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After the Storm: Puerto Rico's Architecture Schools in the Wake of Hurricane Maria; Part 2 — Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

2017-11-10T19:53:00-05:00

For Archinect's After the Storm mini series, we had reached out to various architecture schools in Puerto Rico to get a better understanding how the recent Hurricanes Irma and Maria — and the devastation they left behind all over the region — had impacted school facilities, academic infrastructure, and student life.

In Part 1, we interviewed Mayra Jiménez-Montano, Interim Architecture Dean at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan.

In this second installment, we're talking with Luis V. Badillo-Lozano, Dean of the School of Architecture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in Ponce, the island's second largest city.

Archinect: How have the recent hurricanes Maria and Irma impacted the school's daily operations and student life? Have school facilities and infrastructure been affected?

Luis V. Badillo-Lozano: Neither Hurricane Irma nor Maria had a big impact on our School's facilities. Some water infiltration through the roof and a crack on a glass door (some floor ...

After the Storm: Puerto Rico's Architecture Schools in the Wake of Hurricane Maria; Part 1 — University of Puerto Rico

2017-11-08T12:31:00-05:00

Several weeks have now passed since Hurricanes Irma and Maria consecutively ravaged through the Caribbean and southern states and territories of the U.S., leaving behind a trail of destruction and overwhelming infrastructural challenges. Puerto Rico was hit particularly hard — in terms of human loss, damage to homes, businesses, and life-sustaining networks like power grids, communication systems, water supply, wastewater treatment as well as the subsequent long-term health dangers and the ongoing exodus of professionals and their families.

We have reached out to Puerto Rico's architecture schools to get a reading on the current state of architectural education on the island in the wake of the storms and how faculty, staff, and students manage to cope with the new circumstances. Since most school websites were still down until recently and spotty power and internet supply made using the official .edu email systems near impossible, much of the communication had to be conducted via so...

Having endured two major hurricanes, Puerto Rico's museums begin to reopen

2017-10-05T15:11:00-04:00

Three weeks after the category four Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on 20 September, devastating the US Island, knocking out power and killing an as yet undetermined number of residents, local museums are back to work and helping with community relief efforts.

While the U.S. President spent his visit in double-hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico tossing rolls of paper towels into the crowd like t-shirts at a Knicks game, the island's museums are busy assessing the damage and getting their institutions reopened to the public.

German company Sonnen provides micro grid power relief in Puerto Rico

2017-10-04T12:45:00-04:00

Puerto Rico’s electricity grid was completely knocked out when Hurricane Maria slammed into the island Sept. 20, and repairs are expected to take months. That’s generating interest in microgrids, small-scale systems that combine solar panels and batteries that can be installed quickly to restore power to a few buildings at a time.

German company Sonnen GmbH will provide 15 solar powered energy storage systems to Puerto Rico's emergency relief centers. Most of the Island is still without power after Hurricane Maria.

Andrews University architecture students help with disaster relief in Puerto Rico

2017-10-02T15:56:00-04:00

Beginning in July 2017, the graduate Urban Design Studio began to pursue a service project (..) to assist with the design of new housing and public spaces in a flood-prone, impoverished informal settlement in central San Juan. The studio planned to visit the site and engage the community in a participatory design process beginning on Sept. 26, 2017. But then hurricane Irma hit, followed by hurricane Maria on September 20—an event that will change the island forever.

Graduate architecture students from Christian University Andrews will participate in disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico as part of their studio class. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20th, 2017. Since then, most of the island has been left without electricity and cellphone coverage.