beginning.
The realization process was a reflection of freedom and the faces were of hope; a hope that mobilized, in some sense, the community’s perception of their relationship with the space. The dump seemed like an unmovable truth, and nothing was further from that. It disappeared as a force of change emerged. Around eleven at night, figures were projected from a rooftop. Voices, a violin, and a drum could be heard; joy, too, could be heard: Inua was being born.
Project Inua demonstrates that, despite limitations, it is possible to transform urban spaces through community collaboration and creativity. This approach not only addresses immediate needs but also establishes a model for architectural intervention in challenging contexts, showing that resilience and innovation can create a lasting positive impact on communities.
