Discover Cuba
In January 2012, a group of 13 accompanied by I2UD staff traveled to Cuba to discover its rich architectural, cultural and urbanistic heritage. The group traveled to Havana, Trinidad and Cienfuegos and experienced the culture and people through the expertise of a Cuban guide. Once a center of European culture in the Western Hemisphere, Havana continued to be an intellectual magnet until World War II and has some astounding examples of the work of leading architects and landscape architects. In addition to its older landmarks, in Cienfuegos and Trinidad as well as Havana, the group also looked at the post-1960 social housing and the “new town” of Las Arboledas, a joint effort by Cuban and US architects and planners.


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Download the 2012 Brochure


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Your  Highlights
  • 1930 Hotel Nacional by McKim, Mead & White, considered one of the most beautiful hotels in the world
  • Schools of Art of Havana by Porro, Garatti, and Gottardi
  • Dinner at the Palacio del Valle, a tribute to the Alhambra


We are in the process of planning a trip for next year. Contact Mary Shia, Director of Individual & Corporate Giving, to learn more about the trip.
Expert  Guide
Our guide was the Cuban architect and urban planning Professor Julio Cesar Perez. He was an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Havana and a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Professor Perez publishes, teaches, serves on academic juries, and lectures internationally on Cuban architecture and urbanism.
Tax  Deductible
This unique trip was not only tax deductable, but it contributed to the Institute’s mission to promote sustainable urban and regional growth in lower- income countries.
Contact Mary Meet the Professor