Casa Paulino Ingelmo

Manuel Gutiérrez

Nuevo Vedado, Havana

1954

The Ingelmo residence in the Nuevo Vedado was a model of structural and functional efficiency, with hints of Cuban tradition in the full-height wooden shutters that nearly enclose the entire perimeter of the main block. The concrete structure is the closest thing to Le Corbusier’s Maison Dom-ino (an open floor plan structure) in Cuba, with a modular system that formed the basic dimensions of the plan, structure, and even details. The project was so impressive that in 2004, the Florida Chapter of the American Institute of Architects awarded Gutiérrez a “Test of Time” award for the project’s enduring legacy, noting its “simplicity of design and efficiency of construction.”