Abandonned industry building transformed into a permaculture research institute.

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This project takes place in the town of Hershey, Cuba, around 60 kilometres east of Havana. This town was founded and built for the purpose of producing sugar for the American company Hershey. This means that the production was the kernel and the factory was the heart of the town.

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The last parts of the sugar production stopped almost twenty years ago. There’s now very little social activity, the streets are empty by 7pm and there are very few local jobs. The locals are bored and they have a very sentimental relation to ‘what was’ and the virtue of their past. This has all resulted in economic recession as well as a general lag of spirit throughout the town.

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The motive for this project is to gather the power of Hershey and create a source of outcome for this wasted potential. The intent is to give the locals a common project which will both produce something useful for the community and also secure that the level of education not only will be maintained, but that it will increase and will be passed to future generations.

This institute of permaculture will facilitate following functions:
o A production of a variety of edible fruits, vegetables and legumes, which will provide the comunity with food
o Preparing food, cooking and eating in groups up to 60 people at a time
o Maintaining and repairing tools
o A space for the locals, as well as guests, to meet and socialize
o Spaces for education, planning, research and developing projects
o Housing for long-term temporary stay for guest educators/project de velopers - 6 units
o Housing for short-term temporary stay for guest workers - 4 units
o Storage for the produced food

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