Karen Mata- Urban Design Portfolio

Page 1

KAREN MATA

portfolio BARCH ‘09 | MAUD ‘18 Selected Works representations

urban desing and landscape

architecture

responsive environments

social approaches

topics of interest


urban design & landscape

PRODUCTIVE ADJACENCIES a network of social-industrial condensers for Brookly’s 21st century waterfront Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Program: urban design. Instructor (s): Felipe Correa, Anita Berrizbeitia, Carlos Garcia Velez, Carles Muro. Urban Design: Karen Mata | Konstantina Tzemu Area of study: Brooklyn, NYC

The project investigates how implementing seemingly incompatible programmatic adjacencies, can enhance the creative industry district with civic and recreation qualities. In order to achieve this 4 metropolitan social condensers are generated at Brooklyn’s waterfront that reclaim it as an hybridized public destination. The relocation of the Garment District implies new considerations for changing from a very dense Mahattan condition to a postindustrial waterfront site that has to address natural risks and prevent gentrification. In the same way, housing industry is changing since new economies force other practices. These housing typologies are based on shared spaces, which means housing facilities, combined with social productive spaces and the waterfront redevelopment; generating a porous, flexible and complex place in its spatiality and relationships.


a variety of green spaces organizing the campuses

piers to bring people to the water

public promenade through the campuses




aerial view of the campuses

housing typologies based on the shared economy

section: housing units in relationship with the open spaces and retail spaces


urban design & landscape

LAND MOSAIC AS AGGREGATE EFFECT re-tooling the small city for environmental and social impact at multiple scales Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Program: landscape and ecology Instructor (s): Anita Berrizbeitia Urban and landscape strategy: Karen Mata | Rudy Weissenberg Area of study: Curridabat, Costa Rica

guidelines of conservation and connectivity at the city scale

strategy at the subregion scale

deforestation areas of Costa Rica in contrast with conservation areas

evolution of coffee plantations

landuse over the land mosaics

accessibility to the park system and greater green areas


urban design & landscape

140 ACRES TO CENTRALIZE WEST BALTIMORE large urban park as catalyst of neighborhood identity Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Program: urban design. Instructor (s): Alex Krieger Urban Design: Karen Mata | Laura Butera Area of study: Brooklyn, NYC

Our project aims to study how the creation of a bigger park in West Baltimore can generates a network of economic and social progress through experimental open space activities and hyperconnectivity. This park will mimic East Baltimore’s Patterson Park, which we saw to be successful in terms of the way it organizes the surrounding urban fabric, and bringing constituency to it. Unlike the existing small open spaces, a large park of this size can bring constituency through hosting a variety of activities and programs for the entire community and the city. Schools and Recreational Centers were chosen as anchor-points to generate the park system because the idea of social progress is linked to productivity and therefore education. This park provides a hybrid space to build capability and to rethink urban form in shrinking cities. Building a network of parks and school with the ability to empower their citizens will create a strong capability to overcome challenges for next generations.

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

E

0

5

10

15

20

This parks mimics the effect that Patterson Park has in East Baltimore

aerial view of the park

Harlem as an opportunity. Population & amounts of parks


01.00

06.00

18.00

ADMINISTRATION

RELAXATION

CONSUMPTION

PRODUCTION

12.00

Interrelationship among activities

groundfloor level plan of experimental open spaces


Hyperconnectivity to link the park system with schools and community programs

Spatial relationships through topography

Affordable housing as an extention of the park

Selfsuficient communities


Outdoor amphytheater during the day and night

scheme of areas activated at day and night

multipurpose garden: public park - education and science center


social approaches & urban design

NEIGHBORWORKS BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY placemaking strategies to regenerate small post-industrial cities in America [summer internship at NWBRV] Harvard University, Graduate School of Design 21

Program: urban design [summer internship at NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley] Advisors: Megan Rego, Kathleen Dorgan, Meryl Golden Urban Design: Karen Mata

21

30

Area of study: Woonsocket, RI

Milestone #5

Milestone #4

1996

WNDC builds 9

Joe Garlick gets hired

Phase one of WNDC’s

architect-designed

as WNDC’s new full-time

Woonsocket police open a

rehabilitation of Constitution Hill

(though affordable)

director

substation on Constitution Hill

Milestone #6

1995

1994

Milestone #3 1993

44 family-friendly apartments

single-family homes

in 13 rehabilitated buildings. Milestone #7

Milestone #2

09/1997

1991

NWBRV was chartered as a member

LISC opens a RI office and

of the NeighborWorks Network.

breathes new life into WNDC Milestone #8 1999 Community center replaces crime hub. Milestone #9 2000 Police and neighbors celebrate. WNDC’s conversion of abandoned housing into affordable housing helps stabilize the area Public

Private Milestone #10

Milestone #1

2002

1987

WNDC has developed 45

The Woonsocket Neighborhood Development

orpons, North-

Federal

Federal

National Tax Credit Program

Affordable Tax Credit Coalition

How the sale of government tax credits, a program created under President Reagan.

Urban Housing award

single-family homes in Woonsocket

Corporation (WNDC) begins as a city project

for first-time buyers Milestone #11 2003 Home buyer and landlord

Start Date 00/1987

training

Planning

d

ouse-

NeighborWorks America Working Relationships

nd

Working Relationships

Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC)

Grants provider, programmatic support, training and technical

AmeriCorps

Voluntier provider and resource

assistance, resource connections

Investor, consultant and

Country’s preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development. NWA delivers many of its community-focused programs and services through the national NeighborWorks network – over 240 independent, community-based nonprofit organizations serving more than 4,500 communities nationwide.

trainer

Helps millions of Americans improve

National helpmate for Community

the lives of their fellow citizens through

Development Corporations (CDCs)

connections

service, working hand in hand with local partners.

Citizens Bank, NBC 10, Bank of America

Doebele Community Service Fellowship

2004 26 affordable homes

15%

Investor, volunteer

available to first-time buyers

Milestone #13

Investor

provider

Champions in Action award.

founding each year a current GSD student to bring design and planning skills to a non-profit organization during a summer internship.

Community Builder Award

Milestone #12

Design

35%

2005 43 affordable multilevel apartments, and retail spaces

Implementation

District (RI) Bring in donor

25%

NeighborWorks’properties

Policy Implementation and general regulations

Milestone #14 2006 26 homes in Woodridge Estates and official opening of the Home Ownership Center

Outcome& Further Development LISC office in RI

Helps local partners to transform distressed neighborhoods into resilient and sustainable communities

Constitution Hill

46 units

City

School into family center

Milestone #16

43 units Woonsocket, RI

2008 opening of The Meadows. 80 units elderly housing. NWBRV is award the Community

Millrace

North Smithfield, RI

Woonsocket Municiple Government

Renovation of Hope Street

Heritage Place

135 units Woonsocket, RI

Marshfield Commons

Planned Goals Goals Achieved

2007

25%

Investor, consultant and trainer Working Relationships

Milestone #15

Builder Award by Bank of America.

6 units (56 to come)

Regulator of surrounding developements

Woonsocket, RI

Milestone #17 2009

NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley Working Relationships

Ground is broken on the historic

The Meadows

Independent, community-based nonprofit organizations serving the area of Woonsocket, RI, as part of NWA.

Stillwater Mill development in

80 units North Smithfield, RI

Consultants, Designers

Clock Tower

Burrillville Milestone #18

47 units

2010 Process heralded for

Burrillville, RI

breaking down silos

Community On Going

Fernwood

GOALS

grams lues over ntions in for a ndustrial

Artists

VISTA program

GSD at Harvard

Media

Field Operations

Field Volunteers

Field Designers

News

Established collaboration relationships with local artists to ameliriorate specific areas

Part of the AmeriCorps program

Part of the Community Service Fellowship Program.

Rhode Island Monthly magazine.

2011 Redevelopment of Stillwater

Greenridge

Milestone #23

7 units (96 units to come) Pascoag, RI Pascoag, RI

Mill in Burrillville is completed.

2017 program Milestone #21 2013

MillRace District Woonsocket, RI Project Type:

Marshfield Commons development in North

opening of the Mary A. Longtin C3 Center Milestone #5

Milestone #4

Milestone #6 1996

WNDC builds 9

Joe Garlick gets hired

Woonsocket police open a

Smithfield, RI is completed. 38 town-house style rental units

1995

1994

Milestone #3 1993 substation on Constitution Hill

Rehabilitation of 5 John St. in Woonsocket

Phase one of WNDC’s

architect-designed

as WNDC’s new full-time

rehabilitation of Constitution Hill

(though affordable)

director

44 family-friendly apartments

single-family homes

in 13 rehabilitated buildings. Milestone #7 09/1997

Milestone #2

NWBRV was chartered as a member

1991

of the NeighborWorks Network.

LISC opens a RI office and

breathes new life into WNDC

Milestone #8 1999 Community center replaces crime hub. Milestone #9 2000

Project Scale:

Police and neighbors celebrate.

Geography/ Location:

WNDC’s conversion of abandoned

Woonsocket, RI, USA

housing into affordable housing

Cost:

helps stabilize the area Public

Private Milestone #10

Milestone #1

2002

1987

WNDC has developed 45

The Woonsocket Neighborhood Development

PUBLIC - PRIVATE PROCESS

Federal

Federal

NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NWBRV), previously known as the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation, is a nonprofit community development corporation that works with residents, businesses, neighborhood institutions, partners, and communities to enrich neighborhood life and make affordable housing opportunities available throughout Northern Rhode Island. This organization, advocates for 3 outcomes: Outcome 1: “Our Neighborhoods” in Woonsocket will be a desirable place to live, with a good quality of life and increased economic and academic opportunity for their residents. Outcome 2: Northern Rhode Island towns will provide additional, high quality housing that is affordable to families and households of modest means. Outcome 3: NWBRV will improve the lives of the direct customers it serves, providing them with quality, stable housing and helping them to build assets.

National Tax Credit Program

Affordable Tax Credit Coalition

How the sale of government tax credits, a program created under President Reagan.

Urban Housing award

single-family homes in Woonsocket

Corporation (WNDC) begins as a city project

for first-time buyers Milestone #11

Karen Mata Harvard Graduate School of Design | CSFP 2017 | 2017.09.24

2003 Home buyer and landlord

Start Date 00/1987

training

Planning

NeighborWorks America

Working Relationships Working Relationships

Grants provider, programmatic support, training and technical assistance, resource connections

Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Investor, consultant and

Country’s preeminent leader in affordable housing and community development. NWA delivers many of its community-focused programs and services through the national NeighborWorks network – over 240 independent, community-based nonprofit organizations serving more than 4,500 communities nationwide.

trainer

AmeriCorps

Voluntier provider and resource connections

Helps millions of Americans improve

National helpmate for Community Development Corporations

the lives of their fellow citizens through

service, working hand in hand with local partners.

(CDCs)

Citizens Bank, NBC 10, Bank of America

provider

Champions in Action award.

founding each year a current GSD student to bring design and planning skills to a non-profit organization during a summer internship.

Milestone #12 2004 26 affordable homes

15%

Investor, volunteer

Investor

Community Builder Award

Design

35%

Doebele Community Service Fellowship

available to first-time buyers

Milestone #13 2005 43 affordable multilevel apartments, and retail spaces

Implementation

District (RI)

Milestone #14

25%

Bring in donor

2006 26 homes in Woodridge Estates and official opening of the

Policy Implementation and general regulations

Home Ownership Center

Outcome& Further Development LISC office in RI

25%

Investor, consultant and trainer Working Relationships

Milestone #15 2007 Renovation of Hope Street School into family center

Helps local partners to transform distressed neighborhoods into resilient and sustainable communities

Milestone #16 2008 opening of The Meadows.

Planned Goals Highest

80 units elderly housing.

City

Goals Achieved

NWBRV is award the Community Builder Award by Bank of America.

Woonsocket Municiple Government

Level of Committment vs Level of Achievment

“Creating attractive places where people want to be increases foot traffic and helps support the local economy. Interesting places with more community interaction also reduce crime and instill a sense of identity to a neighborhood.” - Smart Growth America

Milestone #22 2014

1987 - now (2017) Affordable housing/ Infrastructure

Project date range:

About Woonsoket, RI At the birth of the Industrial Revolution, Woonsocket, RI was a group of small farming villages nestled along the Blackstone River. They occupied a unique location—the point where the River saw its greatest drop in elevation on its run from Worcester to Providence. This prominent natural feature has shaped the City, the area’s built environment, as well as its social and economic fortunes. In harnessing the River’s power, the City’s manufacturing legacy was cast. From the 1820s on, this legacy is a defining force. It generated tremendous opportunity and wealth in its heyday. This legacy of mill structures, theaters and other high quality buildings informs the redevelopment plan.

rentals

2012

New York Times

Key concept, placemaking “Creative placemaking is an approach that incorporates arts, culture, and creativity into the planning process to allow for more genuine public engagement — particularly in low-income neighborhoods, communities of color and among immigrant populations.”

47 affordable and market rate

Milestone #20

Opens Kitchen Incuvator

NeighborWorks’properties Working Relationships

NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley (NWBRV) is a nonprofit community development corporation that works with residents, businesses, neighborhood institutions, partners, and communities to enrich neighborhood life and make affordable housing opportunities available throughout Northern Rhode Island. With over 25 years of experience, we know that it takes more than bricks and mortar to create a community. It takes partners, people, and initiative along with safe, affordable housing to create a thriving community where people want to live, invest, and spend their time.

resilient adaptations

Milestone #19

Regulator of surrounding developements

institutional structure between public and private organizations website: www.neighborworksbrv.org

Kitchen incuvator

Saturday Markets

It is a program that aims to empower future enterpreneurs from Woonsocket to start their business. NeighborWorks works with these people and gives them orientation before starting using the space of the kitchen in order to have a more productuctive performence. Process involves conceptualization, management, and the final production that can be tested during other activities organized by the organization. This program just started this year and have proved to be interesting and useful for the residents.

It started this year and it aims to promote sustainable grow, and more access to healthy food to the people in Woonsocket. It works combined with handcrafts sales but it has not been successful in terms of the amount of people going. One of the reasons might be that this event is running all weeks and after foodtrucknights.

Milestone #17 2009

NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley

Working Relationships

Ground is broken on the historic Stillwater Mill development in Burrillville

Consultants, Designers

Independent, community-based nonprofit organizations serving the area of Woonsocket, RI, as part of NWA.

Milestone #18 2010

Process heralded for breaking down silos

Community

Milestone #19

On Going

Lowest Not a Factor

2011

Redevelopment of Stillwater

GOALS

Physical/Environmental

Social

Economic

Cultural/Ideological

Old housing renovation and rehabilitation of deteriorated infrastructure

Turning deteriorated neighborhoods into a place of social gathering and learning and reconciliation, is leading to a new sense of identity in the greater region. The outcome is evident but goes slow.

The project is empowering neighbords to continue with new or current projects. They are building capacity in many ways, beyond proving infrastructure.

Integration and learning programs foster to promote cultural values over the place. More over, interventions in creating facilities are looking for a change in ideology of post-industrial town in the US.

Artists

VISTA program

GSD at Harvard

Field Operations

Field Volunteers

Established collaboration relationships with local artists to ameliriorate specific areas

Part of the AmeriCorps program

Milestone #23

Media

Mill in Burrillville is completed.

2017

Milestone #20

Opens Kitchen Incuvator

Field Designers

News

Part of the Community Service Fellowship Program.

Rhode Island Monthly magazine.

2012

program

Milestone #21 2013

New York Times

Milestone #22 2014

Working Relationships

Affordable housing and emergent urbanism | Woonsoket Neighborhood Development Coorporation, 2005-2011

47 affordable and market rate rentals

opening of the Mary A. Longtin C3 Center

Marshfield Commons

development in North

Rehabilitation of 5 John

Smithfield, RI is completed.

St. in Woonsocket

38 town-house style rental units

Karen Mata Harvard Graduate School of Design | CSFP 2017 | 2017.09.24

Artistic events/ instalation

Friday Food Truck nights

activator programs around the Mill-race district Neighborworks is giving guidance to starting artists. Through different grants they help artist to achieve their goal according to a bigger picture of the urban experience.

These events attemp to attrack people towards a major experience of the city. Events like this aim to encourage people to use public spaces as a place of gathering and to walk around. Although, it is a challenge to motivate people to leave cars near by and discover the city by foot, this initiative has been very successful since residents feel very attracted for different cuisine offers.

seats in the garden

music

Legend of places 1 Kitchen Incuvator’s patio

21

21

2 Lower Patio

1

3 15 Island Place 4 Tree Plaza 5 Island Place Historic District 2

ping pong tables 30

instaphotos

[ development in phases PHASES_02 PATIO

Proposal for new redevelopment area- a balance between pedestrians and cars.

foodtruck night

IN [CLUSIVE] PROCESS

]

discover all what we have for you today! PHASES_03 MILLRACE SPACE

painting faces

design your space

5

4

river of wishes

seats

after foodtruck night outdoormovie

balloon painting

3

PHASES_04 PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED STREET

PHASES_05 NEW PLAZA AND PEDESTRIANIZATION

Topography differentiate pedestrian and parking space


MICRO-MACRO LANDSCAPES & TERRITORIES OF EXTRACTION

environmental constrains presented through natural textures representation

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Technique: silkscreen Canvas: paper Instructor: Annette Lemieux by Karen Mata

micro- macro landscapes acrylic paint over paper size: 15’ x 3’

micro- macro landscapes acrylic paint over plastic, wood, and fabric size: varies


SURFACES OF CHANCE

temporality through seasons

representation

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design Technique: silkscreen Canvas: paper Instructor: Annette Lemieux by Karen Mata



AUGMENTED TERRITORIES

responsive environments

a system of public interactive spaces Universidad Simon Bolivar (USB) Undergraduate thesis. Program: urban plannig and public space. Advisor (s): Ignacio Cardona | Aliz Mena Area of study: Caracas, Venezuela Awarded with Honorable Mention

In this age, people think and process information in a different way because they are used to the instantaneity of the hypertext. How this will affect the urban experience? This project seeks to link people’s digital interaction into urban dynamics, understanding there is another dimension in which people relationships are taking place. Thus, based on the maps of the contemporaneous city (incorporating digital links) a physical and digital intervention is created in order to generate a system in which people can move and get together in a continuous urban hypertext to enjoy the city and find new opportunities for activities. Understanding digital space as an extension of physical ones, public spaces are connected through a complex network that makes them interact continuously and be seen by everyone.


Digital public connectivity

map of uses

pedestrian flows

digital paths through physical opportunities

digital public hedge




digital network through the city’s grid in a day time


people’s aglomeration in a day time


DATA CCS [app]

public space connected to virtual space

people aglomeration

places conneced to leasure virtual network



WALKABLE HATILLO

The project aims to transform Hatillo’s historic center in a place for pedestrians. This is a very active place in Caracas due to its cultural activities, but urban dynamics are been weakened because of car use. Starting from the walkways design, public spaces were augmented and ameliorated, integrating and taking advantage of greenfields, cultural and trading areas. To guarantee the success of this project, local economies, community participation and public administration were incorporated into planning works as well as a management plan distributed in stages to join the development and appropriation of the space.

connecting and weaving public space in a traditional historic center

urban design

Program: Public space Client: AlcaldĂŹa de Baruta. Employer:MA+ [Micucci Arquitectos Asociados] Urban design: Karen Mata. Area of study: El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela

phase 1

phase 2

34%

1154 m2

phase 3

857 m2

phase 4

of urban voids are private.

1897 m2

1376 m2 1002 m2

32%34%

576 m2

phases of implementation

of urban voids of urban voids are private. are inside plots.

32%

types34% of plots

of urban voids are inside plots.

of urban voids are private.

types of plots

32%

of urban voids are inside plots. types of plots

Close Close

0 m2 1900 m2

0 m2

Open

out of 3800 m2

Espaced

Close

Open

Espaced

Open to one side

0 m2

1900 m2

900 m2

3800 m2

out of 3800 m2

out of 8920 m2

out of 15200 m2

Open

Espaced

Open to one side

1900 m2 3800 m2

900 m2

3800 m2

Open to one side

900 m2

out ofout3800 of 15200 m2m2

out of 8920 m2

out of 8920 m2

out of 15200 m2


1

2

3

2 1

3


1st phase: distend sidewalks

1


2nd phase: define current parking lots for pedestrian activities.

2

3rd phase: complete use for pedestrians

3


urban design & architecture

DELIRIOUS PETARE: interpretation of the environment through urban passages Institution: Universidad Simon Bolivar (USB) Program: urban design Architectural Design Studio IX Instructor(s): Ignacio Cardona | Rodrigo Guerra Team of 4 students for the general urban plan Architecture and urban design: Karen Mata Area of study: Petare, Caracas, Venezuela

without this proposal, it takes

90 minutes to get down the hills

Slums have managed to gain areas in the city with the most difficult access for its natural conditions. However, mobility is limited and it isolate people to experience the city as well as cut off places to be known and crossed. Therefore, a system of vertical passages was created through the interpretation of natural and social landscapes, in order to connect places for enjoyment and promote optional activities for more opportunities. The project act as an hinge to link spaces resulted for formal and informal processes of urbanisation in a place with strong slopes. It uses visibility as a strategy to get a point of reference in such a diverse territory. The proposal creates spaces for public life and cotidianity activities that strengthen the ones which are currently taking place in Petare.



People wait until destination.

30 minutes for a car that take them to their



VERTICAL INTERSTICES public transforming private spaces

architecture

Universidad Simon Bolivar Program: architecture Architectural Design Studio X Instructor(s): Franco Micucci | Enrique Cilia | Bernardo Dorbessan. Architecture: Karen Mata Area of study: Chacaito, Caracas, Venezuela Chosen for best works exhibition at USB [2014]

night view shows how the building promotes urban night life, even when offices are close.

Located in the middle point of important public spaces in Caracas. This tower acts as an urban hinge articulating metropolitan nodes of encounter through a vertical public space. The idea is to take the experience of long walks through the streets and incorporate it into a private tower to stimulate public life, mixed-uses and the idea of private buildings open to the city. The project seek to serve as an activator of public space, adding a start or end point to a important pedestrian walkway in Caracas, which leads people to the other nodes of the system. This vertical public space creates new layers for public dynamics. A new level of interaction for pedestrians.



Public and private places for people to gather

Urban nodes and comercial corridors

plan

Pedestrian pathways

section


detail facade skin

detail exterior stairs


architecture & urban design

EXPERIMENTAL FORMS OF LIVING: new social groups as a catalyzers of public space Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia Program: housing typologies Instructor (s): Marcela Ángel Samper | Jaime Gomez Meneses Team of 3 students for urban design Architecture and urban design: Karen Mata

Area of study: Fenicia, Bogotá, Colombia

The project arises as an exploration of gentrification in Bogota focused on housing as a social issue for a diverse city. The initiative called “Progress Fenicia”, plans to transform the downtown area with an emphasis on public space, mixed-use construction, and public-private partnerships as a urban renewal strategy. This project seeks to mix the pre-existing organization of the land with the future development project. New relationships between public and private space are established to push forward the existing urban dynamics and diversify them to promote a sustainable and progressive development, not only for the new neighbors who are purchasing their new house but also for the existing families who still want to live there. Public space acts as a mediator to control and mollify the big social contrast present in Latin America’s cities



Some typologies of housing according to their users.

STUDENTS

ELDERS AND DISABLED

AUGMENTED FAMILY

TENANTS


1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Patio de ropas

Zona social

Current housing’s situation


urban design & architecture

LINKING BREAKAGES TO THE CITY: programed bridges that connect segregated neighborhoods through green corridors Universidad Simon Bolivar (USB) and Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) Program: urban design. Architectural Design Studio VII Instructor(s): Tomás Cervilla | Maria Mercedes Hernandez | Ignacio Cardona Team of 4 students in urban design Architecture and urban design: Karen Mata. Area of study: Los Dos Caminos, Caracas, Venezuela

Chosen for the “best works exhibition” at USB [2013]

This configuration of buildings acts like a bridge to connect urban discontinuities and existing isolated public spaces. Then, deteriorated areas acquire a sense of place since people can reach them and appropriate the space around. In this site, two of the biggest green areas in the city of Caracas were connected using creeks as a natural infrastructure for public life. This linear park allows porosity between two sides that not recognize each other so far today, not only physically but socially. To revitalize this area, the project is not only a place to pass by, but a passage to a place. Public encounter, interaction and the possibility to do optional activities reinforces the identity of the city.



URBAN BARRIERS INTO SOCIAL [INTER] ACTION POSSIBILITIES: going out of a medieval city

urban design

Universidad Simon Bolivar (USB) Program: Social architecture: T.A.C Taller de Aquitectura Gratuita (Free Architecture Workshop) Architectural Design Studio VIII Instructor(s): Alejandro Borges Architecture and urban design: Karen Mata Area of study: La Urbina, Caracas, Venezuela Chosen for the “best works exhibition� at USB [2013]

Caracas is becoming a medieval city due to its building walls and fences, every time bigger to avoid eye and physical contact between the public and private looking for a sense of security that push out the urban man till a point that dynamics in public space seems to be completely absent. Therefore, the idea is to take out what happen inside these walls to the outside in order to promote social interaction and reduce barriers between society through the public and enjoyment. The project aims to transform unused spaces into places by becoming them plural. And which allow, little by little, to destroy these walls to create public space.



THE FRAGMENTED CITY reconstructing the urban fabric to generate public life on the streets

urban design

Design competition Program: public space Client: Alcaldía de Caracas Team of two architects and an engineer. Urban design: Karen Mata. Area of study: Av Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela

Because of several incomplete masterplans Avenida Bolivar has lost its scale, identity and sense of unity, which has turned out into a deterioration of its urban life. The project aims to recover public life transforming little plot’s areas given for this competition into a system of public spaces linked to important buildings that promote cultural and socio-economic activities, in order to strengthen the axis and create a border condition for enjoyment and the empowerment of its citizens. Public space is expanded creating a variety of scenarios through the urban fabric, mixing different scales where people can get together and optional activities might take place, Corners of historical value are rescued by creating places to sit and contemplate the landscape.

Current situation: Urban voids

Avenue’s scales through the time

Proposal : Filling the blanks for public.


Before

Before

After

After


CONNECT[ING] ABRANTES

responsive environments

linking virtual and physical experiences International Competition Urban strategy, artisitic and digital intervention: Karen Mata | Rodrigo Guerra Area of study: Abrantes, Portugal

The ultimate goal is that Abrantinos experience the world and that the world experiences this city. Merging the Local and the Global to generate an expanded perception of the urban dynamics, and allowing the construction of a system in which the representative places associated to a particular scale could bolster the creation of a system that fosters Mondialisation, supported by Augmented Reality


PERSONAL SCKETCHES

representation

by Karen Mata




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