COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Degree project: Research & design proposal Partner: Mujeres en Las Artes - MUA (Women in Arts) Location: Honduras The Old Penitentiary, located in the historic district of Tegucigalpa, flooded in 1998 during Hurricane Mitch, losing its occupants and infrastructure. To date, the penitentiary remains abandoned while its historic buildings deteriorate—a loss for the architectural and political history of Honduras. Research and stakeholder consultations in the area revealed the need for an arts and recreation center where local artists and students can develop their skills. The design proposal, therefore, suggested the reorganization of current occupancy and the public transportation system in the area to enable new land use. Landscape measures protect the buildings from the river, which overflows again during the rainy season. Finally, three intersected geodesic domes protect the heritage buildings while acting as a symbol for the penitentiary while building the brand of the historic city district over the long-run.
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