Over the course of half a century of “slum �xing,” and “urban revitalization,” the world has seen a broad spectrum of answers to the question, “what should we do for the urban poor?” From the short sighted “tabula rasa” to concrete mega-blocks of the hyper-modernists, each theory, though well intentioned, had �aws. More recent approaches encourage less intervention and more basic support. By understanding not only the physical needs of informal settlements, but also the economic and social needs, a more complete approach can be taken to encourage positive growth in depressed areas.

M. Arch. Final Study_Geo�rey Allen Kornegay

DR. PETER LANG_CHAIRDR. CECILIA GIUSTI_MEMBERDR. JESSE SAGINOR_MEMBER

This project aims to create a prototype “Architectural Infrastructure,” to service the unique needs of informal neighborhoods. It will serve as a “community center” which addresses the needs of the physical community, the economic community, and the social community. The intention is not to create a “stock” building to be used in all locations, but rather to develop a framework that allows for variability and therefore implementation in areas with di�ering needs.

The Neza-Chalco-Izta area of Mexico City will be used as a test site for this project and the needs of this community will be used to develop the test program. The neighborhood is segmented into large blocks roughly 1.5km square. There are central openings in each block which may have originally been for community uses, but are now largely privately owned. A segment of one of these areas will be designated as the site for this project.

Physical Infrastructure:

_Water quality, delivery, and storage_Garbage collection and disposal systems_Power generation, local use and distribution_Mitigating �ood risk _Air quality problems relating to seasonal water level change in the Texcoco Lake_Mitigating soils and landslide risk during heavy summer rains_Transportation, access, and connectivity to other areas of the city

Economic Infrastructure:_Public market_Small scale �nancial institutions_Education facilities for teaching job skills and developing small business owners_Community garden or other public project space

Social Infrastructure:_Public space both indoor and outdoor_Sports and recreational facilities_Performance and presentation space_Cultural space for art or other exhibition_Health clinic and related education facilities_Public Library

250 500 10001000

IZTA

CHALCO

LAGO TEXCOCO

AIRPORT

NEZA

75 175 375250

To encourage spatial e�ciency and extended occupancy, facilities will be designed to allow complementary uses to utilize a single space at di�ering times. This variable use of space should be encouraged in both indoor facilities and outdoor open spaces to create a sense of constant occupancy.

This facility would be one of many spread out across a large neighborhood. The goal is not to provide a single, massive solution for millions of people, but rather a network of related (though not identical) facilities, within walking distance of each other, to service the needs of a local community. As these needs vary throughout the settlement, so should the manifestation of the “infrastructure,” provided.

Due to the nature of the community and the people who live there, the service area of this type of project is limited to, “acceptable walking distance,” as understood by the users of the facility. This radial area and number of “targeted users,” will become the guidelines for the development of a speci�c program. It will be used to develop the schedule of facilities to be included in the project and the amount of built area dedicated to each use.

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01

0302

0302

This multi-function public building is under construction in the Paraisópolis informal settlement of São Paulo, Brazil. Its program includes classroom and performance space for a pre-existing music school program, small sports facilities, public space, urban agriculture, commercial space, a transportation link, and a small amount of replacement housing. This is clearly a vast undertaking, but by designing each space for multiple purposes, the program can be condensed and the building can be occupied more e�ciently.

The site was formerly occupied by rudimentary housing equally dense as that surrounding the facility. A small section of the housing was destroyed by a mudslide – a common occurrence in this area of high erosion and steep terrain – creating a unique opportunity for investment. The building and site improvements create a new section pro�le for the site and serve to reinforce the hillside and prevent further erosion while creating much needed open space.

The project won the Holcim Gold Award for Sustainable Construction for its design approach and integration of sustainable features at every scale. In its conclusions, the award committee summarizes by stating, “The project utilizes site orientation to provide a combination of both passive and active systems for maximum e�ciency and low cost. The buildings and landscape work as one system that can e�ectively handle the varying conditions of the wet/dry season cycle. Prevailing winds in combination with an in-�oor cooling system provide e�cient tempering; the waste heat is stored in the terraces (as heat sink) during the day and emitted through hybrid-PV panels at night. Excess heat is vented through a solar andwind supported chimney. Water is reused on site; what was once a danger is now a resource. Wetlands �lter the water through the site, which can be used for irrigation (in urban agriculture) and gray-water applications or further �ltered through rapid sand �ltration. An on-site water tank distributes excess water to the sewage system during the wet season and stores it for later use during the dry season.”

Grotão - Fábrica de MúsicaUrban Think TankSao Paulo, BrazilSEHAB, City of Sao Paulo

CASE STUDYARCHITECT

LOCATIONCLIENT

This experimental community model is not just a proposal for a building, but rather a small scale reinvention of prototypical planning policy in United States. Along with non-pro�t developer Casa Familiar, Teddy Cruz designed a housing project that embraces the informal patterns and impromptu mixed-use development of the low income areas of Southern California. Paired with this project is the designation of what he calls, “AHOZ: A�ordable Housing Overlay Zones” which create micro planning policy areas that allow for the inclusion of program that would traditionally be considered a “non-conforming use.” This allows for densi�cation, which leads to a�ordability, and stimulates micro-economic activity in public spaces.

The program includes housing, public space, workshops, a market, a community center, community gardens, and group kitchens, but more importantly, it encourages the social interaction between each of these spaces. In an interview with California Architect, Cruz says of the project, “In a place where current regulation allows only one use, we propose �ve di�erentuses that support one another, suggesting a model of social sustainability for the neighborhood, one that conveys density not as bulk but as social choreography and neighborhood collaboration.”

Equally as important in Cruz’s design is the ability to utilize a single space for multiple functions. Much of the ground level is left open as multi-function space to be used by the community for both planned and spontaneous events. This opportunity is a vital part of the culture of the neighborhood.

Living Rooms at the BorderEstudio Teddy CruzSan Ysidro, California, USACasa Familiar

CASE STUDYARCHITECT

LOCATIONCLIENT

Though this project is programmatically di�erent, and on a larger scale than my proposed project, it addresses many of the same issues by virtue of its location and public nature. It represents a proposal for massive investment in urban ecology and social place-making. Lake Texcoco is a largely abandoned zone, prone to �ooding and neglected for decades, surrounded by some of the most economically depressed areas of Mexico City.

The UN’s Mexico City case study in Understanding Slums focuses on this area and points to its water cycle problems and topography as key issues, stating. “[The] paradox of too much and too little water has characterized Mexico City’s growth throughout its history and has been a major factor in the urban segregation and the location of slums…. The steep slopes surrounding the extinct lakes are undesirable for most conventional building uses, and have provided a cheap alternative for unauthorized settlement.”

The project aims to reestablish the hydrological cycle of the area to prevent �ooding and to engage the surrounding communities through the provision of sports �elds, trails, museums, and other community facilities. It is intended to serve as a “social catalyst” for the nearby informal settlements and encourage the reactivation of social, cultural, and educational networks in an underdeveloped part of the city.

Parque Ecologico Lago de TexcocoIñake EcheverriaMexico City, MexicoDepartment of Ecology

CASE STUDYARCHITECT

LOCATIONCLIENT

1. The program should consider physical, economic, and social infrastructure and provide a holistic solution encompassing all three, not a series of individual solutions.

2. The facility should be adaptable for variable use in both short term (day-to-day) and long term (year-to-year) to account for the changing needs of the community.

3. The project should provide high quality public space to allow for social interaction amongst the members of the community.

4. The project should have a positive impact on the local environment by addressing site-speci�c environmental problems and encourage local sustainability through education and services to the community

5. The project should provide opportunities for local “sweat equity” investment by the community to create a “sense of ownership,” by the end users.

6. The culture of Mexico and informal settlements is very family oriented; therefore the program should encourage use by all age groups separately and together.

7. Displacement of existing housing stock should be kept to an absolute minimum. Any displacement should be accounted and compensated for.