A recipient of the 2010 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards, the project was developed to provide low-cost housing to rural communities in Nicaragua. In part the design is a reaction to the need for inexpensive quality housing without the exclusive dependence on state or NGO funding. In ACHA’s design, small groups of women work together to build their own homes from prefabricated panels in a factory setup locally using small loans. After constructing their own houses, they can pass the skill on to other groups of women and can also begin a business of selling their panelized houses outside of their community.

Much of the impoverished world has managed to provide housing for itself through improvised dwellings made of scrap plywood, corrugated metal, and sheets of plastic. The Tropiques house benefits from the lessons learned from the shantytown, and also addresses its problems. The shantytown’s density and spatial efficiencies serve to develop community and social interactions, while its courtyards and larger piazzas provide a counterpoint to the density, social space, and productive gardens. 

Materials are largely non-flammable, readily available, and purchased in bulk. Prefabrication offers many advantages that allow for a higher quality of workmanship, reduced costs, and a well-designed product that would otherwise be improvised from poor materials. Large roof overhangs, top and bottom vents, provide passive cooling and protection from the sun and the heavy rains. Since the women’s homes will be clustered into a community, a collective septic system is feasible. Cross-ventilation, rainwater collection, and sustainable materials, such as the thin fiber-cement boards and corrugated steel, while not nearing the level of recycling found in the improvised shantytown construction, is respectful of both the human and natural environments. 

The initial investigation for the Tropiques houses developed from a case study with the medical organization NeVosh, of which Mr. Höcek is a board and participating member. From previous clinics in rural Nicaragua he observed a pattern of vision and respiratory problems stemming from poor ventilation in local houses. At the outskirts of Granada, they worked with two families, rebuilding their kitchens using locally available materials and construction methods, to eliminate unventilated smoke. The intent of this study was to teach members of the community how to better construct their kitchen ventilation and, ultimately, for them to educate others.  The study also informed ACHA in designing the Tropiques prefabricated houses and system.