Catarina Guimaraes
1. KALLPA: An Integrative Community Center for the Andean Woman 2. URBAN NEXUS: Activating the Streets for the People of Sungang Qinshuihe
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3. HYDROPHILIC PLIANCY: Reviving the Communal Seine. 4. OLIM: A Collection of Nomadic Furniture Designed to Transition and Grow Alongside its Owner. 1.
The beauty of Architecture is its sensitivity towards other disciplines. Architecture allows for design and anthropology to come together and redeďŹ ne social ideologies. Meaningful Architecture involves the manifestation of its users and their cultural paradigms.
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Lived
Travel
Projects
1. KALLPA
An Integrative Community Center for the Andean Woman. Master of Architecture Thesis Project
THE PRESENT: ANDEAN IDEOLOGIES In contemporary Peruvian society, the indigenous woman is seen as a symbol for textile and labor, falling under the scope of the heavy tourism brought by the remains of the Inca Empire and its culture. These women however, are the keystone for the reinvigoration of the Inca culture back into the modern city of Lima, making them a necessary, but often disregarded asset within the identity of modern Peru. Through the ideals of women empowerment and social innovation, the project would provide a facility for the reintegration of tradition back into the modern needs of the city. These women would then begin to redevelop their social identity, one that does not revolve around tourism alone.
The application of this pilot-project in the district and will become an initiative towards the proper enculturation of the migrant women population looking for economic independence and social identity.
DEALING WITH WOMEN OPPRESSION A common thought of society seems to be that because there are so many social issues related to women, that they are the problem. However, women are not the problem; in fact, they are the key to solving all of these social issues involving them and many other issues alike. Some issues that are still going on today involve forced prostitution, sex-trafficking, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality—and let us not forget that maternal mortality is “still needlessly claims one woman a minute”. This kind of oppression is nothing but transcendent, and so is the opportunity to act and solve them.
THE DESIGN MINDSET
GENDER IN THE ANDES
Designers have great advantage in a world seeking for altruism; this is due to the fact that they are highly empathetic towards others. This comes with the nature of thinking about the user, in thinking in terms of ‘we’. The designer is in charge of changing actuality, not laws. They are in charge of providing experiences that will make people learn and realize opportunities that were not visible before. Designers have the capability of providing support for women and organizations that are facing the norm and speaking up. These women are in need of new projects that encompass their needs and societies’ as a whole.
The term ‘chola’, which literally defines a racial category between indian and white, has brought with it many depreciating connotations over the years. The expression describes the traditional native woman from the Andes, usually wearing her distinctive hat and big skirt called ‘pollera’. The association of the name to the image of the dirty woman that works in the markets is symbolic, yet a discrimination that is lived by these women on a daily basis. Providing a safe space for these women to transition into the city as well as learn skills that will make them self-sufficient in their business and in the home is a key responsibility of design in the struggle of dealing with women oppression.
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS She lives in Huaras, a city in the Andean region of Peru.
Harassment issues begin to arise in the household, bringing discomfort.
She decides to leave Huaras for the capital after speaking to a friend.
Together, many women do the same hoping for better living standards.
The arrival to Lima brings many expectations to how life will become.
SITE DISTRIBUTION
Amphitheater
Transitory Housing
Social Service Center
Existing Green Space & Market
Sadly, her adaptation process is harsh, and living conditions worsen.
SCHEMATICS Textiles and women have been closely related in the history of Peru. The textile industry has been present in Peruvian history since the times of the Inca Empire. Some studies point out that “through these textiles, women have not only represented incidents in household life; but they have also recorded the political status and duties of village members, described the critical events of one year, and recorded accounts of their community’s entire history.” This means that women have actually served an important role in recording history during the Inca empire through their craft. Not only that, but they probably recorded these events in a very rare, yet highly important feminist perspective of the time. The textile craft today has been highly industrialized and takes up around 9.3 % of the Peruvian economy. The application of textiles within the architecture will become a symbolism for the weavers that have preserved this tradition throughout the years. The almost null rainfall and climate also provides an ideal environment for this application of fibers to be explored.
ELEVATIONS
SOCIAL IMPACT
SECTIONS
She meets women facing the same change, easing her adaptation to Lima.
By receiving the aid needed, proper enculturation diminishes cultural shock, and living conditions improve exponentially.
2. URBAN NEXUS
Activating the Streets for the People of Sungang Qinshuihe. Designed for the 2015 Global Schindler Award Competition
DAY IN THE LIFE The people of SungangQinshuihe are currently facing the need for the redevelopment and re-purposing of their neighborhood. Faced with the rapid population growth and proximity to a major city, the urbanity is developed into one focused entirely on the pedestrians and their experience throughout the site.
Exis ng
7am
9am
Fulfilling
Neutral
Beijing None
Unfulfilling
Gets o at bus stop to change lines. Arrives at hospital Takes the bus to and is provided go to the hospital with average closest to him. health care.
7am
Neutral
Invites friends for Mahjong matches at home.
11am
1pm
3pm
Takes a 2hr lunch break during the school day. Takes the bus from district.
5pm
7pm Has dinner at home and rests on his own for a bit. Re res for the night and goes to bed.
Takes taxi back to residence.
Fulfilling
10 - 15 Years Old Primary School
9am
3pm
Takes dog for a walk on the urban village.
Leaves residence.
< 60 Years Old
JinJing Huang
1pm
Has a pleasant bus ride and arrives at hospital.
HuiZhong Yang Re red Business Man
11am
5pm
7pm
Walks to piano lessons.
Arrives at school.
Gets out of class at 5pm.
Gets on walkway to reach school.
Leaves house early for primary school.
Gets ready for bed.
Local (Shenzhen) 6 Family Members
Has dinner with family, then proceeds to work on homework assignments.
Walks for around 15min to get to school.
Unfulfilling
7am
MeiHui Xu
Fulfilling
9am
11am
Purchases flowers for friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthday.
1pm
3pm
5pm
7pm
Increases social circle at work due to high l exposure to people.
Takes Takes pedestrian walkway home.
Arrives at workplace. 20 - 45 Years Old Works in Car Sales Huizhou
Neutral
Leaves work.
LLeaves house h before 7am for work.
Arrives home, has dinner with family.
Lunch break from work.
2 Family Members Walks crowded streets to get to workplace.
Unfulfilling 7am
YunRu Meng
Fulfilling Takes metro to work.
20 - 45 Years Old Restaurant Owner Hong Kong
9am Finishes se ng up restaurant for the day. Arrives at restaurant.
Neutral
Walks crowded streets to arrive home.
11am
1pm
3pm
5pm
7pm
Restaurant begins to gain ac vity. Finishes closing restaurant, leaves , for daily exercise. Begins to clean up restaurant.
Takes pedestrian walkway and jogs from the Honghu Park back to house.
Arrives home from busy day.
Leaves house for work.
None
Unfulfilling
Has to walk all the way to Honghu Park in order to exercise.
PROPOSED NETWORK
DISTRICT ZONING
Activating Sungang-Qingshuihe by connecting the neighborhood to itself and its context through a network of transportation focused on the pedestrians and the informal spaces that bring them together. The design envisions SQ as an approachable neighborhood through systems of public transit. This would be achieved through the development of a network of transportation systems for the internal connection of the neighborhood.
A mixed-use zoning strategy allows activity in all regions of the site throughout the day.
The residentially-focused zones are located at the centers of the sectors of SQ.
Mixed used zones and parks will allow for an active neighborhood throughout the day, reducing the risk for violence
GREY WATER SYSTEM Grey water recycling provides an opportunity to reduce the draw on Shenzhenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insufďŹ cient supply of water.
The industrial pockets will focus more in the activities related to commercial and industrial use. Housing and business will also be integrated in order to activate these areas.
The business districts represent a more formalized area facilitating a higher level of
PROPOSED NETWORK A new subway line starting in Laojie will head north to Pinghu with several stops throughout SQ. The proposed addition focuses on establishing a network of connections throughout the city at multiple scales. This would bring urban vitality to SQ by connecting it to the rest of the city as well as overcoming the major dividers in SQ: the highway and railroad infrastructure.
STREET SECTION The street is activated in different levels derived from the interconnected network and resting spaces.
3. HYDROPHILIC PLIANCY Reviving the Communal Seine.
Presented to Jakob+Macfarlane and the Mairie de Paris
MOVEMENT The confluence of movement systems on this particular site, is trapped in a small footprint space creating a moment of tension. This generates a condition of bold contrasts among river, train, pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular displacement, together with features which remain static such as: trees, houseboats, and people caught in the transitional time between motion and inactivity. The program will reflect activities that were once performed alongside the river’s edge. It will consist of laundry spaces, bathrooms, showers, and a spa. Reshaping the Seine as a shared communal space. The project offers facilities to students, houseboats residents, as well as travelers coming in and out of the Gare D’Austerlitz train station.
DERIVATIVES OF FORM Two major sets of forces aided in the formation of the facade, one of them being dynamic elements such as circulation of vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles. The other one being static elements like the houseboats, the existing buildings, and most importantly, the trees. In addition, these constraints shrunk the building footprint drastically, forcing the facade to fold from the street level under the sidewalk, stretch underground across the street and only then bridge outwards towards the water forming a deck for the houseboats.
USER ANALYSIS The site is representative of the ďŹ&#x201A;ux of people in transit within the city of Paris, especially the ones coming in and out of the Gare Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Austerlitz train station. These travelers, along with students from the fashion school, and the residents of the houseboats that are present on the site will be transitioning the building, creating a shared, communal space.
Houseboats
Train Station
Les Docks
Roof Plaza
Laundry Space
Sauna Mechanical Room Laundry Space Restrooms / Showers
ISOMETRIC VIEW Deck
Underneath the sidewalk sits the programmatic spaces provided. A laundry space, restrooms, showers, and a small spa, revives the water and the river usage throughout history.
RIVER ELEVATION Hydrophilic Pliancy represents smoothness not only through architecture, but also through the cultural and natural identities of the Seine. The studio project bases its design principles and inspirations on Architects Jakob and Macfarlane and their Les Docks of Paris project on the Seine River. The class was divided into sites that extended alongside the Les Docks building in both directions and proposed, altogether, urban revitalization for the area.
4. OLIM
A Collection of Nomadic Furniture Designed to Transition and Grow Alongside its Owner. Exhibited at TENT London during the London Design Festival 2014
MIGRATION Home no longer exists as a geographical location, but rather as an emotional connection between people and the objects we call our own. As technology makes the world smaller and more connected, it is changing our relationships, our belongings and our priorities. Embracing a modern aesthetic with consideration for durability and versatility, Olim became an exploration of this new culture; A look into the possibility of furniture that adapts and can migrate easily alongside its owner.
ELEMENTS Composed of two co-existing elements, the fabric and the frame, Olim carries a modern aesthetic with a personal touch. The wooden frames assemble into a chair (Soko) , a lamp (Lola) and a table (Nola) and can be simply dismantled and repacked with ease. The hand-woven fabrics made with recycled yarns, are all interchangeable, and act as manifestations of personality, taste, emotion or memories.
Catarina Guimaraes www.catarinaguimaraes.com guimaraes.cata@gmail.com +1 912 398 4476