Favela Inspired Architecture
I had the chance in undergrad to study Teddy Cruz a bit. He is originally from Guatemala, immigrated to the US during his college years, and now practices as an architect and teaches at UC San Diego. His focus is on socioeconomic issues – San Diego may be the best laboratory for this kind of research due to the disparity between San Diego and Tijuana.
One of the heaviest trafficked borders in the world, the San Diego—Tijuana arbitrary line experiences a movement of immigrants northward and a movement of waste southward. Waste means debris from construction sites, which includes tires, garage doors, corrugated metal panels, etc. People use this waste to construct their homes in the slums of Tijuana.
Teddy Cruz proposes that the sprawl of San Diego can learn from the organic evolution of slums in Tijuana. He believes that the informality of this socioeconomic group can be used as an asset to inform the redesigning of San Diego’s never ending suburban sprawl.
I appreciate the modesty of Cruz’s work: he believes that modest alterations are the way to increase density in existing suburbia. I also support the theory that the best way to initiate a change is to begin small and to incrementally increase the reach to solve a massive complex problem.
I am concerned about what may happen when or if his approach to architecture picks up wind and becomes generalized. His architecture is effective because he uses rudimentary building materials to fragment spaces appropriate as housing solutions for people who are migrating or in need of temporary/emergency housing. I’m afraid that his architectural style may be adopted as ‘the way to solve suburbia’, where it may be diluted and mimicked outside of its original context, essentially losing its sense of place and value.
I totally agree with you, It's difficult. While the solution is ingenious, its not exactly something that can be pushed forward by the government. For a variety of reasons, but I would imagine safety would be a big concern.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about your concerns on taking an idea (good or bad) outside its original context as it may have unimagined concecuences. That is what Tijuan got when they applied San Diegos'model. Tijuana's social housing is a mess since they are basiclly suburbs for the poor. Thay are far from the city center and are inhabited by families with movility issues und thus get abandoned and fall in decay. It is like if urban sprawl is more damaging to Mexican cities than American ones.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right to worry about the replication of the Cruz’s emergency architecture. I do however think it would be hard to pull off in a regulated town or city. On the other, I think what he is doing is great: even though he uses minimum materials he still leaves room that allows for the temporary inhabitants of his structure to customize them (not quite to Jean Nouvel’s scale, but close)
ReplyDeleteI share your concern about how that style can be poorly replicated in places where it may not be as great of a solution in one place as it is in another. It is ironic too because it then becomes forcing something "organic" to happen. Artificially inducing something that is supposed to just occur naturally over time.
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