[Oaxaca Interwoven] A Catalyst for Creative Commerce in Rural Mexico by Rachel Peterson

[oaxaca interwoven] Rachel Peterson Architecture Graduate Thesis

[oaxaca interwoven] O

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[oaxaca interwoven] Rachel Peterson Architecture Graduate Thesis

[oaxaca interwoven] O

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A CATALYST FOR CREATIVE COMMERCE IN RURAL MEXICO

[oaxaca interwoven]

PREFACE This project was born from an exceptional

is 11.5 million people struggling to provide

education experience during my undergraduate

even the most basic of basic resources for

studies. It grew from my continued passion for

themselves and their families each and every

a unique place bursting with culture and life. I

day. In turn, poverty and an apparent lack of

lived and studied in the city of Oaxaca de Juárez

opportunity continue to supply Mexico’s drug

for the University of Minnesota’s Study Abroad

trafficking organizations with waves of new

in Mexico program from January through May

recruits.

of 2011. This experience played a critical role in shaping who I am as an individual and therefore

But there is so much more to Mexico than

who I am as a designer.

poverty, drugs, and the white sandy beaches of Cancún. I saw it each and every day during

During my time in Mexico, I discovered and

my time living in Oaxaca: people with an

was shocked by the stark contrast between the

overwhelming passion and love for life, art,

opulent colonial architecture of seventeenth-

food, family, dance, history, and their beautiful

century

ramshackle

home. With my thesis project, I sought to

corrugated metals shacks that many rural locals

design architecture that could empower and

lived in. I wasn’t aware of the specific numbers at

educate its people and cultivate the rich spirit

the time, but according to Coneval (the Mexican

of an ever-evolving place.

cathedrals

and

the

government’s social development agency), as of 2012, almost 10% of the population of Mexico are living in conditions of extreme poverty. That

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION EXISTING CONDITIONS

DESIGN AS A CATALYST

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

03 CONCERN 05 PLACE: OAXACA 13 PEOPLE 17 CHOSEN SITE 19 WEAVING ECONOMY

23 REGIONAL SCALE 25 NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE 27 TOWN CENTER 29 PROGRAM 31 FORM

35 DESIGN GOALS 39 THE WALL 41 PLANS 43 SECTIONS 47 ELEVATIONS 49 PERSPECTIVES

PHYSICAL MODELS 65 URBAN SCALE 67 PROCESS 69 FINAL 73 TECTONICS OF LIGHT

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION 77 CLIMATE 79 STRUCTURE 81 NON-PROFITS 83 LANDSCAPE 85 PRECEDENT STUDIES 93 WORKS CITED 97 LIST OF FIGURES 99 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Rachel Peterson University of Oregon Master of Architecture, 2014 Graduate Thesis Design Studio

INTRODUCTION

CHALLENGE:

MISSION:

Rural Oaxaca is one of the most

Addressing the economic and

impoverished locations in all of

social isolation of rural Oaxaca

Mexico - the communities are

with the catalytic interjection

isolated from development

of new architecture, people,

and

lack

education,

infrastructure,

and

access

economic and social growth

ideas

facilitate

collaborative learning process between

local

artisans

and global creatives AND between local residents of all generations

MEXICO IS MORE.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

THE CONCERN Poverty demonstrates how destructive our own

government’s definition of extreme poverty).

human failure can be. Its cycle is terrifyingly

Rural areas in Mexico are the places that

difficult

countries

see the least amount of economic growth

struggling with internal conflict and unforgiving

and development. This is also where 61% of

climates. In order to regenerate a place buried

the indigenous population lives in extreme

in extreme poverty, a plan of action needs to

poverty.

involve more than simply giving money to those

have remained segregated from the rest of the

in need. Finding creative solutions for each

country.

break,

especially

Historically, these southern states

unique location and situation is necessary - from building schools from local materials to teaching

Mexico’s government has not focused on

farmers how to grow more food to providing

providing an equal level of development

places to vaccinate people against diseases.

and growth throughout the country. The implementation

infrastructure,

social

The majority of Mexico’s poorest states are in the

development, education, and economic growth

southern region of the country. Currently, the

have been poorly accounted for in these areas.

four poorest in the nation are Chiapas with 74% of

Many people establish in rural areas without

its population living in poverty, Guerrero at 69%,

government permission because they have

Puebla at 64%, and Oaxaca at 61%. All four states

no other option. Communities often face a

sit far above the national poverty percentage of

combination of unpaved roads, lack of electricity

45.5%. In Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero, 50%

and drinking water, improper sanitation, poorly

of the population lives on the equivalent of

maintained schools, vandalism and crime, and

$62 USD or less a month (which is the Mexican

lack of social development programs.

“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.” Nelson Mandela

POVERTY

THE PLACE “With its fertile farmlands, mild climate, and position

Spanish colonial urban planning. Due greatly to its

To a visitor, it may seem that the identity of Oaxaca

at a trading crossroads, the Valley of Oaxaca was

well-preserved colonial architecture and the fact

and its architecture is defined and unchanging: the

a prominent region in New Spain from the earliest

that sixteen native languages and sixty dialects are

color of the local Verde Antequera limestone, the

days of the Spanish conquest.” Many of the city’s

still spoken in the state, Oaxaca was recognized by

horizontality of the massive stone planes, the clear

grandest colonial structures were built by the

the United Nations as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

emphasis of corners, and the historic significance

Dominican order of the Catholic Church, who arrived

of the buildings - from indigenous roots to colonial

in the early sixteenth-century. Yet most of the

On the surface, the look of Oaxaca is undeniably

applications.6 Additionally, typological architectural

variety in colonial architectural influences stem from

Spanish, but indigenous influences are by no means

features of the Spanish colonial courtyard building

postconquest (late sixteenth-century) to 1821, when

absent. First of all, much of the city is constructed of

- including wooden ceiling beams, stone columns,

the core of Mexican design was about decorative

the same local stone used in the region for centuries

iron window grilles, and floor tiles - are prevalent

ornamentation - with influences stemming from

before the conquest. Also, Oaxaca’s architecture

throughout much of the city. It might seem like

Baroque,

“reflects the sensibilities of the Zapotec and Mixtec

repeating or closely emulating a formula that has

craftspeople who both influenced and executed the

been used and reused for centuries would be

Spanish design, thus creating a distinctly Oaxacan

sufficient to obtain an architecture that reflects the

In terms of urban layout, the city center of

style of colonial architecture.” This diverse mixture

place. But the culture runs much deeper than the

Oaxaca de Juárez is made of up dense, tightly-

of architecture, people, and culture is precisely

historic stock of its built environment, and therefore

gridded streets around a main plaza (known

what makes Oaxaca unique.

any new implementation of architecture must

Gothic,

Victorian design.

Moorish,

Neoclassical,

and

delve deeper into the heart and soul of the place.

as the “zócalo”). This is a classic example of 1. Antonio Cortes, La Arquitectura en Mexico (Mexico City, Mexico: OFFSET, 1966): 3. 2. Karen Witynski and Joe P. Carr, Hacienda Style (Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Pub., 2007): 141. 3. Ibid.

4. Judith Cooper Haden and Matthew Jaffe, Oaxaca: The Spirit of Mexico (New York: Artisan, 2002): 3. 5. Ibid, 11.

6 Lance LaVine, Architecture, Place, Empathy (México City, México: Editorial Piso + Daniel Escotto Editores, 2010).

ancient zapotec

color

bugambilas

endemic flora

spanish colonial

agave

baroque

cathedrals

central valleys

CONCERN IN CONTEXT The staggering statistics clearly demonstrate

of the state. It is a region that has everything

More results of this widespread poverty

a need for creating solutions to the extremely

or nothing, depending on where you’re looking

include lack of electricity, running water, and

poor living conditions for millions of Mexicans.

- its beauty matched only by its devastating

paved roads. They simply don’t exist in most

Yet poverty is not all that defines rural southern

poverty. “It’s hard to describe the state,” said

rural Oaxacan communities. Less than 30

Mexico. It is also home to the majestic Sierra

Miguel Angel Vasquez de la Rosa of EDUCA,

percent of Oaxaqueños have access to health

Madres mountain range. The state of Oaxaca

a research and education organization in

care - a crisis that is visible on the front steps

has magnificent colonial architecture, ancient

Oaxaca de Juárez. “It is a series of contrasts and

of the state’s seven hospitals. Outside of the

Zapotec and Mixtec ruins, coastal resort towns,

contradictions, an unsolvable puzzle.”

medical facilities, cardboard boxes draped

abounding tourism, and valleys blooming with

with trash bags or sheets provide shelter for

endemic plant and animal life that cannot

The economy of the state is driven by tourism,

family members who are either awaiting care

be found anywhere else in the world. It’s also

coffee production, and money sent from abroad.

or the discharge of a loved one. Mules, ox-

important to note the local culture’s incredible

Yet a vast majority of this money is going into

drawn carts, and buses can take a full day to

depth and multiplicity in the arts.

the pockets of a very small amount of people.

get someone from a remote rural village to the

In 2012, the United Nations ranked Oaxaca

central valley of the state (which contains the

In the state of Oaxaca, locals possess talents in

as Mexico’s second-poorest state, behind its

capital, Oaxaca de Juárez).

an innumerous variety of handcraft art forms.

neighbor state Chiapas, and likened its pueblos

With these skills, the people of the region have

(small towns) to rural African villages. In addition,

the ability to create and sell unique work to the

one-quarter of its 3.8 million people cannot

ever-growing number of tourists that visit the

read or write, and schooling is only available up

city of Oaxaca and the popular coastal towns

to sixth grade in most villages.2 1. “Oaxaca: A Land of Beauty and Poverty.” Statesman Journal. November 2005. <http://www.statesmanjournal.

com/article/20051112/NEWS/511120301/A-land-beautypoverty>

2. Ibid. 1

3.8 million people in the state of oaxaca

2/3

living.in p o v e r t y

SAN ANDRÉS HUAYÁPAM

THE LOCATION OAXACA DE JUÁREZ The road from the capital city, Oaxaca de

SAN FRANCISCO TUTLA

Juárez, to the village of Santa Ana del Valle is a thoroughfare through the central agricultural

SAN SEBASTIÁN TUTLA

valleys of the state of Oaxaca. SANTA LUCÍA DEL CAMINO

STATE OF OAXACA

SANTA ANA DEL VALLE MUNICIPO

Not to be confused with the City of Oaxaca de

TLACOLULA DISTRICT of the

Juárez, the capital city located in the center of

CENTRAL VALLEYS

this southern Mexican estado (state)

EL ROSARIO

SAN ANTONIO DE LA CAL SAN AGUSTÍN DE LAS JUNTAS

ÁNIMAS TRUJANO

SANTA MARÍA COYOTEPEC SAN BARTOLO COYOTEPEC

SAN AGUSTÍN YATARENI

1 mi

TLAL DE CAB

LIXTAC BRERA

SANTO DOMINGO TOMALTEPEC

SANTA MARÍA DEL TULE

TEOTITLÁN DEL VALLE (population 5,083)

SAN MIGUEL DEL VALLE MACUILXÓCHITL SAN FRANCISCO LACHIGOLÓ

SAN JERÓNIMO TLACOCHAHUAYA

SANTA ANA DEL VALLE (population 1,993)

SAN SEBASTIÁN ABASOLO

SAN JUAN GUELAVÍA

SANTA CRUZ PAPALUTLA

TLACOLULA (population 16,510)

SAN SEBASTIÁN TEITIPAC

ORDAZ VILLA DÍAZ ORDAZ

UNDERSTANDING THE TOWN ARCHETYPE As part of the Spanish colonization of Latin

There were a series of design suggestions

America, there were laws set in place for those

that were put in place after the colonists

settling and founding new towns. These rules

determined that a chosen site was suitable for

were called the “Laws of the West Indies.” The

their purposes. “They [the Colonists] shall try as

village of Santa Ana del Valle, chosen as the site

far as possible to have the buildings all of one

of my thesis project, was no exception to these

type for the sake of the beauty of the town.”2

rules. The basis of these urban planning rules are still evident today. They continue to shape

The Laws specified many details of a proposed

the way the town center is utilized and how

town, but one very important rule to note relates

different spaces are connected.

to the creation of a main plaza (or zocalo). They

market

call for the urban plan to be “centered on a Plaza At the initial selection of the site for the town to

Mayor of size within specified limits, from which

be built, there were requirements of an “elevated

twelve straight streets are built in a rectilinear

and healthy location with means of fortification.”

grid. The directions of the streets are chosen

It also needed to have:

according to the prevailing winds, to protect the

•

fertile soil with plenty of land for farming

Plaza Mayor.”3 Directly adjacent to this plaza are

•

fuel, timber, and resources

the town mercado (market) and iglesia (church),

•

fresh water

and between these three main elements, most

•

ease of transport

of the population of this small town gather at

•

access and exit

least once a week.

•

open to the north wind

1 Tyler, S. Lyman. The Indian Cause in the Spanish Laws of the

Indies: With an Introduction and the First English Translation of Book VI, Concerning the Indians, from the Recopilación de leyes de los reinos de las Indias, Madrid, 1681. Salt Lake City:

American West Center (University of Utah, 1980). 1

2 Ibid. 3 Ibid.

plaza

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE TOWN CENTER

THE PEOPLE One way to define the medieval term “peasants”

In relation to this project, there’s a need to

To top it all off, there has been severe

(or “campesinos” in the Spanish language) is

utilize the power of technology (i.e. the internet

administrative fragmentation within the many

as people “living by family labor applied to

and its far-reaching marketing and advertising

scattered, small settlements of the state.

the land they farm” who “produce what they

capabilities) to provide new resources and

This has caused a chain reaction of “social

need to consume” with “manual labor often

education to the artisans of small villages in

deprivation” from the rest of the country and

There

Oaxaca Valley without current access. Mexico

some

is certainly a link between this description

is among the more economically developed

Essentially, the government of Mexico has

of peasants and the capitalist (and often

of Latin American countries, “yet its rural

almost completely stopped focusing any

discriminatory) view of Mexican people living

communities

and

attention at all on rural Oaxaca. (Hence an

in poverty. Ironically, most of the people living

attached to their indigenous roots”. This rural

extreme lack of infrastructure and resources

in dire economic situations often work much

isolation in Oaxaca has been reinforced by the

like roads, water, and electricity).

harder than those better off in their finances.

“remote, poorly endowed” landscape of the

What is so often lacking is the opportunity

state with its “high mountain ranges into which

for people to educate themselves and find

rivers have incised deep valleys”3 and the large

additional resources to provide for their well-

number of linguistic groups whose formation

being and that of their families.

pre-dates the Spanish Conquest.

1. Clarke, Colin. Class, Ethnicity, and Community in Southern Mexico: Oaxaca’s Peasantries. (New York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2000),

2. Ibid. 3. Ibid.

supplemented

animal

power”.

often

remain

isolated 2

4. Ibid.

“severe

economic

backwardness”.4

THE OPPORTUNITY

One important example of the Oaxacan culture’s depth and multiplicity is the fact that locals possess talents in an innumerous variety of art forms: textile-weaving, embroidery, intricate paper cutouts, pottery, colorful carved wooden figures, and much more.1 Much of this art and also the current architecture in Oaxaca is inspired by pre-Columbian Zapotec models of design. Additionally, Oaxaca possesses the greatest wealth of endemic flora in Mexico. With the plethora of native plant life to design with and for, the craftspeople of the state have a thorough awareness of their work in relationship to the natural world.

1. For more text and images about the hand-craft talents of Oaxacan natives, see Judith Cooper Haden and Matthew Jaffe, Oaxaca: The Spirit of Mexico (New York: Artisan, 2002), and also Alberto Ruy-Sánchez Lacy, The Lights of Oaxaca (México City, México: Artes De Mexico, 1993). Additionally, see Melba Levick and Tony Cohan, Mexicolor: the Spirit of Mexican Design (San Francisco: Chronicle, 1998) for rich and colorful images and some text about Mexican handcraft in a more general sense. There are also several sections of the book that focus on Oaxacan work.

agricultural workers

78%

textile producers* *sub-contracted workers for neighboring communities

+ alebrijes + weaving + black pottery + basketry + decorative tin work + corn husk figures + embroidery + papier-mâché + jewelry

SKILLED ARTISAN COMMUNITY

THE CHOSEN SITE Most of Oaxaca’s central valley communities

One major difference between Santa Ana Del

cultural traditions” (60). 1 It is within this context

share many features. Brick, adobe, and cement

Valle and other ‘successful’ craft villages is its

that the town was selected as the site for a

block homes of one-two stories with red tile

lack of major roadway leading through or to

project meant to inject a new, creative spirit of

roofs radiate in standard block grids from

it. Additionally, it has a less formal grid system

commerce into the community. By placing the

central plazas. Central plazas are constructed

than other examples (which tend to be more

building in the town found to be struggling the

around churches, governmental buildings, and

similar to Oaxaca City in their regular square

most economically, it encourages interaction

small market areas and often include basketball

blocks).

and collaboration between Santa Ana del Valle

courts, a band shelter, and other public spaces.

and surrounding towns (namely Teotilan del

Circling these communities are farmlands that

The mix of the modern and the not-

are critical to the survival of migrant as well as

so-modern

nonmigrant households. The streets quickly

contemporary Latin America. “Nonetheless,

dissipate into less orthogonal patterns as they

many observers of the Central Valleys [of

reach out into the surrounding agricultural fields

Oaxaca] have largely ignored recent changes

(and often, nearby mountains, as is the case with

and

Santa Ana del Valle).

focused

characteristic

instead

much

Valle and Tlacolula).

long-standing

1 Wood, Warner W. Made in Mexico: Zapotec Weavers and the Global Ethnic Art Market. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2008.

POPULATION: 1,993 (as of 2010) This number is continually decreasing according to census data, but the population of the entire Tlacolula Valley is over 60,000 FOUNDED: 1580 (cathedral constructed: 1632) LANGUAGE: 94.7% speak Zapoteco and Spanish (INEGI 1991b) ECONOMY: 21.8% dedicated to agriculture with the majority (77.2%) producing tapetes (decorative woolen textiles) as sub contractive workers for neighboring communities (Cohen 1999: 45)

SANTA ANA DEL VALLE

THE WEAVING ECONOMY

In Oaxaca, Mexico, the Zapotec treadle loom

By mixing combinations of the following listed

industry is celebrated as a positive model of

natural dye sources in various ways, many

indigenously managed (craft) development.

different shades can be obtained. The handspun

While some of the villages involved in production

wool that many weaving families use is mainly

have experienced successes, many challenges

produced in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca.

remain. The assumption that success will be The process of extracting the dye is very similar

unfounded. Rather, economic achievements by

to that of making tea. After being ground down

merchants and some independent producers

to a fine powder, it is added to water then

often exacerbate socioeconomic inequality.

heated to extract the color. Subsequently, the mixture is combined with either lime juice or crushed tree bark, which acts as a fixer. The resulting distinctive tones are dependant on the

1 Cohen, Jeffrey H. Textile, Tourism and Community Development. Annals of Tourism Research. Pennsylvania State University, USA, 2001.

COCHINEAL BEETLE = RED + PINK INDIGO PLANTS = BLUE WILD MARIGOLD = YELLOW + GREEN

generalized to the community at large is often

Examples of natural dyes used :

acidity or the alkalinity of the mixture.

SPANISH MOSS = SOFT GREEN PECAN TREE LEAVES = BROWN

SHEARING

CLEANING

WEAVING

DYEING

(standing looms)

(natural materials)

CARDING (aligns fibers)

HAND-SPINNING (wool into single fiber)

TRADITIONAL PROCESS OF CREATING TEXTILES

DESIGN AS A CATALYST

REGIONAL SCALE Additionally, these mercados could act as

TEXTILES (WEAVING)

would be connected (mostly virtually) to a

learning-centers, in a sense. They would

center in Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital city.

provide a place for young future artisans to

Teotitlán del Valle Mitla Santa Ana Del Valle

Here, located in the core of tourism for the

meet and learn from masters of their craft. The

southern Mexican state, there would be ample

encouragement and aid of Oaxaca Valley’s

opportunity for tourists to learn about the

artisans could also empower all residents to

CERAMICS (POTTERY)

numerous small villages around the countryside

be involved in the design and construction of

that provide and produce intriguing and

these mercado buildings, which could be a new

Santa Maria Atzompa San Bartolo Coyotepec Octlan De Morelos

beautiful hand-crafted items. It is common

source of pride for a small town.

This network of small rural “mercado” buildings

for each village to specialize in a certain type of craft, and therefore build up a tradition of creating intricate, unique crafts - from woven rugs to black pottery to painted wooden animal figures. People could discover this and learn about these places and how they can purchase items or even visit the mercado co-operative nodes in the villages to see the process of craftmaking happening first-hand.

Regional Scale Goals:

ALEBRIJES (WOOD FIGURES)

create nodes in rural villages

connect to central core

San Antonio Arrazola La Union Tejalapam San Martin Tilcajete

allow access to economic growth

empower town to act as a participant

BASKETRY Santa Cruz Papalutla San Juan Guelavía Magdalena Teitipac

SERIES OF CATALYTIC COMMERCE CENTERS

TOWN SCALE Infrastructure in the Santa Ana del Valle

Additionally, the condition of the streets outside

INSIDE:

community is problematic, and access to basic

of the main city center is that of either crumbling

WATER (TRANSPORT + COLLECTION)

services like water and sewer continues to lag.1

pavement or dirt roads. By implementing a

ELECTRICAL

Where improvements occur, they are largely

design solution that encapsulates the needs

self-funded or funded through a combination

of multiple facets into one element, there is

of local and state money and through programs

an efficiency and potential cost-savings. This is

such as “dos por uno.”2 To cover the costs of

where the idea of “bundling” infrastructure into

development, village leaders assess fees for

one piece comes into play (see diagram below

households in their community.

for examples of potential groupings of services).

TECHNOLOGICAL ON IT: PAVED WALKING SURFACE SOLAR COLLECTION ART (MURALS)

EDGES OF TOWN: PROGRAM NODES

These funds, called cooperación, pay for

BIKE RENTAL STATIONS

projects and programs for which there is no, or

SHADED SEATING

only limited govermental funds. Cooperación

PUBLIC POCKET-PARK GARDEN

is one dimension of the traditional models of social organization and control that Oaxacans rely upon and that are found in most rural communities in the region.3 1 José Luis Ávila, Carlos Fuentes y Rodolfo Tuirán. “Índices de Marginación: CONAPO” (México City, México: 2000). 2 Rafael Alarcón. “The Development of Home Town Associations in the United States and the Use of Social Remittances in Mexico.” Departamento de Estudios Sociales, El Colegio de la Frontera del Norte. México: 2002 3 Jeffrey H. Cohen. “Remittance Outcomes in Rural Oaxaca, Mexico: Challenges, Options, and Opportunities for Migrant Households.” The Center for Comparative Immigration, San Diego, CA: 2004.

electrical + technologicall drinking water sewage

stormwater drainage (collection)

“WHAT’S IN THE SIDEWALK?”

TOWN CENTER: focus area

NODES OF INTERACTION

CREATIVE COMMERCE ELEMENT At the scale of the town center, there is a critical component missing from the colonial city fabric: a place to create the goods being sold at the market. There is a museum to view the history of artisan crafts and a large main plaza (the zocalo) for town celebrations and gatherings, but the lack of a commerce center

SCHOOL

MARIA JOSE

of this “new program” would play a critical

OS MOREL

of this rural community. The strategic insertion

LEONA VICARIO

for making things creates a void in the eonomy

S ENA

RD O CA ZAR

LA IDA

N AVE

role in the revitalization of Santa Ana del Valle FRANCISO MADERO

TOWN HALL

design, innovation, creating, and education in conjunction with providing citizens with basic infrastructure, the growth of this deteriorating

ZOCALO

CATHEDRAL

ARTISAN MUSEUM

town would have its “fourth corner” to complete its core and spark new life into the heart of this

SITE

MARIANO MATAMOROS

village could once again begin. The heart of the

MUNICIPAL MARKET BUILDING HIDALGO

combining the Creative Commerce Center for

INDEPENDENCIA

and the surrounding rural communities. By

historic village.

SANTA ANA DEL VALLE TOWN CENTER

TOWN HALL F

ZOCALO [MAIN PLAZA]

G ARTISAN MUSEUM

LEARNING CENTER LOBBY

REFLECTING POOL

DEMONSTRATION/ MEETING ROOM

PRINT SHOP

"BRIDGE"

OUTDOOR WORK SPACE

WOMEN

MEN

VISIBLE STORAGE

COMPUTER LEARNING CLASSROOM

EXHIBITION COURTYARD

COVERED TEXTILES SHOWCASE SPACE

EXISTING CYPRESS TREE DN

MARKET

OFFICE

GARDEN

VISIBLE STORAGE

OFFICE

LINENS + SERVICE W/D

W/D

TEXTILE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP UP

LOADING DOCK

F = FOUNTAIN G = GARDEN C = CLOISTER (CATHEDRAL’S COURTYARD) B = BANDSTAND

BUILDING SCALE: PROGRAM

Looking at the programmatic elements of a

This building calls for a combination of:

“creative commerce” center means thinking

EXHIBITION (this include exhibits inside building

about how a building can help improve the

and outside in the central gathering courtyard)

lives of those who will use the spaces. The role of the architect in the global society of today is

INTERACTION

(creating

new

connections

currently growing and expanding to include a

among Oaxacans and between locals and

social dimension. Here the architect appears as

toursits - done both virtually and in person)

the “moderator of a kind of social transformation that views architecture as an instrument with

EDUCATION (to learn about design, craft-

ongoing effectiveness and integrates it with

making, technology, and simply from each

other processes.”1

other) This process of creating connections will also help raise funds to provide basic

1 Lepik, Andres, Anne Schmedding, and Regina Bittner. Moderators of Change: Architecture That Helps. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2011.

infrastructure for the town

“Architecture should be an act of faith; the faith that [design] can improve the lives of people.” Daniel López Salgado, local Oaxacan architect

CREATIVE ECONOMIC INNOVATIONS

ng een ries

addressing social needs + identifying what is needed to make the transition

PRODUCE DESIGNING + DEVELOPING NEW BUSINESS MODELS

story-telling + rethinking the relationship between customers and industries

DEMONSTRATING THE PROCESS TO VISITORS

EXHIBIT

EDUCATE IMPLEMENTING NEW IDEAS

exploring social + digital strategies while shifting marketing from traditional to digital

PROGRAM AS BUILDING FORM WOOL PREP / WEAVE Weaving (treadle-looms) workspace Spinning wool Dyeing yarn - drying space Loom production / repair wood workshop Design area - desk space Storage Loading Dock

EDUCATE / OUTREACH / RESEARCH Computer learning Demonstration / Meeting room Printing facilities Artist-in-Residence (mentor) office space A program inexpensive to Artists and Entrepreneurs who are invested in doing work in Oaxaca. It would include living arrangements and office space for the design mentor, and entail a method of capturing stories from visiting artists and as a chronicle of their stay/life in Santa Ana del Valle.

EXHIBIT Textile showrooms (open air) Pavilion exhibition

CONNECT / GATHER Courtyard Ramps Inside the Wall

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working with the people who make or produce things enriches you as a designer and magnifies the project, since you are uniting experience and knowledge.â&#x20AC;? Renata Elizondo, local Oaxacan architect

FORM

EXPLODED AXON

FORM

EXPLODED AXON roofs roofs

MIXING + CONNECTING SPACE

walls walls

ramps

courtyard volumes courtyard volumes

WORKSHOP SPACE floors

floors

LOAD

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

DESIGN GOALS The following goals were defined for shaping the architectural strategies implemented in the design of the building. They represent the main ideas for creating methods of shaping a new enriching environment for the people who would use the spaces.

RESOURCE

NEW PERSPECTIVES

FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LEARN, DEVELOP

OF THE PROCESS PROVIDED THROUGH ARCHITECTURE

AND GROW ECONOMICALLY + SOCIALLY 1

COLLABORATIVE

TRANSPARENCY

AND ACCESSIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT

OF PROCESS AND EXPRESSION: INSIDE-OUTSIDE BLURRED

DESIGN STRATEGIES RESOURCE / COLLABORATIVE:

NEW PERSPECTIVES:

TRANSPARENCY:

•

Construction of a new rammed earth

building (ramps + platforms) to physically

textile

developing new skills

move people up and through different

workers can see and be seen by visitors.

Creating a workshop and learning space

points in space

This could create new interactions

An occupiable roof plane to view down

between people (utilizing screens, glass,

trade or learn entrepreneurial skills to

at work process and out to the adjacent

and openness in the floor plan)

start their own business via access to

church, town, and mountains beyond

global internet connections

builds a new space above the ground

As a component of the design, access

•

process

that

The use of natural light into and through the spaces of the design

•

Connection to plaza and market with the courtyard space: emphasizing the

works on site and also gives back to

OUTDOOR ROOM for living + working

citizens of the town

•

production

to a “global creative mentor” who the community could be a resource for

A building design that highlights the

building could be a learning tool for

for locals to develop skills in a traditional

•

Designing elevational changes into the

Using the Design Goals listed on the previous two pages, I began sketching out ideas of how these goals could become physical architectural forms to shape human experience.

The

three

main

strategies

identified were to:

CARVE

CIRCULATE

OCCUPY

(COURYARD)

(RAMPS)

(WALL)

THE WALL: INFORMING THE DESIGN COURTYARD:

IDENTIFY(ING) + ORGANIZING [height, size, material] OCCUPY [rooms + spaces: in + around] VIEW THROUGH [openings] CIRCULATION [ramps + doors] COOLING [mass, wind + water] 1

[OCCUPY]

COOLING WIND TOWER: [ENVIRONMENTAL]

OVERLOOK: [OCCUPY]

GARDEN: [ENVIRONMENTAL]

SEATING: [OCCUPY]

PASSAGE: [CIRCULATION]

WATER: [ENVIRONMENTAL]

WINDOW: [VIEW THROUGH]

GROUND FLOOR PLAN LEARNING CENTER LOBBY

REFLECTING POOL

DEMONSTRATION/ MEETING ROOM

PRINT SHOP

"BRIDGE"

OUTDOOR WORK SPACE

WOMEN

MEN

VISIBLE STORAGE

COMPUTER LEARNING CLASSROOM

EXHIBITION COURTYARD

COVERED TEXTILES SHOWCASE SPACE

EXISTING CYPRESS TREE DN

OFFICE

GARDEN

VISIBLE STORAGE

OFFICE

LINENS + SERVICE W/D

W/D

TEXTILE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP UP

LOADING DOCK

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

OCCUPIABLE ROOF TERRACE

CAFE KITCHEN DN

ARTIST-INRESIDENCE LIVING UNIT

CONTEMPLATIVE COURTYARD

RESTROOM

OFFICE

HUDDLE SPACE DN

SECTION PERSPECTIVE CUT WEST / EAST LOOKING NORTH

DESIGNING

WEAVING

DESIGNING

WEAVING

WOOL PREP

RELAXING CIRCULATE GARDEN / EXHIBIT COURTYARD

VISIBLE STORAGE

SITE SECTION CUT NORTH / SOUTH LOOKING EAST

town hall 1

zocalo

cathedral

artisan museum

rooftop patio demonstration room

observation window workspace courtyard

ramp

design office workshops

ELEVATIONS

NORTH ELEVATION: VIEW FROM THE ZOCALO 1

RAMMED EARTH WALL ELEVATION: INSIDE THE EXHIBITION COURTYARD

COMMUNITY GATHERING: EXHIBITION COURTYARD + GARDENS

LEARNING CENTER LOBBY

DEMONSTRATING, LEARNING, AND MEETING SPACE

VIEW OF ROOFTOP CAFE AND SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS BEYOND

OUTDOOR WORKSPACE: SPINNING, DYEING, + DRYING WOOL

RAMPING DOWN: VIEW INTO MAIN COURTYARD’S GARDENS

WORKSHOP SPACE: WEAVING + DESIGN STATIONS

PHYSICAL MODELS

URBAN SCALE

PROCESS MODELS

FINAL BUILDING + SITE MODEL

FINAL BUILDING AND SITE MODEL

TECTONICS: THE EFFECT OF LIGHT

ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

THE CLIMATE

:With the exception of the rainy season, the valleys of Oaxaca have an almost â&#x20AC;&#x153;perfectâ&#x20AC;?

climate: Low humidity, warm temperatures, light breezes from the northeast at around 4 mph and beautiful sunlight nearly every day.

8% September is usually the rainiest month.

Amounts vary from year to year and most of

the rainfall occurs on a relatively few days. Just because it is the rainy season does not necessarily mean it will be raining - it just means it can rain. A typical day in the rainy

season would be a clear morning, clouding up in the afternoon, with thunder heard in the nearby mountains. In this hot climate, the afternoon clouds can be quite welcome.

AVG. ANNUAL CALM: 39.8%

WIND FREQUENCY

8”

100°F

7” 80°°F

6” 5”

60°°F

4” 40°°F

3” 2”

20°F

1” 0 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

20 15

TEMPERATURE + RAINFALL

THE STRUCTURE: RAMMED EARTH CONSTRUCTION SLOPE DOWN

DOUBLE GLAZED FRAMELESS WINDOW (SILICONE IN PLACE)

“Ecological and sustainability issues are increasingly at the forefront of discussions on building development; and earth, in the context of architecture, is the most ‘earth-friendly’ material that exists.”

CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB ON GRADE

Ronald Rael, Earth Architecture

CEMENTITIOUS WATERSTOP SEALER TO TOP OF PARAPET

13’-0”

10: ROOF TERRACE: BASE OF EXT. WALL

PREFINISHED METAL FLASHING

13’-0”

REINFORCED RAMMED EARTH WALL (RIGID INSULATION BETWEEN)

RECESSED WALL WASH LIGHT SLOPED WATER TROUGH

CONCRETE FOOTING

ON VIEW

RAMMED EARTH WALL SECTION

OPPOSITE PAGE:

1/8” = 1’ - 0”

The process of ramming earth into a mock-up wall (with Eli Rosenwasser)

POTENTIAL COLLABORATORS: NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Patronato Pro-Defensa y Conservación del

Friends of Oaxacan Folk Art (FOFA) supports

view of their uncertainty about folk art as

Patrimonio Cultural y Natural de Oaxaca

the preservation and promotion of the folk art

a viable livelihood and their attraction to

(PRO-OAX) is a local non-profit organization

traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico. These traditions

modernization that promotes migration -

that was founded by well-reowned Oaxacan

are endangered by economic challenges in

in order to preserve folk art traditions for

artist

Pro-

the region that significantly impact the folk

generations to come.

Defensa y Conservacion del Patrimonio

art community. FOFA’s projects are designed

Cultural de Oaxaca already does work with

to provide:

to enhance market opportunities. FOFA

local artisans to help preserve and promote

•

Public exposure (both in Mexico and the

does not provide direct financial support

the tradition of local hand-craft work in the

US) to raise awareness, appreciation and

to any individual or family, but works

region. By teaming up with them, this project

marketability of these art forms;

through existing organizations (such

Francisco Toledo.

Patronato

•

Assistance to “artesano” communities

could help more people in Oaxacan rural

• Encouragement to young Mexican folk

as the State Museum of Popular Art of

villages “build social capital” and provide

artists to pursue and refine their crafts—in

Oaxaca) to identify and develop projects.

them with recognition of their unique artwork.

Both organizations work with local artisans to help preserve and promote the tradition of local hand-craft work in the region.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN: LOCAL FLORA

TREES

SUCCULENTS

VINES

GUAJE TREE

4 AGAVE

BUGAMBILIA VINES

JACARANDA TREE

NOPAL CACTUS (PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS)

MORNING GLORIES

AHUEHUETE TREE

ORGAN (FENCE) CACTUS

(MONTEZUMA CYPRESS)

BIZNAGA CACTUS

DESIGN USES : SHADE,

DESIGN USES : DIRECTING VISITORS,

DESIGN USES : SCREENS, SHADE,

DECORATIVE BLOOMS

DECORATIVE BLOOMS + APPEARANCE

DECORATIVE BLOOMS

MATERIALS PRECEDENT: The School of Visual Arts of Oaxaca

Location: Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico Architect: Taller de Arquitectura - Mauricio Rocha Completed: 2008

Commissioned by renowned artist Francisco

surrounding earthwork. Inside the complex, the

Throughout the project sustainability has

Toledo and the Benito Juarez Autonomous

rammed earth and concrete edifices, principally

also been a major concern. The principal

University of Oaxaca, the art school is located

North-oriented and containing the art studios,

construction material, rammed earth, is naturally

on a conspicuous corner site at the entrance

gallery, and main hall make up the body of the

insulating, water proof, fire resistant, termite-

to the university, designed to both open a

school. In dialogue with the interior volumes are

proof, acoustically-insulated, and makes use

dialogue between university and city as well as

the courtyards that project from each building

of locally-available earth. In addition, walls are

remain discreet in order to foster the creative,

as an extension of the work environment. Filled

self-supporting.

introspective character of an art school.

with ochre-colored gravel and planted with a Mexican cherry tree that flowers in spring and

Large north-facing windows also contribute

The complex of rammed earth and stone

is bare in winter, the patios manifest the idea

to the building’s overall aesthetic and energy

buildings houses a main hall, gallery, media

of the complex as “garden.” Volumetrically, the

efficiency, while outside gardens – populated

library, administrative offices, classrooms, and art

interplay of solid and void between building

with low maintenance plants that don’t require

studios. Stone buildings occupy the periphery

and courtyard creates ever changing pathways,

intensive watering and several shading Macuil

of the “crater” and serve also to retain the

vistas, and light conditions as one moves

trees – round out this project’s inspiring and

through the school.

rustic green ethos.

IMAGES: “The School of Visual Arts of Oaxaca / Taller de Arquitectura-Mauricio Rocha” 29 Jul 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 Apr 2014. <http://www.archdaily. com/?p=154485>

MATERIALS PRECEDENT: Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center

Location: Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada Architect: HBBH Architects Completed: 2006

The Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Center is designed

the encroaching development of Osoyoos

Sedimentary-like in appearance, the exposed

to be a specifc and sustainable response to

to the west, with the height of the wall set to

surface acts as the finished wall, is extremely

the building’s unique context - the unusual

create a layered view of the desert rising up

stable and doesn’t off-gas toxic or greenhouse

Canadian desert found in the South Okanagan

in the middle ground, receding to the riparian

gas emissions. The technique results in a

Valley in Osoyoos, British Columbia. Sited

landscape adjacent, and the mountains in the

physically strong, durable wall with excellent

adjacent to a remnant of the Great Basin

distance.

thermal qualities-heating up slowly during the

Desert (approximately 1,600 acres are being

day in the hot Okanagan sun, and releasing its

preserved by the band as a conservation area),

At 80m long, 5.5m high, and 600mm thick,

this interpretative centre is part of a larger 200-

the large rammed earth insulated wall (R33)

acre master plan.

stabilizes temperature variations. Constructed

This project created the opportunity for the

from local soils mixed with concrete and colour

Osoyoos Tribe to develop unique, highly

The desert landscape flows over the building’s

additives, it retains warmth in the winter, its

artisanal construction skills as rammed earth

green roof, held back by a rammed earth wall.

substantial thermal mass cooling the building

contractors and a team of tribe members

The partially “buried” building is sited very

in the summer-much like the effect the

worked with the contractor on the fabrication

specifcally to focus the visitor’s eye away from

surrounding earth has on a basement.

of the wall.

heat in the evening.

IMAGES: “Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre – HBBH Architects” 23 Dec 2008. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 Apr 2014. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=10629>

PROGRAM PRECEDENT: CASA: Centro de las Artes de San Agustín

Location: San Agustin de Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico Architect: Claudina Morales Lopez Completed: 2006

CASA or the Center for the Arts at San Augustin was founded in 2006 by Maestro Francisco Toledo to be Latin America’s first center for “ecology in the arts”. The 1883 factory was lovingly restored and adaptively reused by architect Claudina Lopez Morales. It has galleries and classroom spaces surounded by reflecting pools and breathtaking views. It is more than worth the 20 minute taxi ride from downtown Oaxaca City.

“Flux is a key part of identity. Multiple forms of foreignness combine in a local mix [to create] a unique form of heterogeneity.” - Mark Wigley [“Local Knowledge.” Phylogenesis FOA’s Ark. London: Actar, 2004.]

IMAGES: Rachel Peterson (April 2011)

PROGRAM PRECEDENT: Matria: Jardín Arterapéutico

Location: Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico Project Initiator: Mauricio Cervantes Launched: August 2011

This is a multidisciplinary adaptive reuse project in a previously abandoned courtyard house located at 103 Murguia Street in the Historic Center of Oaxaca City. The main court enables the growth of an urban garden which in turn is also home to artistic expressions of the community. Through their practices, Matria detonates social processes of artistic creation and ecological awareness. These are targeted and observed through

workshops,

exhibitions

and

other

activities dedicated to promoting the relationship between artistic creation and environmental education.

“Regional forms are those which most closely meet the actual conditions of life and which most fully succeed in making people feel at home in their environment.” -Lewis Mumford

IMAGES: .Accessed 14 Nov 2013. http:// matriajardin.org/antecedentes/

WORKS CITED Adriá, Miquel and Richard Ingersoll. Mexico

Berumen Barbosa, Miguel E. “GEOGRAFÍA

Box, Hal, Susan Kline Morehead, and Logan

90s: A Contemporary Architecture. Barcelona:

ECONÓMICA DE OAXACA.” Marginación Y

Wagner. Ancient Origins of the Mexican Plaza:

Editorial Gustavo Gili, 1996.

Pobreza. <http://www.eumed.net/cursecon/

From Primordial Sea to Public Space. Austin:

The content of this book is mainly a collection

libreria/mebb/marginacion_pobreza.html>

University of Texas Press, 2013.

of works by contemporary Mexican architects,

This PDF available online has a plethora of

A beautiful collection of measured plan

but it also includes a short series of essays at its

maps and information about the poverty and

drawings is the bulk of this book’s expansive

beginning, which begin to describe the authors’

marginalization in the state of Oaxaca.

information. It also has very interesting text about the history and evolution of plazas in

interpretations of Mexico’s social and political

Mexican cities and towns.

situation in the 1990s, and how designers

Bradley, Jordan. “The Borgen Project | Poverty

reacted to dramatic events, such as “charges

in Mexico The Borgen Project.” The Borgen

of corruption, drug running, and assassination

Project. July 2013. <http://borgenproject.org/

Chibnik, Michael. Crafting Tradition: The Making

scandals” (12). Also, an interesting statement

poverty-in-mexico/>

and Marketing of Oaxacan Wood Carvings.

about Mexico City’s changing urban form is

This blog, by Jordan Bradley, talks about

Austin: University of Texas Press, 2003.

made by Ingersoll: “Modernity has arrived in full

Oportunidades, a governmental program

Contemporary research on ethnic and

force in Mexico City, with freeways, highrises,

designed to help the impoverished people of

tourist arts is often placed in the context of

subway, and other technological instruments

Mexico: it “focuses 99 percent of its services

“globalization.” This term sometimes refers

of social evolution, but the village scale of the

on rural or semi-urban areas. Most benefits

to an alleged “cultural homogeneity” brought

big city has surprisingly allowed it to resist

come in the form of cash deposits for the

about by the spread of Western goods and

the usual patterns of social alienation (6). This

people who qualify for the program.”

images around the world. However, there

begins to speak of Mexico’s natural resilience

is a growing recognition that the effects

to becoming a “placeless place.”

of improvements in transportation and communications (i.e. the internet) have led to multi-directional cultural and economic flows rather than a “one-way penetration”. Morever,

indigenous artisans are beginning to learn the

Cook, Scott, and Martin Diskin. Markets in

the historic process of architectural design

values and categories of the intermediaries

Oaxaca. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1976.

and construction through a “non-design

who control the market for “ethnic crafts”.

This is an older book that talks about how

oriented perspective.” Additionally, there are

(even in the 1970s) the Valley of Oaxaca’s

beautiful descriptions of place (specifically

Clarke, Colin. Class, Ethnicity, and Community

economy focused on craft manufacturing and

Oaxaca), such as, “color punctuates the inner

in Southern Mexico: Oaxaca’s Peasantries. New

selling internationally: “The distinctiveness

city, appearing at every bend of the road with

York: Oxford University Press Inc., 2000.

of a peasant-artisan market economy of the

sudden intensity - on residential stuccoed

This book contains a plethora of informative

Valley of Oaxaca is not that of production

walls, in storefront businesses, and in bursts of

historical facts that are very relevant to the

for exchange. [... It] is geared primarily to the

bougainvillea and jacaranda blooms” (42).

issues I’m looking to address with my thesis

producers’ subsistence but that the economy

project. Clarke talks about how Mexico is

contains within it the embryo of capitalist

Hendry, Jean C. Atzompa: A Pottery Producing

among the more economically developed

accumulation and is itself embedded in a

Village of Southern Mexico in the Mid-1950’s.

of Latin American countries, “yet its rural

national (and international) capitalist economy.”

Nashville, Tenn: Vanderbilt University, 1992.

communities often remain isolated and

The authors focus on several villages, one in

Pottery-making, like texile-making, has a

attached to their indigenous roots” (x). He goes

particular is Santa Maria Atzompa, one of the

long history in the state of Oaxaca. In my

on to discuss how this rural isolation in Oaxaca

pottery-making specialized villages.

investigation of determining a site, I looked at rural towns in Oaxaca Valley that specialized

has been reinforced by the “remote, poorly endowed” landscape of the state with its “high

Haden, Judith Cooper, and Matthew Jaffe.

in alebrijes, texiles, and pottery. This book

mountain ranges into which rivers have incised

Oaxaca: The Spirit of Mexico. New York: Artisan,

talks specifically about pottery-making in

deep valleys” (x) and the large number of

2002.

villages close to Oaxaca de Juarez.

linguistic groups whose formation pre-dates

These authors urge readers to celebrate

the Spanish Conquest.

Mexico and “preserve its fragile traditions [because of] our rapidly changing ways and the instant technologies that govern our modern world” (xii). It includes a lot of discussion about

King, Bruce. Buildings of Earth and Straw. San

Levick, Melba, and Tony Cohan. Mexicolor:

United Nations ranked Oaxaca as Mexico’s

Rafael, CA: Green Building Press, 1996.

the Spirit of Mexican Design. San Francisco:

second-poorest state, behind Chiapas, and

This book was utilized in the process of

Chronicle, 1998.

likened its pueblos to rural African villages,”

testing a rammed-earth wall mock-up. It

Tactile descriptions of the country abound in

Vasquez said. One-quarter of the 3.4 million

includes design and construction techniques

this book: “basking in southern sunlight and

people cannot read or write, and schooling

specifically for rammed earth and straw-bale

imbued with energy and tradition, Mexico

is only available up to sixth grade in most

architecture.

enjoys an utterly unique relationship with

villages.

color – inspired, intrinsic, and inseparable LaVine, Lance. Architecture, Place, Empathy.

from life itself” (1). It focuses on the concept

Rael, Ronald. Earth Architecture. New York City:

Mexico City, Mexico: Editorial Piso + Daniel

of color and how it radiates from all aspects

Princeton Architectural Press, 2009.

Escotto Editores, 2010.

of Mexican culture. “Color is everywhere in

“Architects are using rammed earth as a

Lance LaVine, professor at the University

Mexico. Street and market, food and dress,

modern material that is durable, adaptable,

of Minnesota, writes of “place-empathetic

home and garden are suffused with it. Green

and responds to growing environmental

architecture” in this book. He argues this

of cactus, lime, cornstalk. Red of tomato,

concerns” (19). This book includes images,

type of architecture searches for stability

watermelon. Yellow of corn, cereveza (beer),

floor plans, and sections of 47 precedent

and permanence in societies that sense and

sunflower” (7).

projects utilizing earthen technology that were completed after 1970. They range in location,

know their unique identity. It gathers up and interprets the particular cultural values of a

“Oaxaca: A Land of Beauty and Poverty.”

size, program, and specific construction

place in a “quietly insightful architecture” (11).

Statesman Journal. November 2005. <http://

technique, but all were selected by the

By modestly considering the enrichments of

www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20051112/

author to demonstrate the advancement of

existing constructed environments, LaVine

NEWS/511120301/A-land-beauty-poverty>

architecture through earthen construction.

says designers are capable of accumulating

This article has an interview with Miguel Angel

a foundation for more satisfying and fulfilling

Vasquez de la Rosa of EDUCA, a research and

Sayer, Chloe and Mariana Yampolsky. The

everyday life experiences.

education organization in Oaxaca de Juárez.

Traditional Architecture of Mexico. London:

He discusses how Oaxaca is a contradiction

Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1993.

of beauty and extreme poverty. “This year, the

The authors of this book examine the history

and significance of vernacular construction

delivery are just two of the most pressing

Wigley, Mark. Local Knowledge. Phylogenesis

in Mexico. It is the one of the less-told stories

development issues in Oaxaca. Compared

FOA’s Ark. London: Actar, 2004.

of the country - in contrast to descriptions of

to national standards, the impact of public

Wigley’s essay contained within this book is

the large beautiful monuments of indigenous

policies and investments as well as public

about the trend of (“starchitect”) designers

and colonial time periods. They discuss how

service delivery, are insufficient in the state,

dreaming up schemes for international

“vernacular architecture, too, can surprise the

one of the poorest in the country.

contexts and completely changing “the

onlooker, by presenting uncommon solutions

face of a place that they barely know.” He

to practical problems. Houses of agave or rye

Wood, Warner W. Made in Mexico: Zapotec

talks about how this type of architecture is

stalks may appear ‘exotic’ or ‘quaint’ to the

Weavers and the Global Ethnic Art Market.

often seen as “a shiny wake of memorable

outsider, yet they are functional constructions

Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press,

structures,” and that the “local is ritualistically

which have evolved over time to suit local

2008.

sacrifced”(101) in the process. He argues

requirements” (177). This recycling of diverse

This book gives a introduction to the people,

that the “natural [local-based] approach has

and often unlikely elements is widespread in

places, and ideas that create Zapotec textiles

more potential than the high-tech, industrial

Mexico, yet it is quite logical to make use of

in communities of the Oaxaca Valley. The

paradigm” (104).

elements that are literally right outside the

author talks about how the international

door.

market for Native American art helps to

Ypma, Herbert. Mexican Contemporary. New

shape weavers’ design choices. Wood shows

York: Thames & Hudson, Inc., 1996.

“With an Alliance for Development, Oaxaca

that although those who participate in this

The author describes Mexico as “an intricate

Seeks to Leave Poverty behind.” The World

trade are influenced by familiar images of

mosaic” (13). He argues that while Mexican

Bank. July 2012. <http://www.worldbank.org/

Zapotec authenticity (indigenous tradition

architecture’s defining features (the courtyard,

en/news/feature/2012/07/19/alianza-para-el-

that connects the Mexican nation to its pre-

wall, and the use of color) remain constant,

desarrollo-oaxaca>

Hispanic past), there is also the influence of

there are architects in the country that are

World Bank partnered with the state

transnational contemporary commodities

bringing “further innovations in scale and

government of Oaxaca to address challenges

moving through and out of the country.

texture [...] without losing the character or

in crucial areas like water delivery and

simplicity that is the hallmark of a unique

maternity health. Maternity health and water

national signature” (13).

LIST OF FIGURES Preface: Photo by Andrew Olson (2011)

•

Introduction: <http://oaxacaculture.com/2013/01/

•

page/3> (2013)

Page 06: Photos by author, Andrew Olson,

• •

Kelly Kraemer, and Leanna (Kemp) Kristoff (all 2011)

Page 80: Photos by author and Eli

com/2009_11_01_archive.html> (2009)

Rosenwasser (2014)

<http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews. com/latino-daily-news/details/nearly-half-of-

Pages 83-84: Photos by author and Andrew

mexican-population-lives-in-poverty/9308/>

Olson (all 2011)

(2011)

Page 04: <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34528742/ ns/us_news-poverty?q=Poverty> (Reuters, 2013)

<http://tipssomosmexico.blogspot.

•

<https://www.flickr.com/photos/

Page 86: Photos - The School of Visual Arts

lonqueta/8537325585> (2007)

of Oaxaca / Taller de Arquitectura-Mauricio

<https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/

Rocha” 29 Jul 2011. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 Apr

circleofwomenliteracy/photos/>

2014. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=154485>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ lonqueta/6312820457/ (2006)

Cultural Centre – HBBH Architects” 23 Dec

Page 08: Photos by Hans J Knospe (“fotopoesie”) and Google Maps (2014) Page 11-12: <https://alaskamexicoandbeyond.

Pages 75-76, 88: Photos - “Nk’Mip Desert

Page 15: <https://www.flickr.com/photos/

2008. ArchDaily. Accessed 21 Apr 2014. <http://

planeta/3216095769/in/set-72057594055645680>

www.archdaily.com/?p=10629>

(Mader, Ron, 2009)

wordpress.com/tag/oaxaca/page/2/> (Albright,

Page 90: Photos by author (2011)

Marilyn, 2013) and Google Maps (2014)

Page 16: <http://zinniafolkarts.com/blogs/news/>

Page 14:

Pages 21-22: Photo by Kelly Kraemer

Page 92: <http://matriajardin.org/antecedentes/> • •

<http://www.antheaandlyndon.com/ Pages 63-74: Photos by author and Greg

http://bcrw.barnard.edu/event/mesoamerican-

Peterson (2014)

biodiversity/ (2011)

Page 100: Photo by Sabina Poole (2014)

sustainable-tourism-in-oaxaca-mexico/> (2013)

PROCESS SKETCHES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to start my list of thanks with a

Thank you to Gabriel Brown for his words of

*bacio* sent to my sweetheart Paolo for all of

advice and encouragement at the midterm and

his emotional support as I’ve gone through the

then for coming to my final review!

process of completing my thesis project. He is a big reason for my smiles and laughs and

Much love to my family and friends for their

his help at the last push was SO very valuable.

unending love and long-distance cheers of “GO

Grazie, cucciolo mio! (I probably would not have

RACHEL!” as I have slogged through the tough

eaten half as much with all your food runs!)

times and sailed through the good ones!

I also need to express my gratitude to my friend,

Finally, thank you to my YGH co-workers for

roommate, and classmate Sam. She has been

being amazing people and supporting me

my shoulder to lean on when things got tough

during these crazy past few months as I juggled

(and vice versa!). We were each other’s crits

my internship and grad school! And an extra big

and biggest fans throughout the last two school

thanks to the many of you who came to my final

years - and especially during these 9 months of

presentation, too!

“thesising”.

SALUD A TODOS!