In Fort-de-France, Martinique, David Fontcuberta, an architect and urban planner with expertise in international co-operative housing development, and Rafael José Salcedo, an architect with a degree in civil engineering and a specialisation in project management, have created the two faces of abité. Part architecture practice, part association, abité works for design based on collaboration and the enhancement of local knowledge, focusing in particular on better adaptation of the Martinique territory to the urban and environmental challenges that characterise it. Their VAN DAN VIL project, presented at the third Tropical Architecture Biennial, is guided by the principle of the right to the city, theorised by Henri Lefebvre in the late 1960s. The members of abité defend the involvement of citizens in the design and decision-making processes, to better respond to their needs and redefine the contours of a more inclusive urbanity.

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Interview by Clémentine Roland

Could you introduce abité?

Abité is an architecture practice with an innovative, multidisciplinary approach based on integrating architecture into its local context, while responding to contemporary issues in a sustainable and sensitive way. We, David Fontcuberta and Rafael José Salcedo, share a complementary vision that aims to bring together design, urban planning and social inclusion. Our approach is based on an in-depth reading of contexts, where we seek to respect local traditions and know-how while innovating architecturally. We explore new ways of living and living together, particularly in complex urban environments. Each project is an opportunity for us to rethink the way in which spaces can strengthen social ties, support cultural fulfilment and respond in a relevant way to environmental challenges.

The collaborative process is at the heart of our work. As a creative laboratory, we seek to play a key role in thinking about and implementing bespoke architectural solutions, taking account of the specific needs of users while enriching the area in which we work. At the same time, the abité association, a natural extension of our practice, is dedicated to disseminating architectural knowledge, research and raising awareness of urban and environmental issues, by proposing innovative projects. This association enables us to go beyond simple architectural design and become involved in initiatives with a strong social and cultural impact. Our actions are aimed at transforming spaces in a sustainable way, while taking into account the social and historical realities of the site.

What issues specific to Martinique do you defend in your work?

The projects carried out by the agency and the association address issues specific to Martinique and, more broadly, the Caribbean, treating public space as a natural extension of private space. They aim to preserve the social and communal heritage while incorporating contemporary and sustainable approaches. Martinique faces many challenges: coping with demographic change, building resilience in the face of climatic and environmental risks, and creating accessible and inclusive public spaces designed for and with local residents. In a context marked by the precariousness of common spaces and the challenges posed by substandard housing, it is essential to think about the responsible and coherent management of public spaces. Urban planning plays a central role in this, by reinventing places that respect nature and local culture, while taking into account the history and social realities of the neighbourhoods, particularly in Fort-de-France.

Martinique’s colonial past, with its stigma (colonial architecture, urbanisation systems, denaturation of vernacular building skills), is also an integral part of our thinking.The question of colonial architecture, Creole architecture, traditional architecture, or any number of adjectives that could be attributed to Martinique’s architecture, is still marked by this colonial past. Even today, we still see influences from more recent forms of colonisation, such as visual colonisation (where aesthetics take precedence over functionality or utility). In our approach, we seek to develop a contextual, adapted and responsible architecture, in perfect harmony, as far as possible, with its territory. For us, this represents a response to colonisation. It’s essential to understand the issues and problems of the project and to intervene with a pluralist, complex and contemporary outlook. The concept of contemporaneity in our projects allows us to think about the future, to grasp that the elements are evolving and to position ourselves to experiment with the future. As architects, we need to imagine the world we want to create.

What was the background to the VAN DAN VIL project?

The VAN DAN VIL project was born out of a wider reflection on the urban regeneration of Fort-de-France, and more specifically of rue Garnier-Pagès. It is part of an initiative to rehabilitate public space while seeking to strengthen social and cultural links within the district. The project was initiated by a number of institutional, local and community bodies. Led by the abité association and supported by other local associations, it aims to breathe new life into this key area of the city and create new urban dynamics. We didn’t have any initial sponsors for this project, but it was born out of a need to design an intervention in our immediate environment. In 2021, we submitted our application to the Voluntary Investment Programme of the Action Logement group in Martinique, thanks to which we were awarded a €240,000 grant to develop the project around three main axes: the public space, the inner courtyards and the roof terraces. As the project developed, other institutions and companies joined the initiative, including the Martinique Department of Cultural Affairs, the heritage architect, and the Caisse des Dépôts et Mécénat.

As housing professionals, it’s essential for us to understand the space we live in. We have developed a project called ‘In the middle of the street’, which we like to share with visitors or trainees who come to our office. This project simply consists of travelling around the city, wandering through the space we inhabit with a curious and descriptive eye, in order to recognise the experiences, sensations and potentialities that urban reality offers us.

VAN DAN VIL has two dimensions: architectural and cultural. What are the objectives and operating methods?

The VAN DAN VIL project stands out for its cross-disciplinary approach, harmoniously blending an architectural and a cultural dimension. The main aim is to transform public spaces into places where culture, art and architecture converge, creating an environment conducive to encounters and exchanges. From an architectural point of view, the aim is to rehabilitate spaces by making them accessible, inclusive and respectful of heritage. Particular attention is being paid to the intermediate spaces between the public and the private, notably the interior courtyards (patios) and roof terraces of houses in the centre of Fort-de-France. These spaces, rediscovered following the confinement associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, offer unique potential as spaces for transition and sharing. Similarly, the urban sequences of the city centre, where the scale of the buildings and the proportions of the streets define a subtle boundary between public and private, are at the heart of our reflections. Experience of interventions in public spaces in Fort-de-France has often followed a traditional approach, marked by an urban hierarchy centred on the car and influenced by complex socio-political dynamics. Intervening on a street with floor paintings, while adopting a participatory approach involving local residents and cultural and social entities, was the main driver behind this initiative. This method emphasises the co-creation and citizen re-appropriation of public spaces, transforming a simple intervention into a meaningful project with a lasting impact.

On the cultural front, we’re focusing on bringing life to these areas, with events, exhibitions and community activities aimed at revitalising social and cultural life. Operating methods include close collaboration with residents, shopkeepers and local authorities, to ensure that the project meets real needs and is deeply rooted in the daily lives of users.

Why did you choose rue Garnier-Pagès as the laboratory for your work?

Rue Garnier-Pagès is a historic thoroughfare in Fort-de-France city centre, located at the heart of a district steeped in history. It was selected because of its strategic location, its key role in the commercial and social life of the city, and its state of disrepair, requiring urgent intervention. In 2020, we set up our architectural office at number 19 on the same street. At that time, 21 buildings on the street were derelict.

When the Rue de la République [perpendicular to the Rue Garnier-Pagès, editor’s note] was pedestrianised, the Rue Garnier-Pagès was closed to car traffic on one side, making it a cul-de-sac and a daily parking space for shopkeepers and visitors to the town centre. Every day, it was clogged with badly parked vehicles honking to get out, leading to arguments between residents and shopkeepers, and so on. This situation represented a major urban challenge for us, because it was essential to work on this conflict in order to experiment with urban planning solutions aimed at transforming this reality. As residents of the street and urban planning professionals, it seemed obvious to us to propose interventions to resolve this socio-urban problem. This is where the principle of participatory urban planning and the right to the city comes in. Rehabilitating this street is crucial to strengthening the identity of the neighbourhood and reconnecting residents with their immediate environment, enabling them to leave their homes in peace and quiet and live in a harmonious community environment. The aim of this project is to revitalise this area while preserving its historic character and its fundamental social role.

The concept of “right to the city” seems to be at the heart of this intervention. What principles and relationships are you hoping to intensify through the VAN DAN VIL project?

The concept of the right to the city is indeed at the heart of the project. As Henri Lefebvre emphasised in his book, the right to the city should be understood as the right to participate actively in public decisions concerning the space we are co-constructing. Living together is essential if we are to envisage a diverse, committed and equitable society in the contemporary city. As an example, the project’s slogan is: ‘The city is much better when we build it together’. In the context of Rue Garnier-Pagès, which is a small-scale model of the city of Fort-de-France, it is crucial to overcome the conflicts arising from the urban designs of the 1970s and 1980s: the predominance of wide avenues for fast vehicle traffic or the multiplication of parking spaces invading public space, with no thought given to pedestrian paths, which are often reduced to residual spaces left free by cars. We need to adopt a contemporary approach to urban planning, in which the participation of the main players in development – residents, socio-economic players, professionals, politicians, civil servants, etc. – is essential.

Does the project incorporate bioclimatic principles?

The VAN DAN VIL project effectively integrates bioclimatic and climate resilience issues. It is based on the use of local, environmentally-friendly materials, as well as architectural solutions that encourage natural ventilation and the use of renewable energies. This is reflected in the creation of interior courtyards in the plots in the centre of Fort-de-France: natural cool spaces that provide good ventilation for the interior spaces, while also offering land suitable for growing vegetable gardens. With modernist reinforced concrete architecture, roof terraces emerged in the city centre, and we observed how, during the pandemic, these spaces regained their identity as a ‘fifth façade’, offering meeting places for neighbours or friends, while allowing people to enjoy the air and sunshine.

The aim of the project is to rehabilitate these architectural spaces and design a building capable of withstanding local climatic conditions, while minimising its ecological footprint. The projects also include green spaces and sustainable urban planning features, in harmony with local characteristics. For example, the removal of cars from the street and the installation of two temporary platforms on the site of two parking spaces have allowed this space to be greened, transforming it into a place where residents stop, enjoy the communal space and become active players in making the street safer, more inclusive and more dynamic.

What other projects is abité involved in?

We are currently working on a number of projects, particularly in the field of refurbishment. Among them, we are completing the renovation of an old ‘kou’ [courtyard in Martinique Creole, editor’s note] on a plot of land in Fort-de-France. The ‘kou’ was a communal interior space in a block, characterised mainly by resting features such as a tree, a ‘tiban’ [a small bench in Martinique Creole, editor’s note] and a fountain, used as a meeting place and also for production or domestic work, for several houses. This space will now be transformed into a restaurant run by a Caribbean chef. We are also working on a house in Schoelcher, with a strong relationship to nature and a bioclimatic approach to the design with very committed project owners. Other projects involve the renovation of heritage buildings, incorporating bioclimatic strategies and aiming to reduce the use of air conditioning.

In addition, within the association, we are currently finalising the conclusions of projects carried out over the last two years. These include, in particular, the catalogue of the ‘Fort-de-France 2050’ exhibition, which has attracted a great deal of interest in the city, as well as the projects presented at the Rencontre Tropicale d’Architecture and the VAN DAN VIL project. In 2025, we will be concentrating our efforts on the cultural dimension of the VAN DAN VIL project, by developing a network to energise local cultural players. We are also planning an exhibition on the architectural renovation projects currently underway, particularly those in the rue Garnier-Pagès.