WHAT'S YOUR PROJECT AND WHAT'S LIFE?
I find it really interesting that some of the architects that designed social housing documented pictures of what they designed and also what became of the building after the inhabitants had moved in. One of those architects is Alejandro Aravena who designed social housing in Iquique, Chile. He took pictures of the buildings that were part of his design with the voids that he left for the inhabitants to fill if they needed. Then, once the inhabitants had moved in and constructed in the voids, he had that documented as well.
While I understand that that was the intention when he left
the void, it’s interesting that he wanted the "lived-in" pictures to be a part of the
documentation that is seen when you look up the project even though he didn’t
design it and it doesn’t go with the style or materiality of what he did. He
could have filled in the voids from the beginning if he had wanted, but he
wanted the inhabitants to have the flexibility to design their own space. I
guess when an Architect designs in a way that is meant to be evolved over time,
it is still considered to be part of your design.
I think he probably included the "lived-in" photos, maybe not necessarily out a staking or claiming ownership over the project infill, but more so to tout his success in project planning at that level. His project and firm would be a failure otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI find the work of Alejandro Aravena housing project interesting as it allows for the user to create a space that is meaningful to them. Illegal buildings is something that has been an issue for many years and Alejandro wanted to create a space that the user could build without fear of being destroy. These "unfinished" structure could also start to develop a unique user experience within the community.
ReplyDeleteYarely, I found the concept of Aravena's social housing extremely interesting as well. I think his provision for the voids allowed for the user's appropriation of space while not also leaving it too open-ended to where it did not function according to its need. I think this a balance that architects must work on providing while designing.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is interesting that he came back to document how the inhabitants used the voids. It’s a unique situation that I wonder if it is something that more architects should develop in future designs. Funnily, Aravena creates a choose-your-own-adventure aspect to his designs for the users. I’m curious to know if in going back for the “lived-in” pictures if he asked the inhabitants why they choose to fill the void in the way they did.
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