Design/Build in the Dominican Republic

Instructors: Kyle Bergman, Sandy Lawton

Maximum: 24 students

Credits: 3 (minimum of 80 total hours, minimum of 24 hours of formal lectures and 56 hours of workshop instruction)

This 17 day design/build adventure will focus on a rural community project called the Iguanario. The Iguanario is a local effort to repopulate the threatened species of Rhinoceros Iguana ( Cyclura Cornuta ) back to their native environment. The goal of the Iguanirio is to help breed the iguana, educate the community, and then reintroduce the animals into their natural environment.

The design challenge of this project is to make this site more inviting and visible for tourist vehicles that pass by on their way to Rincon Beach, as well as create a better experience and transition from the parking to the iguana areas. The design will help to encourage more people to stop to visit the conservation project, in turn helping to make the Iguanario more financially viable, and thereby furthering their repopulation and educational efforts.

The first third of the class will lead students through a design process for this community design/build project. The design process begins with individual designs which then merge into a number of collaborative designs, and finally culminate in a single design emanating from the collective ideas of the participants. The remainder of the course is an intensive building sprint to build what has been designed.

The class will work with local materials that are environmentally appropriate. The goals of the class are to bring students through the design/build process showing how the designing and building process continually inform each other throughout the project

Student performance will be assessed based on participation, attitude, etc.

Instructors will write letters of evaluation upon request.

Class Schedule

January 3, Thursday

Meet International Participants at Santo Domingo Las Americas Airport (SDQ)

Airport transfer to Colonial Zone accommodations.

Meet All Participants at Hotel in Colonial Zone

Class Orientation.

Dinner in Colonial Zone.

Hotel Accommodations in Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo .

January 4, Friday

Breakfast in Hotel.

Transpiration by Bus to Site (5 Hours)

Stop for Lunch.

Orientation and Tour of Camp and Facilities.

Tour of Community.

Dinner at Camp.

Tent Camping accommodations.

January 5, Saturday - January 8, Tuesday

Breakfast and Dinner in Camp.

Design on Site (lunch on site)

Tent Camping accommodations.

January 9, Wednesday - January 17, Thursday

Breakfast and Dinner in Camp.

Build on Site (lunch on site)

Tent Camping accommodations.

January 18, Friday

Breakfast and Dinner in Camp.

Finishing touches on Site (lunch on site)

Presentation of Project to Community

Tent Camping accommodations.

January 19, Saturday

Breakfast in Camp.

Transpiration Back to Santo Domingo

Farewell Dinner.

Hotel accommodations in Colonial Zone.

January 20, Sunday

Breakfast - Rides to the Airport