Haitian Wisdom

Merritt LLCEmergency Shelter Kit

-Haitian Architecture Study-

“Haitian houses usually start with one or two small rooms and gradually grow… Traditional rural housesHad rooms that were about 10’ wide.”

The Kay house is a distinctive Haitian Style.

Start small .

”Piti piti zwazo fe nich.”

“Little by little the bird builds its nest.”

Open up the front room for breezes.

“The front porch in Haiti is the galerie. This is truly the center of family life.”

Buildings with more traditional rectangular shape can also be built with this kit. The trouble is the need for scarce wood and tin roofing.

Hell yeah, domes are strong!

These 8” scale models, made of nothing but clay and sand, supported my entire weight!

“Despite a scarcity of resources, (Haitians) have always been lavished with beautiful colors and patterns”.

So, “Add some paint into the budget so Haitians can personalize their buildings.”

My mom saw this after it was painted and said, “Now I would live in one of those!”