The FCAA or Federation of Caribbean
Associations of Architects, in association with the Guiana
Order of Architects Regional Council (known locally as CROA
GUYANE), is organising its 4th convention from October 1st to
3rd 2008 in French Guiana.
With this in mind, the FCAA is inviting all
Caribbean-based professionals in the field of architecture to
debate and discuss the following theme:
URBAN CULTURE AND HABITAT
French Guiana, an overseas territory (or
département d'outre mer), is an 84,000mÇ expanse
of land situated on South-American soil between Surinam and
Brazil. The Atlantic coast stretches 350 kilometres before
giving way to the imposing Amazon forest, a treasure of
immeasurable potential whose exceptional biodiversity is
calling out for sustainable exploitation.
With a population of approximately
220 000, French Guiana is characterised by a
constantly-evolving multicultural society.
Architecture must evidently be
evolutive to adapt to this cultural pluralism and to the demand
of the inhabitants who seek privacy and security at home while
remaining faithful to the very foundation of our Guyanese
lifestyle which revolves around conviviality and proximity.
It has come to our attention that the
suburbs and outer areas of the city have become the subject of
recent studies, whereas these zones had never until now been
under such scrutiny.
To accompany this unavoidable
evolution of needs and mentality, we cannot run the risk of
over-urbanisation, of building a town on top of the town,
though this seems to be today’s tendency. Rather, we must
plan for residential development in a balanced environment that
takes into account the need for locally-available services such
as cultural establishments or sports facilities.
We can only ever achieve this though
leaning towards better land management and our conviction that
it is possible.
The city should be beneficial to all.
It is true that habitat standards evolve slowly, and that the
functional system in each apartment is barely impacted by this
evolution; but at a deeper level, the relationship to the city
is changing. This is marked in particular by a new definition
of the boundary between the outside and the inside.
This convention will broach a variety
of topics that will enrich our debates, including habitat,
urban planning (in both city centre and suburbs), as well as
the expansion and mutation of various villages, cities and of
their living environment.
