The Lo-Fab Movement

John Hill

26. maio 2015

Photo: Screenshot

A team led by Mackenzy Vil fabricated the screens for MASS Design Group's GHESKIO Cholera Treatment Center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a "lo-fab" (locally fabricated) process documented in this four-minute film.

We featured the building earlier in the year in our Building of the Week feature on American-Architects. The architects at MASS said this about the screen:

Especially unique to the design process is the handcrafted metal shade screen façade that optimizes privacy, daylighting, and ventilation. Designed through MASS at Harvard University specifically to leverage local expertise in craft, the screens were then fabricated by metal workers in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti. Because each perforation is adjusted to maximize airflow and reduce heat within the facility, they create a comfortable, well-ventilated atmosphere without comprising patient privacy (especially important for such an undignified disease). This high-tech, locally-fabricated approach enabled us to leverage local expertise and labor and deliver a highly-optimized solution.