Three projects were planned for the IAP period in January 2009. See the project sheet for more details.

Perquin, El Salvador

MIT students again collaborated with the Perquin community in a design/build project during January 2009. In the first collaboration during IAP 2008, MIT students planned, designed and built an improved outdoor washing area and a shaded area for sitting and gathering outside of the main prenatal clinic in Perquin. The interest for January 2009 was centered on a two-week, design-build project around Perkin with some related planning components happening in parallel.

Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike again confronted us with the increasing risk from global warming, and the need to seriously re-evaluate coastal living. Sustainability has become an added concern, and the serious disruption of services - particularly electricity and drinking water - after a storm urge the need for a more comprehensive approach toward housing. The goal of this project was to design a sustainable cooperative village, exploiting the opportunity of elevated housing mandated by regulation and prudence. The project was continued during the Spring Term. Several field trips to the bayous were undertaken as background to the studies.

Lamhin Community, Bangkok, Thailand

Lamhin is an agricultural community in the northeast outside Bangkok that is separated from major roads by the Lamhin Canal. The mission of this project is to build a bridge. The bridge would allow cars and tractors to get inside the community to help people plant, harvest and transport the community's main source of income. It wouldl create an alternative way for the people to increase their income by providing means to commute to downtown Bangkok.

For more information, please see the project sheet.