In 2011, we solidified the development of two projects in Bonneau, a rural town in Northwest Haiti. One project involves the creation of a Productive Public Space at the current site of the town's marketplace. For this project we are working with the 75-member community organization, Tete Ensemble and SMAQ architecture. Our second project in Bonneau is our first large-scale architecture project commissioned by the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission (NWHCM) and designed in partnership with SMAQ architecture. NWHCM has been serving Northwest Haiti since 1979 and has numerous projects in the region addressing poverty.
Using KDI's principles of collaborative and sustainable design, KDI and SMAQ are currently designing NWHCM's Miriam Center- a residential and school center for up to 100 special-needs children, 30 elderly adults, and a church to accommodate 100-200 people. The site of the Miriam Center is over 3,000 square meters (3/4 of an acre) off the main road outside Bonneau on the route to the ocean. Working with local residents, NWHCM staff, and current NWHCM clients, KDI and SMAQ are developing a center that is sustainable and appropriately designed for the area while addressing the needs of the larger community. This project represents KDI's first large-scale architecture project and fee-for-service design for non-profit organizations.