LITTLE LAKAY
Miami Floating Housing Competition
Biscayne Bay, Miami
Director's Choice Award
In collaboration with Isabella Hillman
Little Haiti and Little River are long-established communities of rich Caribbean culture in inland Miami, now the most coveted territory for luxury development due to climate change. Placing at risk the people who built the community decades ago from nothing.
For Little Lakay, the Gingerbread typology and culture of Little Haiti were the main source of inspiration. The project is composed of a floating path that connects the community to Legion Park and Picnic islands. Throughout the weaving path, a series of nodes are implemented to act as social and cultural spaces for the community. These include the entry portal, agricultural center, leisure parks, civic center, and a watch tower that frames the most prominent views of the contrast between Miami’s high-rise development and the Caribbean-influenced community, while creating a place that resembles their home.
