Photo Feature by Ernesto Gonzalez Diaz
HAVANA TIMES – They are known as micro-brigade buildings because they were constructed by brigades made by a combination professional builders and the people who were going to live in them, that is, by their future residents. The so-called micro-brigade movement emerged in the 1970s to try to solve the growing and still unresolved housing problem in Cuba.
This movement was based on the release of workers needing housing from their workplaces with pay, to join the construction. Once the building was completed, an apartment was sold to the builder through a bank loan.
To speed up the construction of these buildings and reduce project costs, most were prefabricated buildings using the Gran Panel IV, V, E-14, E-15, and Sandino systems, systems that had been widely used with modifications in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe, except for the Sandino system, which was entirely created in Cuba.
For many, they are not aesthetically pleasing or attractive, nor are the apartments large and comfortable, but the reality is that they somehow alleviated part of the housing problem in the country and especially in Havana, a problem that is among the most serious faced by the population.
The quality of these buildings, in general, cannot be said to be optimal due to many factors. However, today, with proper maintenance cycle and adequate repairs, they are still mostly functional. It is necessary to point out that the high price of construction materials, which are prohibitive for a large part of the population, make maintenance more difficult.
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