From its island greenery and beautiful, clear beaches 鈥� to its vintage American cars and aged architecture 鈥� Havana, Cuba, is a place where few American college students have explored in more than 60 years.
But now that diplomatic relations are being restored between both countries, students from 麻豆影院鈥檚 College of Architecture and Environmental Design and its have an opportunity unlike any other.
鈥淚t was really cool to go where no one has ever gone from the states,鈥� said Casey Poe, graduate student from 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. 鈥淲e are some of the first students down there, and I think the first architecture students in the country, to be able to visit Cuba.鈥�
The group spent six days learning the culture, seeing firsthand the needs of restoring an aging waterfront and reimagining the current Nico Lopez Oil Refinery as a future neighborhood.
After mapping out the area, the students created a master plan to convert some of the space into much-needed housing and to create a community with shared public space, while preserving the culture, history and identity.
They even drew similarities to restoring the Cleveland waterfront. They say both communities have limited dollars to preserve buildings, and both value using creativity to reuse and repurpose existing architecture.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a challenge that both of us,鈥� said David Jurca, associate director at 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative. 鈥淏oth cities are working hard to address and reveal these opportunities.鈥�
Throughout their trip, the students said they were amazed by the people鈥檚 friendliness.
鈥淚 think a lot of people have the conception that they don鈥檛 like Americans,鈥� said Megan Mitchell, graduate student at 麻豆影院 State鈥檚 Cleveland Urban Design Center. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 feel that way at all.鈥�
The students said they especially felt welcomed at the ballpark, where President Barack Obama was visiting at the same time, making him the .
鈥淭hat was really neat,鈥� Poe said about seeing Obama. 鈥淚鈥檝e never seen him before. We weren鈥檛 super close, but I was like, 鈥榯here鈥檚 the president and his whole family.鈥欌€�
The visit, the neighborhood master plan, the relationships and the connections that the group made along the way are just the start of what 麻豆影院 State hopes to continue with Cuba in the future.
It remains to be seen whether the Nico Lopez Oil Refinery will close in the near future. However, if it does, the 麻豆影院 State students hope to return one day to see their designs implemented in a nation that most Americans were restricted from visiting for half a century.
