London, 20 February: — In a significant step towards sustainability and structural safety in the face of natural events in the Caribbean region, a collaboration agreement between the National Botanical Garden of Cuba (JBN) and the International School of the Architects' Association (AA) was formalised on Friday in the British capital.
The agreement signed at the iconic headquarters of the AA, founded in 1847, an institution of wide international recognition, contributes to promoting architectural and engineering studies for the use of bamboo as a sustainable building material. This alliance seeks not only architectural innovation, but also to enhance climate resilience and response strategies to natural disasters, such as hurricanes and seismic events, phenomena that are highly prevalent in the Cuban archipelago and the Caribbean area.
This collaboration between Cuba and the United Kingdom allows for the exchange of plant science and vast information on Cuban bamboo, which is safeguarded by the JBN, a scientific and academic institution belonging to the University of Havana. The project draws on more than a decade of research led by Professor John Naylor, an AA academic with extensive experience in vulnerable contexts in the Caribbean, specifically in Haiti. Following his visit to Cuba last year, Professor Naylor confirmed first-hand the high level of expertise of the island's academics.
The agreement will enable a dynamic exchange between Cuban experts and students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technological University of Havana (CUJAE) and the JBN's School of Horticulture and Landscaping. Yesterday, the Cuban delegation, led by the Director General of the JBN, was received at the school of architecture, where, after the official signing of the document, a guided tour of the facilities was conducted.
With this signing, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to nature-based innovation to address the housing and climate challenges of the 21st century.