Overview:
For 2005 another team of students continued the work in Costa Rica. This time there were a total of 16 team members,
not only from Imperial College, but also from Westminster, Queen Mary's and even Sweden. As a result the team had a more
diverse range of skills to offer, particularly many more Spanish speakers.
The construction centered on an additional 13 light weight houses in the community. The houses were of a similar design to
those in the 2004 project. However, due to less than ideal locations, two of them required retaining walls to protect them from
potential land slides during an earthquake or storm.
In addition to construction work, some of the team conducted social projects, assessing the impact of the development projects
on the community from a social point of view. Both REDES and the students felt that it was very important to evaluate what sort of a social
impact the participation projects were having on the community. From the investigations of the group it seems that the projects are having a
positive social effect on the community as well as the obvious physical improvements.
It is hoped that we can continue working with REDES in 2006, expanding the scope of the participation projects.
Reports and Publications
| Final Report (English) | 2005 Report (En) |
The team outside one of the newly constructed houses.
Visiting a memorial of those who died during the civil war.