COHESIONSOCIAL-SPATIALOFRECOVERYTHE Explore Lab 32 Thesis Report
-17.789265, -63.181463 Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Aleksandar Staničić (R) Pierre Jennen (BT)
Stephany Knize ID Nelson5045320Mota(A)
STEPHANY KNIZE
Motivated by my early curiosity as a designer and my later inquisitiveness as a scholar, I aim this book can provide an equitable narrative that brings a distinctive and knowledgeable point of view concerning a common challenge. This piece of literature seeks to engage not only public space as a defined object of research, but as a starting point to purposely and critically analyse thoughts, activities, and practices related to urbanism as a public entity.
together motivated by constructive architectural interventions, and not precisely because of a crisis.
It is no exaggeration to state that practically every aspect of the city’s society structure has undergone profound changes because of crisis. I’ve seen Bolivia undergo significant cultural, social, and political transformations, ranging from a rapid population and land growth to resituated national economic development policies, and even to a political and social crisis. During many occasions, large numbers of the population, from different social and economic groups, came together and protested to bring down a socialist and corrupt government, following the motto: the union is the strength. The act of converging in the same space and sharing spatial performances during protests – such as marching, chanting, and praying together – further enhances people’s sense of belonging, which reveals that democracy has a spatial quality, and that design plays an important role in generating a more democratic urban Therefore,environment.public spaces are a core aspect of democracy, and the study of these spaces will potentially reveal how architecture can be indeed an engine for social change. This raised the idealistic notion of a society coming
raised in a developing country, the heart of South America, I have come to witness the many challenges my country faces every day; and further realized how architects and designers can be so deeply involved in the process. I lived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia for eighteen years, and left for eight. Thus, every time I came back, I experienced a different Santa Cruz, feeling myself an outsider in my own city. This changing and dynamic city steals the heart of those who visit it but has broken mine while witnessing
FROM THE AUTHOR
Above all, this study presents the vantage point and the probing mind of an individual, designer, and scholar who approached an architecture graduation master thesis during a varied and intricate circumstance as was COVID-19, while shifting through two continents to study a project based in Bolivia operating from the BeingNetherlands.bornand
For that reason, I framed my research within the politics of urban design and the public sphere, to study how urban experience influences individuals’ political actions and user participation within established urban space. This research will therefore engage a variety of subjects concerning how social unity can be achieved through the intervention of public spaces.
Now, facing what the future beholds upon receiving my master’s degree, I feel the need to be sympathetic to the city that has been and is still part of me. Hence, I’ve approached my thesis with one specific question in mind, “what is my responsibility, as an architect, towards the social and cultural issues that impact design in Santa Cruz, particularly in a historic context like the Casco Viejo?”
the degrading condition of what used to be the living heart of the city, the “Casco Viejo” (city centre), and is now left in oblivion.
3 NOTE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
5
This book is the result of countless hours of reclusive research, thought, writing, and design, but it also rests on the support of many individuals and organizations. People who generously offered me their time, their knowledge, their reminiscences, their resources, their solidarity, and their friendship to make this project possible. Professor Nelson Mota who was not only my graduation design mentor and guidance, but an inspiration to push this project to its maximum potential. Professor Aleksandar Staničić who was of immense support during my research phase, challenging me with knowledgeable feedback that led my research toward the finest possible outcome. Architect Jery Dino Méndez for sharing and exchanging his ideas and knowledge acquired throughout his professional trajectory, related to cultural heritage and patrimony in the Casco Viejo. Architect Patricia Simon Nogales for her unconditional support, who not only accompanied and believed in me during every step of the process, but is my greatest role model and best mom out there. My family, friends, and professors who directly or indirectly formed part of my progress, thank you for the patience, guidance, and support. I feel beyond grateful for all of you.
Figure 1 Social encounters.
The intention is to develop a project that works with the in-between space – the formal and the informal – and operates as a catalyst for change through design interventions, while also becoming a guideline (toolbox) for possible future urban transformations.
7
Understanding how historical structures along with modernist urban policies are part of the dilemma will possibly lead to answering questions related to social inclusiveness and the reproduction of public spaces. Based on this idea – and stimulated by social, cultural, and urban issues –this research will focus on redefining and rehabilitating transformative areas in the Casco Viejo (historic center) to become inclusive public spaces.
ABSTRACT
Focusing on the renewal, regeneration, and reinvention of spaces in the historic center of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, this study investigates the impact that public space has on the formation of social unity, based on established practices of behaviour and appropriation. Furthermore, this research will be developed within a specific framework for collective public life that responds not just how people use space, but how and why they need such spaces to be restored.
8 Figure 2 Casco Viejo, a nostalgic area.
9
You will find traces of a nostalgic past, among sunny patios of old mansions, century-old corridors, detailed wood columns, and spacious galleries.
1 Cruceño: Person belonging to or relating to any of the towns/cities that bear the name of Cruz or Cruces (people of Santa Cruz).
Born during different periods, admiring infrastructure, today in abandonment and oblivion, yet with the same intention, of becoming social ground.
Sunken in deterioration, the Casco Viejo craves to fully comply its everlasting motto, “It is the law of the cruceño.1 The hospitality.”
10
City of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Incremental growth.
Figure 3
11 CONTENT 1919161414 15411010298968686827870686864625252464038323229252424 192186174170
MEANING | IDENTITY
PARTINTRODUCTIONONE
“It matters what we use to think other matters with; it matters what stories we tell to tell other stories with; it matters what knots knot knots, what thoughts think thoughts, what descriptions describe descriptions, what ties tie ties. It matters what stories make worlds, what worlds make stories.”
Donna Haraway, 2016 Staying with the Trouble
II. TheProblematique:lossofsocial-spatial cohesion.
PARTINTRODUCTIONONE
14
(Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 110-123)
There has been a clear shift in priorities concerning urban politics, economic crisis, and no attention to public space. And as a result, there is no conservation of certain buildingsmany of which form large part of the public sphere, and therefore there are limited good quality spaces offered for the public use compared to the extent that the city and its population increased throughout the years.
deteriorationUrban
Viejo is the result of approximately four and a half centuries of rich history. Throughout this period and because of the rapid and sudden expansion of the city, this area went through substantial urban transformations which altered its streets and generated a variety of architectural styles, leaving an evolution record as a memory of the city. Thus nowadays, modern, eclectic, and colonial buildings – among other styles – coexist next to one another1
Difficulty of accessibilityandmobility (traffic)
MEANING | IDENTITY
1 (Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 5)
investmentPublic AbandonmentPROBLEMATIQUEDepopulationUnstableeconomicactivities
politicsUrban Economiccrisis
TheBolivia.Casco
important to manage a special treatment across urban interventions, looking for ways of renewal while respecting and maintaining the urban landscape in the most faithful way. This could be done either through a restitution to an original condition, or through a revitalization by reinterpreting and establishing new meanings to the existing. Either way, the renovation of the historic center must be an instrument for a comprehensive recovery of public areas in the city, with the aim of improving further urban, social, and economic developments.
With the passing decades and as people started to move out of the Casco Viejo area to zones where public space infrastructure is offered, the Casco Viejo has been left unnoticed, in oblivion, and unattended. Leaving the area in abandonment.
This research aims to address the interaction between social behaviour and urban architectural interventions, studying the notion of public spaces and how these are currently affected by abandonment and decay in the historic city center, or so called “Casco Viejo” (Old Town), of Santa Cruz,
This reveals that the Casco Viejo is part of the living history preserved from the past, and it is through its monuments, squares, and streets that culture must be Therefore,transmitted.itis
21950s2
I. SocialPrologue:reconnection and spatial intervention.
The historic city center continues to be a monumental space for citizens, but it is no longer a living element with value for use and social unity as initially planned in the 1900s. As people move out of the city center to further modernized zones, the Casco Viejo has been left unnoticed, in oblivion and unattended. This is mainly due to the expansion and modernization process the city has reached since the
And particularly because the city grew, and there has been no restoration to the Casco Viejo’s infrastructure, the size of sidewalks and streets are no longer suitable for proper pedestrian flow and the masses of vehicles that enter the area nowadays. This has created difficulties of accessibility and mobility (traffic), so the area is now considered chaotic and not enjoyable to walk around anymore.
Figure 4
abandoned areas and structures collapse into ruins
Scenario sketches.
What could be the consequences?
wealthy large corporations and developers take over
But I do have hopes, and this project is essentially an action of hope, that if the people interested in saving the patrimonial image of the Casco Viejo gets organized and start talking action, then we could potentially prevent this from Therefore,happening.this
Either (scenario 1) abandoned areas and structures collapse into ruins or (scenario 2) wealthy large corporations and developers take over.
Without even going into political aspects and corruption, and instead focusing on the current urban problems stated below, it is clear that economic disadvantages has wrecked and limited opportunities for public Chancesinvestment.are
project initiated not because I wanted to do “something” in the Casco Viejo, but because based on research something needs to be done to avoid the area to collapse or completely lose its history in a couple of years from now.
that if no one does something about it, the future of the Casco Viejo can change dramatically.
What could be consequences?the
SCENARIO 1.
That being said, there is a socially grounded responsibility within this research which implies giving citizens back a space they respect, feel identified by, and thus regain a certain value for.
Moreover, those in possession of private structures (housing) prefer not to live in or near the city center anymore – triggering depopulation – while it has become too expensive to live and is, after all, considered a wrecked area. This population drop is mainly what triggered complete abandonment of not only residents and commercials but also visitors of the area (including tourism) which, consequently, caused unstable economic activities on the social lens and urban deterioration on the physical lens.
15
SCENARIO 2.
Ideally, the urban environment should result as a space where multiple user perspectives and interests meet on equal ground, reinforcing, as Henri Lefebvre has stated, “the right to the city”3. This raises questions concerning public activities and its relation within the urban fabric.
How do societyrelationsspatialshapeinreturn?
16
III. TheQuestion:recovery of a dilapidated and decaying historic city center.
How can buildings and spaces in the Casco Viejo be redefined to bring back social-spatial cohesion, and in what ways could urban voids be restored to become more inclusive without compromising traditional values and identities?
Are there any spatial preconditions that establish socialWhatinteraction?arethesocialfragmentations?
Figure 5 Casco Viejo connecting thread.
3 (Lefebvre, 1968)
Moreover, moving beyond Lefebvre’s too structuralist notion and introducing Martina Löw’s inversed process within spatial sociology4, including questions related to how spatial conditions influences social interaction.
4 (Löw, 2009, p. 21–37)
These questions raised the idealistic notion of a society coming together motivated by constructive architectural interventions that advocate social encounters and free appropriation of space. Therefore, the question I attempted to answer throughout my research is
Is it possible to open new doors to new aspirations whilst drawing on existing values?
Figure 6 Behind, “El Altillo Beni”, abandoned building with patrimonial value.
17
Upgrade the urban fabric!
Figure Screenshots of film produced to show how people use, appropriate, and define space.
7
18
V. Research TransformationAim: through mixing dynamics.
IV. SpaceHypothesis:isapublic tool.
Figure 8
As a result, the film suggests that there are aspects in the everyday life that can have and have the potential (public tools) to address the stated problems. It is therefore necessary for the research and further design to incorporate practices related with income generation, spaces that promote social interaction and culture appreciation, to therefore revert the process of decay and oblivion (identified problem) into repair and remembrance. In other words, transform abandonment into social
My hypothesis incorporates the idea that “space is a public tool” that people employ constantly within spatial practices – such as protesting, selling goods, or performing on the streets. These spaces are therefore not architectural but social mechanisms which can be directly observed. Therefore, my hypothesis became my research program as the study relied on field observation, first-hand discussions, and collection of data through surveys and interviews.
blocks. My position while creating this cinematographic odyssey was to capture how people use, appropriate, and define existing public space, with the intention of showing practices that are already embedded in everyday lives. This film ultimately relocated my research on a larger framework that evaluated the relationship between social practice (and behaviour) and existing architectural (urban) spaces.
With the purpose of answering my research question, the analytical components addressed throughout my research stresses both the urban and social dimensions. The end-goal is to therefore to implement a strong program and design action regarding the renovation and preservation of certain areas and buildings in the Casco Viejo, while responding and adapting to the needs of its users.
19
INCLUSIVENESS COMMUNITY SOCIAL
Hence, what I attempt to reveal is a sort of memory scape that is much more fitting to the empathy that I am trying to achieve, which consist of designing for the people instead of designing over the people. Space is a public tool. UNITY
In order to support my hypothesis and with the aim to decipher the prevailing correlation between everyday social practices and spatial qualities of existing public spaces, I created a short film studying the urban and social dimensions of the spaces that are still alive in the Casco Viejo, which constrains to the main plaza and its surrounding adjacent
Visibly explain social practices and spatial qualities
PROLOGUEinterventionsPROBLEMATIQUES OCIAL RECONNECTION + SPATIALHYPOTHESISTRANSFORMATION
economicUnstableactivities
20 short film to capture...objectresearchof
interaction between social behaviour + urban architectural
OBJECTIVES
Abandonment
deteriorationUrban
A
embeddedPractices in everyday lives
DepopulationUrbandeterioration A B C D
SPACE IS A PUBLIC TOOL.
Difficulty of accessibilityandmobility (traffic)
Depopulation
small informal practices in vacant or ruined areas
social practice (and behaviour) and architectural (urban) spaces
Figure 9 Research Diagram.
How people use, appropriate, and define space.
“How can buildings and spaces in the Casco Viejo be redefined to bring back social-spatial cohesion, and in what ways could urban voids be restored to become more inclusive without compromising traditional values and identities?”
revert the process of decay and oblivion into repair and reminiscence
AIM TRANSFORM ABANDONMENT INTO SOCIAL.
InvolvementRestoration
RESEARCH QUESTION:
ACTIVITIESPUBLIC CONDITIONSSPATIALFABRICURBAN
21
How can spatial relations shape society in return?
Are there any spatial preconditions that establish social interaction?
Martina Löw, spatial sociology
Public-orientedprogramUrban voids
Economy Circulation
INTERACTIONSOCIAL
dynamicsmixing physical transformationcultural,social, and economical transformationRESEARCH+
Henri Lefebvre, “the right to the city” to
social space informalityAddress New pedestrian + vehicle routes A D CB
THEORETICAL PARTFRAMEWORKTWO DEVELOPMENT | REVIEW
“In a fragment of a second you can understand: Things you know, things you don’t know, things you don’t know that you don’t know, conscious, unconscious, things which in a fragrant of a second you can react to. We can all imagine why this capacity was given to us as human beings - I guess to survive. Architecture has the same kind of capacity. It takes longer to capture, but the essence is the same.”
Peter Zumthor, 2006 Atmospheres
2 (Putnam, 1995, p. 65–78)
I. Define key Understandingterms:conditions.
start by understanding space production under the lens of French philosopher and sociologist of urban and rural life, Henri Lefebvre, who argues that space is never given but instead created by interpretation. In his book The Production of Space, Lefebvre argues that (social) space is a (social) product, which resembles my hypothesis positioning space as a social tool, reiterating that it is social mechanisms – such as chanting, performing, selling goods, or protesting – what creates space. As a result, the act of converging and appropriating space further enhanced people’s sense of belonging, which reveals that democracy has a spatial quality, and that design plays an important role in generating a more democratic urban environment.
To start addressing my question in an architectural and urban planning viewpoint, there is the need for a theoretical framework that affords both a top-down and bottom-up understanding of a cohesive urban environment. To do this, I will raise
24
THEORETICAL PARTFRAMEWORKTWO
precisely to consider them as societal phenomenon, but instead to develop my research through the lens of such
1 (Rudiger & Spencer, 2004)
different points of views for a logical argumentation involving various actors and reflections that have previously discussed matters related to public
REVIEW
II. Public Space: Past and open debates.
the spatial terminologies, urban regeneration refers to the transformation or reinvention of dilapidated areas through an improved urban landscape.3 This resonates with the idea of re-establishing social to spatial relations by adding meaning, values, identity, and memory through architectural interventions. Under the idea of transforming a space, I have also categorized urban resistance as a space that can be reshaped, distorted, and accommodated to adapt to urban needs, while maintaining the same identity, structure, and functions. Therefore, the objective of urban regeneration (or revitalization) and urban resistance is to give meaning to the past in relation to the present, recover tradition through collective memory, and create a respectful and integrated development through preexisting physical structures.
3 (Staničić & Šijaković, 2019)
DEVELOPMENT |
Movingconcepts.to
This paper comprises a family of terms, socially and spatially, each of with a certain historical and theoretical resonance, suggests different applications and perspectives. Therefore, subjective definitions are elaborated to further help understand their position in relation to my research.
Wespace.will
Starting with the social terminologies, as there are various definitions and therefore various conceptual approaches to social cohesion, I particularly refer to Rudiger and Spencer’s definition that positions cohesion as a term that enhances a sense of belonging, collaboration, and community bond.1 It is about people sharing the same objective of achieving unity and inclusiveness. Fundamentally a cohesive society is one that provides social bond, which is measured by trust and social capital. Social capital is therefore defined following Putnam perspective on the public sphere and the communal good, which positions social capital based on civic engagement, norms and trust, and effective collective action.2 Both social cohesion and social capital have the potential to serve as tools that open meaningful spaces and encourages dialogue within an integrated society. Therefore, the purpose of studying social cohesion and social capital was not
“… the space thus produced also serves as a tool of thought and of action; that in addition to being a means of production it is also a means of control, and hence of domination, of power; yet that, as such, it escapes in part from those who would make use of it.”
Back in the 1800s (figure 10), the city consisted of only a couple of streets which are now what delineates the area of the Casco Viejo. Each street and every corner had its meaning of encounter. In the 1900s (figure 11), the area kept on growing but everything remained in a small scale which provided a more direct and intimate interaction between people – and between people and space.
8
7 (Vázquez, 2016)
(Löw, 2009, p. 24)
III. Historical Analysis: Archives, collective data, and narratives.
Following the argument that space does not simply exist but instead is shaped by action and further shapes action, Martina Löw argues that “the social construction of space is the actual transformation of space –through people’s social exchanges, memories, images, and daily use of the material setting – into scenes and actions that convey symbolic meaning”.5 Therefore, this research analysed how identified spaces in the city centre are (or could be) generated through individual and collective practices, and further be experienced as meaningful and transformative
The Production of Space
Martina Low, 2009
Henri4
25
6involved.
5 (Löw, 1996)
Towards an Anthropological Theory of Space and Place.
Bolivian historian, architect, and urbanist Victor Hugo Limpias’ literature played a significant role during this part of the research. In his book Plan Techint, Medio Siglo de Urbanismo Moderno en Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Techint Plan, Half a Century of Modern Urbanism in Santa Cruz de la Sierra),8 he points out the relevance of existing structures and typologies, and their role in defining and giving value to the public realm. By doing this specific literature review, the objective is to have a clear indication of what were the city’s expectations when it was planned in the 1960s compared to the current urban conditions. This section particularly focuses on the impact of the process to therefore understand how and when social-spatial cohesion started to decay.
“The term social construction then can be reserved for the phenomenological and symbolic experience of space as mediated by social processes such as exchange, conflict, and control. Thus, the social construction of space is the actual transformation of space — through peoples’ social exchanges, memories, images, and daily use of the material setting — into scenes and actions that convey symbolic meaning.”6
To view issues of public spaces through a more progressive lens, and to support the inclusive notion of differentiated and heterogenous publicness, I studied Carlos García Vázquez’s position within urban sociology, which he addresses in his book Teorías e Historia de la Ciudad Contemporánea (Theories and History of the Modern City) 7 He approaches different questions related to social practices and public spaces by working with concepts of modern urbanism to rediscover traditional cities – and through the lens of sociologists, historians, and architects. Cities are a physical place, yes, so they are approached from geography, meaning that a multitude of people of diverse origins (sociology) coexist, with both temporal (history) and artistic (architecture) extensions. This suggests that what will drive the planning, transformation, and further development of cities are the social, economic, and political forces
4 (Lefebvre, 1991, p. 26)
Lefebvre, 1974
26
Figure 10 Santa Cruz early 19th century, Based on plan by Carlos Cirbian 1825
Figure 11 Santa Cruz early 20th century, Based on plan by Luciano Justiniano 1905
27
28
Figure of the Historic Center, scans.
13 Regulations
FigureViejo.14 How involved are local authorities with the problems the Casco Viejo is currently facing? © Andres MacLean © Andres MacLean © Andres MacLean
Document
Figure 12 Psychogeography Exploration Characterization and de-characterization of the Casco
One of the factors that contributed the most to the de-characterization of the Casco Viejo was the division of traditional courtyard houses into two or three separated houses. This fragmentation, allowed and even encouraged by regulation, generated a collection of narrow and deep “chorizo” type lots, which eventually became small, elongated buildings that removed the traditional image of continuous covered corridors into a mix of facades.9 Besides its change in elevations, Limpias mentions that today the Casco Viejo is also defined by the general instability of infrastructure and equipment, the irregular and unpaved streets, the lack of sidewalk space, the irregularity of setbacks, the absence of green areas, the half-built buildings, the informal settlements that block pedestrian flow, and the patches of spontaneous emergency architecture.10
11 See appendix, Key Terminologies, p.191 for definition.
$
10 (Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 142)
For this matter, spaces and buildings need to be designed with the ability to evolve, so that people may appropriate and further develop the spaces themselves over time.
13 general objectives as urgent priority policies to incorporate in the Casco Viejo. Thesecommunityare: participation, municipal support, economic development, land and housing, healthsupply,recreation,culture,and education, public services, traffic and transportation, road anddrainageconstruction,masterplan,urbanlandscape.
9 (Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 133)
(Petrescu & Trogal, 2017, p.21-27)
Throughout the years, the city did not stop growing. And with this growth, not only street names and monuments were replaced, but culture, practices, and traditions were also lost.
29
Following Limpias arguments as to how the Casco Viejo has been negatively affected over time, Telma Camacho, former administrator of the Center and Historical Heritage (Dicepahi)11 of the municipality, admits that “it is a pity that local authorities do not have a specialized direction in historical heritage for restructuring the Casco Viejo; as consequence, our heritage buildings lack a study file and there is little knowledge for their conservation.”12 Furthermore, documents of the Regulations of the Historic Center13 (figure 13) proposes
In response to what has been previously discussed so far, there are two important tools to take into consideration: urban policy and existing conditions. Policy will determine the scale of this project, along with its requirements and typology, whereas analysing existing conditions will help identify buildings that are currently abandoned or deteriorating, and in need for an
IV NotesConclusions:tocarryon.
Design should no longer be restricted to physical spatial interventions but instead involve the entire process that consists of policy and politics. In the essay Notes on Social Production from the book “The Social (Re)Production of Architecture, Tatjana Schneider mentions that architecture is not only about the object but about the broader (social) context within which it is produced.14 This suggest that there is potential for spaces to not only be made socially but continue to foster social relationships, allowing to move the attention to further questions involving policies such as ownership, maintenance, management, and governance, as well as politics.
12 La Razón (2020)
14intervention.
13 Codigo de Urbanismo y Obras. Colegio de Arquitectos Santa Cruz. (2020)
PARTMETHODOLOGIESTHREE
COLLECTION | VISIT
How to Study Public Life
Jan Gehl, 2013
“Everything can be counted: number of people, gender division, how many people are talking to each other, how many are smiling, how many are walking alone or in groups, how many are active, how many are talking on their cell phones...”
what is the city composed of…
Qualitative Data
It was essential to have as much time on site to narrow down data, considering new findings that had to be readdressed throughout the research. I performed my initial field research for a total of 18 days, where I visited different areas of the Casco Viejo during different times and days of the week - focusing on the three facets identified on my problem statement: the urban, the cultural, and the social (figure 15).
Interviews and discussions
diagram (figure 16) started being a sketch on paper with loose and movable terms, which served as a valuable tool to then pin-point and analyse what are the main concerns to focus on. So, when I was on field, I would ask myself if such terms were still relevant. Are the terms that I initially connected, really are connections? Or is there a disconnection between elements that ideally should be connected?
Quantitative Data
III Tertiary information
IV Survey Numbers and tables
The connectivity of terms diagram led to the next stage of my research which resulted as a psychogeography exploration where social actions and spatial practices are represented through Mappingmapping.isusually
and what happens once you start walking… what is around the city…
II Secondary information
I Primary information Observations
32
I. AnObservations:ethnographical approach.
Thison:
The first few days revealed an impression of what new visitors perceive when visiting the area. From then, I started to be more analytical throughout my visits, not just observing, but also documenting conversations with common users and sketched interpretations. My position was to reflect on the ordinary and people’s everyday activities; ultimately relocating my research to evaluate the relationship that social practice and behaviour have within architectural and urban spaces. It is important to understand that I started my research defining and connecting terms based
II. Mapping:
A socio-spatial practice.
COLLECTION | VISIT
a top-down analysis, which relies on an objective or etic view. What I attempt to do instead is a type of mapping that results as an accurate ethnographic description from an internal or emic perspective immersed in social practices and behaviours. This was a socially grounded research approach with the aim of achieving a deep and lengthy immersion in the lives of the locals. Therefore, what I developed were social-spatial maps, which served as a tool to make visible the various activities that are concealed under different hegemonic practices.
Mapping observations, literature, films, and archival information
Field work was key to synthesize my research. This method helped me perceive spatial activities from a firsthand experience to collect data on current practices and appropriation of space. The goal was to recognize, criticize, and gather evidence about processes in urban transformation while experiencing spaces at eye level.
I utilized this type of mapping to transpose social praxeological information and portray my observations through the lens of different patterns, which will later address an emancipatory design toward an inclusive city. Therefore, in this case, mapping was part of the process and not an end-result.
PARTMETHODOLOGIESTHREE
+ + + +
the space? What
What are people’s relationship with is what is
PUBLIC LIFE. How can we use this as a reality check?
What can we learn from the streets?
SURVEY ARCHIVE MAPPING DISCUSSIONS cultural urban social FIELD RESEARCH PATH SYSTEM How do we understand movement patterns? How can we study desirable PSYCHOLOGYinterventions?OFPLACE How do we review what we see? Why do we remember certain things?
successful and
failing? 02 03 04 05 100908070611121314 15 16 17 1801 02 02 03 04 05 05 06 07 08 09 09 10 11 11 1312 13 14 14 1615 16 17 18 18 01 01 Figure 15 Field research diagram based on mapping, film documentation, and on-site discussions focusing on the urban, the cultural, and the social. Figure 16 Connectivity of terms diagram. City Individual MethodologySocial GroupsDaily Life Street SpacePublic HistoryPoliticsSecurity Chaos PublicOrder Environment Walking Interviews Memory Studies Poetry CaseIntuitionStudies Direct observationMappingExperiencePerceptionInterpretation OblivionExperienceGatheringsMeetingMeaningfulpoints Alive Proximity Shared space Informal practices Property Density Culture TraditionHabits Behavior SolidarityEmpathyEssenceFragility Identity Pride MovementGestures StrengthFocusFearAppearance Collective RulesDiversityTension Economy EducationWork Unity DemocracyProtestFreedom CommunityEquality InformalConsumerismMaterialismEquitySettlementsPovertyEntrepreneurs Urbanism Nature Growth Climate TemporalityGeography Development PathwaysAssemblageFragmentsConnected RenovationRenewable MarketsTrash ReinventionRestoration Transformation DesignGentrificationColonialTypologyMateriality
PEDESTRIAN PERSPECTIVE.
33
Patterns of social spaces:
1space.
Patterns of income generation:
Is that how the space was intended or designed for? The sidewalk is the current public space, and it is on sidewalks where people sit to eat, settle to sell, play, and have meetings and gatherings. Therefore, the way that specific users occupies a space (which could be for income generation), further impacts the experience of other users, and might even become obstacles.
How do people use specific spaces?
(Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 31, 48)
Patterns of events:
What do people do to generate income? Street vendors, artisans, artists painting on the streets, people performing for a living, a shop, women working from home… This pattern defines not just people’s daily life and struggles, but also how important and dependent everyday users are to the interaction of other users. It is always an exchange.
Informalpractices.practices
34
Most of these people, being informal settlers, are not allowed to settle at the main plaza (municipality prohibits them to do so). So, they settle at sidewalks, blocking pedestrian flow and limiting their capability of allowing other people to buy their product or interact with them (for example, people who want to listen to a musician need to stand or sit on the street or sidewalk).
Even though strategies and tactics are both intentional (such as where people settle), they produce associations and appropriations that remain unplanned. Appropriations therefore emerge from active, informal uses of space, which eventually results in the formation of unconscious, disconnected collectivities. This reveals that the act of place-making is active, meaning that people construct space, not merely respond to it.
Ifactors.believe
To examine common practices, we need to account not only for what they are and how they are managed, but also for what they can do. These are related with traditions as repeated behaviours, and detects people’s identity and further meaning of specific practices, which are considered ordinary yet extraordinary. From this pragmatic perspective, the environment in which these practices take place is considered non-linear and dynamic, yet productive.
I intended to explore the complexity of public space as a concept, its use and users (both as individual and community level), and the management of public space within a set of activities – primarily as informal
What are the political implications of spaces and democracy? How does a democratic society manifests itself in the built environment? Where does democracy take place? Following the argument of appropriation below, daily events – such as protests, manifestations, marches, and social gatherings – also formalize space.
Conclusions based on informality
Patterns of common practices:
Patterns of occupancy:
Patterns of appropriation:
The key is to convert this urban phenomenon of informality into three main urban factors: politics, economic, and social factor. Doing this advocates a new realization based on the difficulties informal settlers have to face in order to access urban land (lack of space? lack of economic resources (investment)? lack of interest?), which is why they rely on public space to approach the above-mentioned urban
How does an individual’s experience relate to space? Social spaces explore not only spaces of today but also how social space was defined over time. For instance, there was a new policy by the 1980s that every corner had to be in a hexagonal cut to allow for a public boundary and a meeting place.1 This is therefore already an example of intended uses and creation of public
one approach to the issue would be adding value to buildings in decay through improvements and repairs, to therefore develop a transformation based on how people make use of land and space.
are unwritten and unestablished, they are perceived as “ways of doing things” but are ultimately what formalises space. Moreover, this method revealed how people use space; depicted a set of ideas, opinions, and views through specific lenses and filters; and furthermore, proved how informal practices are part of the everyday life.
Figure Patterns of occupancy.
18
35
Figure 17 Patterns of income generation.
36
20
Figure 19 Patterns of appropriation.
Figure Patterns of events.
Figure 21 Patterns of common practices.
Figure Patterns of social spaces.
22
37
“The Casco Viejo has lost its vitality, its emotion, and its character as a meeting place. New buildings are not intended for their users, and this is how the Casco Viejo has lost its meaning and direction over the years.”
There is a lack of believe in the process, and this is due to a disconnection between users and space. Consequently, there is a loss of interest while people and businesses decide to move out of the Casco Viejo and abandon the area. “It is from the stores that the historic center started to go into crisis. The most prestigious stores want to go to modern areas outside the city center, and the factor that marks this preference is the fact that the historic center is chaotic,” revealed Bolivian architect and urban planner, Fernando Prado.5
2 The layering of collected data included different types of actors and therefore, a range of different angles, allowing for diversity and inclusiveness: informal being everyday users of space. These were conversations that took place on the current public space: the street (street corners, sidewalks, plaza). I attempted to keep discussions as diverse and inclusive as possible, involving people from different ages, sexes, and income groups; as well as people who were just visitors (temporary users of space) and frequent users (permanent users of space). And formal being experts working in the municipality and/or architects/urbanists with knowledge on the topic.
ProfoundDiscussions:recollection of opinions.
4 Extracted from panelist presentation during “The Long Night of Museums Santa Cruz” May 18, 2021 [video, 3:10:00 and 3:35:00]. (See appendix, Video Interview Transcripts)
6 (Bhan, 2019, p.639)
Prado continued the conversation by stating that a historic center has to be a place where people feel that they own the space and where they can walk without fear of being hit by a car; a place where people can grab a coffee, sit down, walk around, and be able to see historic buildings. “Right now, if you try to walk and see the architecture surrounding you, you’ll be hit by a car. A historical center that is not pedestrian in the world no longer exists,” explained Prado.
8 In person interview.
Don Ricardo (approx 65 y/o)3, selling coffee at the plaza
Moreover, Bolivian architect and restoration professor, Jery Dino Mendez,8 assert the importance of memory and argues that heritage and history are processes that reproduce normative practices and values. He explains that heritage is integrated into the tangible and the intangible; therefore, cultural heritage encompasses the urban and the traditional. The urban (tangible)
(See appendix, Interview Transcripts, #1)
With the goal of bringing citizens to participate and be part of the research, this method is categorized as “discussions” (formal and informal)2 This is a qualitative research method based on interaction through user perspective where I subsequently performed interviews and collected opinions – across a variety of different positions – so that there can be an informed interpretation of the use and meaning of spaces, as well as suggestions of ways to return or add new meanings to spaces.
5 Online interview via zoom. (See appendix, Interview Transcripts, #2)
38
3 On-site conversation. (See appendix, Discussions Transcripts, #1)
In the attempt to address my hypothesis and research question, my discussion with architect Prado helped respond not just how people use and perceive public spaces nowadays, but also why it is crucial to intervene as soon as possible and start a restoration process. “The result is that the Casco Viejo is an area in deep degradation, that is going to get worse and become not only completely abandoned, but highly dangerous (because of unstable infrastructure)”, concludes Prado.
In the urgence to find a solution or approach toward Prado’s premise, there are two important terms to consider: repair and consolidate. In the essay “Notes on a Southern Urban Practice”, Gautam Bhan defines repair in contradistinction to construct and upgrade; and the term consolidate instead of build or engineer.6 Mainly, the term repair suggests not just action but sensibility, meaning that materials are in a constant cycle of use and reuse by the same actors and in the same setting over a long period of time. The distinction between “repaired” and “new” is that repair holds a sense of endurance but also one of aspiration and renewal.7 As opposed to a tabula rasa, which consist of obliterating and erasing time and starting from scratch, these terms acknowledge the importance of history and temporality.
7 (Bhan, 2019, p. 646)
Santa Cruz has an enormous capacity to demonstrate its culture and permanent identity. Architecture and design should let people know the meaning of spaces, as Bolivian paleontology researcher and professor, Dr. Mario Suárez-Riglos4, suggests “we must continue working so that culture is made known, our baroque architecture, for example, is something unique in the world. We have a lot of culture to show and offer.”
III.
13 On-site conversation.
includes the layout of streets, squares, parks, and architecture. And the traditional (intangible) includes culture, legends, expressions, music, and dance. These are the elements that make up the historic center and should be considered within its renovation. Mendez suggests that understanding the past can lead to create a responsive and better future, “it is important to consider what Santa Cruz was 60 years ago and what it has become now.” This is a phenomenon of accumulation, where our responsibility falls in understanding the transformation that the Casco Viejo has undergone throughout time to therefore design a more rational and responsive intervention.
I realized that younger generations have different expressions toward civic problems. In contrast to nostalgic comments from elder generations, they focus on new forms of communication that would open new possibilities instead. Sebastian,10 a freelance musician of about 30 years old, says that a level of cultural and economic rapprochement is needed. “Culture can become a great economic development, something that attracts the inhabitants themselves and even tourists, which would greatly boost the economic growth of the entire city.” The question then is how to open a dialogue to design for connectivity, trust, and therefore lead to economic progress. It will be important to think of this as an opportunity to (re)claim space, (re) build networks, and foster participation. Similarly, Sofia (approx. 25 y/o),11 who settles on the opposite sidewalk of the
(See appendix, Discussions Transcripts, #2)
10 On-site conversation.
Furthermore,needs.”
9 (Corboz, 1983, p. 33)
“You cannot value what you do not know. Santa Cruz has many possibilities to continue to be discovered, to find heritage elements and to start promoting them, so that the Casco Viejo can become a living museum.” Understanding the Casco Viejo as a palimpsest will help realize why it is worthwhile to conserve its layers of history, give them its importance, and celebrate change through repair and consolidation. “It is sad to show new generations what the Casco Viejo used to be only through postcards or photographs. But the worst that can happen to a city is to lose its identity, to lose the meaning of your grandparents’ and parents’ stories. Young generations should be able to experience heritage, feel and understand it, not just see it through photos or hear it through stories,” concludes ThroughoutMendez.discussions,
plaza, selling magazines, newspaper, and books, claims that the municipality should give more importance to public spaces and involve those who are part of the everyday life, “People will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it.” It is therefore detrimental to open new platforms of collaboration, to communicate the intended interventions of growth and transformation in phases, and to design in relation to user needs.
39
11 On-site conversation.
Don Santiago (approx. 60 y/o)13, an everyday user who sells empanadas at sidewalks nearby the main plaza explained that he does not enter the plaza to sell his food because authorities do not let him.
Aligned with this thought, in the essay “The Land as Palimpsest”, Andre Corboz introduced the idea that a city is a palimpsest, which is the act of writing in layers using the same support to print information on top of previous information. This can be a metaphor to refer to the Casco Viejo as a palimpsest since “the land is so heavily charged with traces and past readings, very similar to a palimpsest”.9 After all, every historic center is a record of different layers imprinted over time, and the results are what we see today. As Mendez states,
Public spaces have been defined by the people and should therefore be redesigned by and for the people. Just like Don Iván (approx. 50 y/o),12 a hardworking man selling stones at artisans’ market “La Recova” said, “We (users) are not the ones who create the space. We are not architects or urbanists, but we are the ones who define public space after all; so I think the design of it should be focus on our
(See appendix, Discussions Transcripts, #4)
12 On-site conversation.
(See appendix, Discussions Transcripts, #3)
“Selling our daily bread is a job for us, the poor; and authority do not want us to sell. Instead, they want to remove us (informal settlers) from the space, but they do not give us a solution either. They should first give us a space, and then they can take us out.” In this case, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of informal settlements and public space, and the relationship between them. This suggests that the adaptive reuse of colonial approaches to planning would imply to upgrade the fabric to accommodate current needs of people.
(See appendix, interview transcripts, #5)
Figure 23 City Center division.
nowadays people have opted to move out to more modernized zones (figure 24) and prefer not to live in or near the city center since it has become too expensive to maintain (figure 25) and is considered a ruined area.
Fernando Prado, Bolivian architect and urban planner
Relating ethnographic patterns.
Z1.3 Mixed use zone
All following graphs are based on data provided by the ICE.16
IV. Quantitative Data:
City Center divided into 4 parts:
18 Online interview via zoom. (See appendix, Interview Transcripts, #2)
Z1.4 South sub central zone (Figure 23) Based on data provided from the INE14 and map division by Ruben Paz.15
Population:
14 (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE, 152021) (Paz, 2020)
40
Z1.1 Historic Center (Casco Viejo)
16 There was a study that took place in March 2020, for three and a half months where statistical information was collected within the historic center (total of 32 blocks). This study was carried by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. All of the following information and graphs are a reflection of the results from the study. (Instituto Cruceño de Estadística, ICE, 2021)
Municipal offices 10 Entertainment centers 7 Markets 4
During the 1980s, the city grew dramatically, doubling its population in ten years and physically expanding three times.17 This generated an architectural and urbanistic chaos, where the control of land use was lost, along with compliance with building regulations (such as setbacks and heights). For its part and in the following years, the city center deteriorated significantly due to rushed modern interventions and no regulation control. As a result, 17 (Limpias Ortiz, 2010, p. 133)
City Center Statistical Data:
Z1.2 Transition zone
Health centers 21 Churches 10
“Those who have businesses in the historic center should pay very little or no taxes, to encourage them to stay in the Casco Viejo. Those who have real estate have been told that they must maintain it because it is historical, but if that is the case then they should be exempted from taxes. They must also be given interest-free loans, so that they can have the resources to protect and restore their homes. There are a number of advantages that must be given to these residents, but there is absolutely nothing getting done.”18
Area 3.1 km2 Population 23,395 Homes 8,121
Figure 25
Figure 24 Casco Viejo’s population in decline.
41
Average monthly cost of rent (Bolivian pesos).
Figure 27 Plaza 24 de Septiembre.
needs and uses. The way in which this data was analysed is crucial to the kind of influence it has on shaping social, and physical behaviour in the Casco Viejo.
Use:
Commercial use is the most prominent in the Casco Viejo with 63%, this indicates that the central area of the city has an important economic focus.
The demographic of the Casco Viejo moved from the average age of 50 in the 1980s to 30 years old today, with the highest percentage of users being between 21-30 years old (figure 26). Observing how the percentage of elderly have decreased throughout time proves the need for an intervention that provides elders a safe and comfortable space with certain amenities where they can meet and interact. For example, placing a bench in strategic places can be instrumental to activate social encounters. By making this data comprehensible, new types of influences can be created, which in turn may lead to the further production of information, actual (behavioural) reactions, and the eventual production of space.
42
63% Comercial 13% Other 21% Mix use 3% Residential
Demographics:
Figure 26 Demographics, age of users of squares and parks in the Casco Viejo.
Circulation:
Public space and streets within the historic center currently favors vehicles since vehicle flow is greater with 63%, while pedestrian flow obtains 37% (figure 29). This means that the city has grown giving more space to vehicles, while ignoring pedestrians’
Figure 28 Means of transport used in the Casco Viejo. Based on study in 2017 elaborated by JICA Team for the project proposal of the Master Plan for the Improvement of Transportation and Microbus Network.
Figure 29 Comparison of Total Pedestrian and Vehicle Flow
Figure 30 Pedestrian Flow in Plaza 24 de Septiembre during weekdays.
43
GROWTH – OPPORTUNITY
RESEARCH PARTCONCLUSIONSFOUR
“Utopia is on the horizon. I move two steps closer; it moves two steps further away. I walk another ten steps and the horizon runs ten steps further away. As much as I may walk, I’ll never reach it. So what’s the point of utopia? It forces us to keep moving forward.”
Eduardo Galeano, 2012 Utopía
46
Considering that the initial problem consisted mainly of tangible elements such as urban deterioration and abandonment, research findings proved that many of the needs that determine how the public environment should be addressed are often intangible. Intangible elements examined throughout my theoretical, quantitative and qualitative analysis –such as the components of everyday life, materials, and processes – are what reflects the diverse motivations, needs, and resources from different users; and what will further guide my design decisions.
I. Synthesis:
Figure 31 How do people respond to a constant changing city?
To start off, the following maps were drawn based on historical facts from archival information (some discussed in the theoretical framework1) along with my methodological research results from observations, looking into old photographs, events, and narratives from discussions with people who experienced the change of this area (users and experts). In other words, this is a storyline sketch based on relations and connections of the Casco Viejo done throughout my research (figures 32-40).
RESEARCH PARTCONCLUSIONSFOUR
The production of these drawings served as a tool, as they indicate how and why the area surrounding the main plaza continues to be a successful public space. Although on the other side, this analysis also served to notice that areas further from the main plaza are no longer functioning. Stores have closed and people have abandoned the area due to the lack of good quality spaces or an appropriate public space experience (considering also limited parking space and traffic). As a result, people are no longer interested in walking around to the Casco Viejo, and the lack of activity is also bringing the economy down.
1 See Part Two: Theoretical Framework > Section III: Historical Analysis.
A storyline on ink.
GROWTH – OPPORTUNITY
Figure 33 Storyline on ink: Calle Bolivar, entre 24 de Septiembre y Murillo.
47
Figure 32 Storyline on ink: Calle Sucre, entre Rene Moreno y La Paz.
48
Figure 35 Storyline on ink: Calle 24 de Septiembre, entre Bolivar y Charcas.
Figure 34 Storyline on ink: Calle Libertad, entre Junín y Buenos Aires.
Figure 37 Storyline on ink: Calle René Moreno, entre Sucre y Ñuflo de Chávez.
49
Figure 36 Storyline on ink: Calle Independencia, entre Ayacucho y Suarez de Figueroa.
Figure 39 Storyline on ink: Calle Junín, entre España y Libertad.
Figure 38 Storyline on ink: Calle Ayacucho, entre Colón e Independencia.
50
51 Figure 40 Storyline on ink, final drawing.
The Casco Viejo is the result of approximately four and a half centuries of rich history, from which throughout this period and because of the rapid and sudden expansion of the city, the area went through substantial urban transformations which generated a variety of architectural styles, leaving an evolution record as a memory of the city. Thus today, modern, eclectic, and colonial buildings – among other styles – coexist next to one another. Therefore, it is important to manage a special treatment across any urban void intervention, where the proposal design acts as an instrument for a comprehensive recovery to improve further urban, social, and economic
III. TheContext:valueof respecting change.
The following pages contain some of the identified urban voids, of several typologies and from different time periods (figure 44). I captured images of their current state (figure 45) and started to produce their massing as further studies for their rehabilitation (figure 46).
Understanding the stated issues, and how abandoned historical structures along with modernist urban challenges and policies are part of the dilemma, led to the classification of urban voids throughout the Casco Viejo (figure 42).
II. Research findings: Urban Voids.
Research findings were largely focused on the intangible, such as memory, which encompassed culture, tradition, and identity. These are characteristics that used to be there, that used to have meaning, but are now left as a void – an urban void. The stated dilemma is that the Casco Viejo is no longer a living element with value for use and social unity as initially planned in the 1900s. But throughout the development of my research and findings, I realized that the problem is not only that people stopped using certain spaces and areas in the Casco Viejo, but the reason behind it.
the quality, styles and materiality of existing urban structures (figure 41). Understanding the city as a palimpsest2, helped guide and understand what is worthwhile to conserve. It is important to mention that dealing with an abandoned building, means that it contains layers of history and even though a new use and program will be designated, it is necessary to celebrate change by conserving it as much as possible. This conservation includes rescuing local materials used such as sugar cane, palm, clay tile, adobe/mud, wooden railing, carved wooded architecture, exposed brick.
I have defined urban voids as dilapidated, empty, and/or ruined buildings left in oblivion and unattended in the Casco Viejo, that are currently facing or have faced a transition of high usage to abandonment due to rapid development and socio-economic pressures. Such urban voids are transformative areas with the potential of becoming inclusive public spaces.
2 Palimpsest concept mentioned in Part Three: Methodologies > Section III, Discussions. Figure 41 Contextual elements.
52
Mydevelopments.studyevaluated
DETAILEDARCHESCOURTYARDSGALLERIESPARAPETSLOPEDROOFSWOODDETAILEDCOLUMNSBRICKCOLUMNSBALCONIES
Part of my conclusions is that the historic center is full of these empty spaces. But these are not referred only to the physical space. Urban voids appear in the Casco Viejo as a space of nostalgia, deterioration, and absence. These voids also hide citizens stories, struggles, practices, and memories, but can be seen as resources for interventions based on renewal, regeneration, and reinvention of spaces through a transformation and rehabilitation strategy.
53 AV.VIEDMA AV.ARGAMOSAAV.CAÑOTO CAÑOTOAV. AV. I R A L A AV. URUGUAY ABAROA BARRON ORUROTARIJA COBIJA ANDRESRAFAELIBANESPENA CELSOCABALLEROCASTEDO CABALLERO SUAREZARANACAMPEROAROMA QUIJARROC. BOLIVAR MURILLOMOLDESSAAVEDRAMURILLONUFLO DE REPUBLIQUETASWARNESCHAVEZ CORDILLERA VALLEGRANDE COLON VELASCO INGAVI CHARCAS 6 DE AGOSTO 6 DE AGOSTO VACA DIEZ VACA DIEZ SARAH BARBARASTA. ESPANA MAYODE21 LIBERTADBUENOSFLORIDAJUNINAIRES SEPTBRE.DE24MORENOARENALESSUCRERENE CHUQUISACA COCHABAMBA POTOSIAYACUCHO BALLIVIAN PAZLA S. DE FIGUEROAPARI PARAPETÍ M.MERCADOSALVATIERRA M. SALVATIERRA LEMOINELARIVA CUELLARSEOANE BENI INDEPENDENCIA Figure 42 Network of Urban Voids, identified during research phase. Scale 1:10000 0m 100m 200m 400m
54
1 See appendix, Key Terminologies, p.191 for definition
Figure 43 Taperas1 in the Casco Viejo
URBAN VOID
55
Urban voids are transformative areas with the potential of becoming inclusive public spaces.
Dilapidated, empty, and/or ruined buildings left in oblivion and unattended. In the case of the Casco Viejo, structures that are currently facing or have faced a transition of high usage to abandonment due to rapid development and socio-economic pressures.
Brick gallery + low arch
Wood gallery
No gallery + parapet
PERIODCOLONIALCENTURYXVIIICENTURYXVII PERIODREPUBLICAN CENTURYXXCENTURYXIX STYLEECLECTICSTYLENEOCLASSICAL
56 Figure 44 Sketches of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies. palm“Pauhichi”+adobeBrickgallery
Elevated wood gallery “Altillos”
No gallery + no detail + parapet
Compact house
2 stories + no gallery + parapet (Los
2 stories + balcony (Altillo Vaca Diez)
ElevatedHuerfanos)house
57
Elevated brick gallery + arch + parapet (Casa Madre Nazaria)
2 stories + balcony in between (Casa 231)
Brick gallery + low arch + parapet
58 PERIODCOLONIALCENTURYXVIIICENTURYXVII PERIODREPUBLICAN CENTURYXXCENTURYXIX FigureSTYLEECLECTICSTYLENEOCLASSICAL 45 On-site photos of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies. palm“Pauhichi”+adobeBrickgallery No gallery + parapetNo gallery + no detail + parapet Brick gallery + low arch Elevated wood gallery “Altillos” Wood gallery Compact house
Brick gallery + low arch + parapet
2 stories + balcony (Altillo Vaca Diez)
2 stories + no gallery + parapet (Los
2 stories + balcony in between (Casa 231)
Elevated brick gallery + arch + parapet (Casa Madre Nazaria)
59
ElevatedHuerfanos)house
palm“Pauhichi”+adobeBrickgallery
Wood gallery
Elevated wood gallery “Altillos”
Brick gallery + low arch
No gallery + parapetNo gallery + no detail + parapet
60 Figure 46 3D models of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies.
Compact house
PERIODCOLONIALCENTURYXVIIICENTURYXVII PERIODREPUBLICAN CENTURYXXCENTURYXIX STYLEECLECTICSTYLENEOCLASSICAL
Elevated brick gallery + arch + parapet (Casa Madre Nazaria)
61
Brick gallery + low arch + parapet
2 stories + balcony (Altillo Vaca Diez)
2 stories + no gallery + parapet (Los
ElevatedHuerfanos)house
2 stories + balcony in between (Casa 231)
Furthermore, the study of different use and users of spaces in the Casco Viejo guided me to come up with a responsive program, which focuses entirely on user needs, especially for everyday users such as informal settlers, artists, musicians, and daily
62
The social responsibility of design.
to my hypothesis stating that “space is a public tool”, using space as a tool often happens based on need. This means that there are people who utilize public space to generate profit. It is important to highlight that, based on my research, commercial use is the most prominent in the Casco Viejo with 63%, which
Goingvisitors.back
On the intangible aspects of my findings are the traditional daily activities and practices from everyday users (figure 47). Currently, the Casco Viejo mainly houses informal settlers. These, along with daily visitors, were the main actors and users involved throughout my research and data collection, which, as previously indicated, resulted as an ethnographic approach into the classification of patterns3 of income generation, occupancy, appropriation, common practices, and events. This process was guided by the fundamental and universal idea of observing the deep relationship between the individual
indicates the importance of an economic focus. Therefore, design should accommodate to people’s needs. For instance, artisans, artists, musicians, and food carts settle in the streets sidewalks to sell their products. This is an indicator that there is an urgent need to provide a space that promotes open movement for both the sellers themselves and the consumers.
and the environment, and in response creating interactions within a physical, emotional, and socio-political level.
3 See Part Three: Methodologies > Section II: Mapping.
STREETMUSICIANSVENDORSARTISANS STREET BARBERS
ARTISTSCOFFEE, “SOMO”, AND FOOD VENDORS
IV. Program Scheme:
STREET PIERCINGS + JEWELRY
Moreover, research indicates that the ideal program is one designed for social interactions through shared facilities and coworking spaces, that encourages a sense of community, collaboration, and togetherness. I therefore identified different program types based on 4 categories within the public sphere: Economy, Education, Entertainment, and Recreation (figure 48).
Figure 47 Traditional daily activities.
SPORTS COURT
OUTDOOR GARDEN
URBAN FARM STAIR GARDEN
OUTDOOR GARDEN
PERFORMANCESTUDYCAFEROOMSSPACE
MARKET AREASOUVENIR SHOPSARTISANS
MAKERSPACESHOP
RECREATIONENTERTAINMENT
URBAN FARM STAIR GARDEN
MARKET AREASOUVENIR SHOPSARTISANS
OUTDOOR GARDEN
URBAN FARM STAIR GARDEN
MAKERSPACESHOP
PLAYGROUND
THEATER SKATEPARK
EDUCATIONECONOMY
PERFORMANCESTUDYCAFEROOMSSPACE
KINDERGARTEN LIBRARY
URBAN FARM STAIR GARDEN
PERFORMANCESTUDYCAFEROOMSSPACE
SPORTS COURT
MAKERSPACESHOP
SPORTS COURT
SPORTS COURT
KINDERGARTEN LIBRARY
PLAYGROUND
THEATER SKATEPARK
OUTDOOR GARDEN
KINDERGARTEN LIBRARY
PLAYGROUND
MAKERSPACESHOP
MARKET AREASOUVENIR SHOPSARTISANS
THEATER SKATEPARK
PLAYGROUND
63 Figure 48 Grounds of shared space, 4-type program categories: economy, education, entertainment, and recreation.
PERFORMANCESTUDYCAFEROOMSSPACE
MARKET AREASOUVENIR SHOPSARTISANS
KINDERGARTEN LIBRARY
THEATER SKATEPARK
64
V. DesignObjectives:AimCycle.
2. Involvement
There are many creative methods to involve people in the process and
Part of the program is to offer spaces for new business opportunities, to tackle informality and increase economic income. This would serve as a strategy to promote tourism and therefore boost the economy (it is a chain). And it can even be an opportunity to inspire other cities that might need the same solutions and approaches in their own city centers. Furthermore, this will be a way to approach the government and municipal authorities, by not focusing on being a low-cost project, but instead a project with the potential to create further profit.
MACRO SCALE
Most activities, if not all, happen on the sidewalks so they represent a large portion of the Casco Viejo, and there is currently too little attention given to them. As shown throughout the research, sidewalks with appropriated conditions are very rare; they are usually very narrow, with no maintenance, and many times with elements that create obstacles for pedestrians, which discourage circulation. Objectives sketches.
Obsolete abandoned infrastructures (defined as urban voids in my research) will be categorized based on structure condition as semi-damaged (0%50% degraded) and damaged (50%100% degraded) to then determine its structural intervention and possible program.
Figure 49
DESIGN AIM TRANSFORM ABANDONMENT INTO SOCIAL.
My aim is to design a successful restoration to revitalize urban voids to social space (bringing life to abandoned spaces while attracting tourists and local visitors), through the involvement of daily users with a public oriented program. This involvement will enhance cultural and social cohesion while tackling unstable economic activities to address informality. Finally, accessibility and circulation will be addressed through a larger scope of a plan for pedestrian and vehicle routes.
MICRO SCALE
CirculationEconomy
revert the process of decay and oblivion into repair and reminiscence UrbanRestorationInvolvementPublic-orientedprogramvoidstosocialspaceinformalityAddress New pedestrian + vehicle routes
4. Enhanced circulation Street to boulevard.
Participatory design to create a local Goinglandmark.back
to my research aim in my introduction, which indicates designing for the people instead of designing over the people (in other words, transform abandonment into social), the aim is to encourage an active participation of citizens so that a whole community becomes part of the project and therefore the intended reconstruction of public space can happen in the most inclusive manner, creating a place that people can enter and consider their own.
Min. intervention equals max. effect.
3. Economy
portray architecture as a social art. The tools and instruments, being online, physical, or virtual, are so numerous and there are so many ways to interact and involve different users, being kids, youth, women, elderly, marginalized groups, gender-based groups, and the most vulnerable groups. Citizen’s thoughts, works, and identities could be recollected and portrayed in space, and then that space will no longer just be part of the city but will belong to the individual as well.
Boost tourism, to boost economy, to approach government support.
1. Restoration
RestorationCirculationInvolvementEconomy
65
MUSICIANS
Figure Design toward a socio-spatial integrative model, concept illustration.
INFORMAL SETTLERS
50
DAILY VISITORS
PART FIVE
URBAN PROPOSAL
HOPE – FUTURE
“Looking at cities can give a special pleasure, however commonplace the sight may be. Like a piece of architecture, the city is a construction in space, but one of vast scale, a thing perceived only in the course of long spans of time. City design is therefore a temporal art… At every instant, there is more than the eye can see, more than the ear can hear, a setting or a view waiting to be explored. Nothing is experienced by itself, but always in relation to its surrounding, the sequences of events leading up to it, the memory of past experiences.”
The Image of the City
Kevin Lynch, 1960
1 See Part Four: Research Conclusions > Section II: Research findings.
I. Research to Design: Introduction
2 Terms defined and explained in Part Three: Methodologies > Section III: Discussions.
GIVE MEANING TO THE PAST IN RELATION TO THE PRESENT
CREATE A RESPECTFUL AND INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRE-EXISTING PHYSICAL STRUCTURES
Hence, there is not one ultimate solution. Quite the contrary, there are many ways to approach the established issues and context, but this is a proposal meant to foresee how a responsive design can positively and possibly trigger a call to action Therefore, my project is not supposed to “fill” the gaps to solve the problem; instead, it is an attempt to start moving people (authorities) and interest them on the topic for them to consider what could be done. In other words, this proposal is meant to be a starting point for change.
It is crucial to understand that working with existing architecture is not a tabula rasa, but instead about finding a way to translate different realities (cultural, social, and economical identities) and converge them into a new scenario, looking for ways of renewal while respecting and maintaining the urban landscape in the most faithful way.
Therefore, an Urban Lounge should encompass three points:
intent is to end with a plan of action for a practical architectural intervention that respond to people’s present and future needs.
There are many ways in which various people in power (being municipal architects, government, or large corporations) can approach the identified challenges. The reason as to why they don’t do anything about it could be infinite; all the way from economic limitations, further interest of developers, corruption, etc.
II. Urban Lounge Theory: El Lounge Urbano.
URBAN PROPOSAL
I defined Urban Lounge as the result of a transformation or reinvention of dilapidated areas in the Casco Viejo for the establishment of an improved urban landscape, which entails multiple opportunities within design at different scales.
My proposal, which has been carried as a direct result of my research, is based on a network of urban transformations as an on-going process that will be explained through an urban strategy plan. This urban strategy is a macro scale proposal, sustained and supported through phases, from where my graduation design project was later narrowed down to focus on the first phase as a starting point toward an even larger purpose. The
My research to design process was focused on finding a collective method to redefine and rehabilitate transformative areas (defined as urban voids1) in the Casco Viejo to become inclusive public spaces. The idea then, is to use or reuse the term of ‘Urban Voids’ and rename it as ‘Urban Lounge’ (Lounge Urbano in Spanish).
HOPE – FUTURE
PART FIVE
The starting point for my design proposal consist of a network of interventions where the concept of Urban Lounge can be replicated throughout the Casco Viejo. This means that my thesis pursues an on-going integrative improvement process, with the attempt to detect opportunities for interventions that would regenerate existing yet abandoned spaces into functional public ones, dedicated for daily activities and social interaction. This will be done through the redistribution of urban interventions to revitalize identified urban voids in the historic center. The goal is that, through smallscale clustering interventions, there could be a larger focus on reactivating culture and promoting spaces of unity and socio-spatial integration.
This transformation will encompass mixing dynamics, which means that while physical transformation is important, more importantly is how to combine it with cultural, social, and economical transformation. That being said, there are two important terms in the Urban Lounge Theory: repair and consolidate 2
RECOVER TRADITION THROUGH COLLECTIVE MEMORY
68
URBAN LOUNGE
69
MIXING DYNAMICS
cultural, social, economical transformation consolidate
RELATED TERMS + + physical transformation repair
Figure 51
Urban Lounge, initial concept sketch. Neoclassical arches and palm trees.
The result of a transformation or reinvention of dilapidated areas in the Casco Viejo for the establishment of an improved urban landscape, which entails multiple opportunities within design at different scales.
Cultural project manager in the Municipal Secretary of Culture of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Who is going to implement the toolbox?
Figure 52 Types of stakeholders.
Sarita Mansilla
Groups (such as protestors) who are interested in having a space that inspires freedom of speech, diversity, free expression, and common rights.
GROUPSSPECIALAGENCIESCONSERVATIONCONTRACTORSDEVELOPERS/RESIDENTSINTEREST
Director of the History Museum of the UAGRM (Gabriel Rene Moreno Autonomous University) who has extended knowledge of the evolution and slow degeneration of the Casco Viejo.
Stakeholders and Interested actors:
Research indicates that the primary motivations of residents, societies, and tenants groups focuses on the quality of public space, including issues of cleanliness and safety.
Architect leading the Center of Historical Heritage (Dicepah), and professor of restoration and preservation in the UPSA (Private University of Santa Cruz).
I consider this a proposal for the municipality. The aim is to present my proposal to municipal authorities and interested actors as a way to start an argument and present my intentions for recovering what is about to be lost in the Casco Viejo (not just architecturally but considering as well the social lens within culture and traditions). Although it is important to highlight that, as mentioned before, this is not meant to be a proposal ready to take place, as further studies might need to be done, but at least it would serve as a starting point and a call for action to consider and evaluate possible solutions.
Figure 53 Possible interested actors.
Conservation agencies regard the quality of public space as top priority and would be interested on the project if it consists of schemes that are sensitive to the historic context.
Architect and urban planner who has previously designed a proposal for a large renovation in the Casco Viejo.
III. Urban Strategy: Casco Viejo proposal timeline.
Fernando Prado
Jery Dino Mendez
70
There are different types of stakeholders that could possibly and hopefully be interested in working with the further development of this initial proposal.
Developers are concerned with projects that are buildable, marketable, and profitable. Because marketability is affected by the quality of the environment, developers are concerned with these issues, but only to the extent that they do not impact negatively on profitability.
I’ve illustrated the possibilities of this project in the most realistic possible approach: how would it happen, and all the possible outcomes. It is worth mentioning that as like any other renovation and rehabilitation project (specially to the extent of an entire historic center like this one), the proposal for the Casco Viejo would be a progressive and slow process managed in phases, and not something that happens overnight.
Is the toolbox going to be an open source?
Paula Peña Hasbun
Who is interested?
maintenance of the Asylum stopped paying the rents and the building passed into the hands of other people. Today it belongs to the government and it’s been completely unused since Los2015.
Part 1. Anchor Project
Huerfanos is considered a local heritage and landmark, but its complete abandonment and lack of investment is inevitably destroying its structure. The natural deterioration of the building and the lack of awareness from main authorities and citizens have positioned the conservation of Los Huerfanos at risk.
5 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007)
The institute was founded by philanthropist Don José Mercado Aguado, who donated the fifth of his assets for social service. It housed 180 orphans (by 2007) among abandoned children and young people from the age of 13-18 who were educated to then work in the printing shop, bookstore, carpentry, electricity workshops, and other technical occupations carried in the building.5
PHASE 1
ARCHITECTURAL INTERVENTION
3 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 42007)
Los Huerfanos timeline is found in Part Six: Design Proposal > Section II: Existing Building, p. 88-89 (figure 75).
71
homeless children.3 Throughout the years it changed its function along with modification in its architecture and services.4
2024 - Rehabilitation of Los Huerfanos (main Urban Lounge as new pocket of urban space in the Casco Viejo)
Los Huerfanos fulfilled all the intentions of its creation, except for the funds that needed to be generated for its maintenance. After a short time of his death, the funds that Don José Mercado Aguado left in his will for the
PART 1 Anchor Project PART 2 Satellite Projects
Figure 54 Phase 1. Architectural Intervention (part 1 and part 2).
Merely, this building deserves to be attended in its preservation and restoration for two reasons, the first that it is one of the few buildings from the nineteenth century at such scale that is still standing in the Casco Viejo, and second that this building fulfilled a very important historical social function, which was to help and educate orphans and children in need.
TheActors:Municipality is on hold of
“Jose Mercado Aguado Institute”, best known as ‘Los Huerfanos’, is the largest and, until now, the most significant (high heritage values) Urban Void identified during the research phase. Built between 1908 and 1918 as an orphan asylum for abandoned children and youth, this building, like many others in the Casco Viejo, is a reference for its past because of its imposing infrastructure and for the important work carried out by the Catholic Church in favor of
Los Huerfanos. Funds need to be recollected by interested organizations, NGOs, and business investors for the purpose of public use.
72 Plaza 24 Septiembrede 7marketcalles
New pocket Los Huérfanos area
Figure 55 Existing and proposed pockets of urban spaces in the Casco Viejo.
Zoom in to new pocket of urban space, Los Huérfanos area.
Figure 56
Figure 58 Urban Lounge concept sketch. Greenery on existing structure.
Continuation of Phase 1, Part 1. Rehabilitation of Los Huerfanos (Anchor project as main Urban Lounge)
Figure 57 Part 2 of Phase 1. Satellite projects.
Each satellite intervention could focus on a different program depending on the state of degradation of the selected urban void and based on their specific location and context. What is nearby? What is needed in that area? What was its original program? Was/is it a landmark? Why is it abandoned? This would be a context study that would ideally and hypothetically be applied to all interventions at this point.
73
the owner of abandoned urban void if interested to sell land for social use, or further investige why these voids are abandoned and who they currently belong to.
New pocket of urban space:
Part 2. Satellite projects
Even though, the single intervention of Los Huerfanos could already have the potential to solve issues of informality and social decohesion, the implementation of a continuation of satellite spaces (figure 57) of Urban Lounges could potentially accelerate and activate the process to reverse abandonment in a larger context. Interventions would be based on respecting changing typologies and identities, while at the same time proposing more contemporary and innovative design solutions.
ContactActors:
Los Huerfanos has the intention to be the main intervention and anchor project not just for its size and significance, but because its surrounding context has the necessary components to become the starting point of a new pocket of urban space in the Casco Viejo (considering it is nearby a functioning cathedral and other municipal buildings), in addition to the existing main plaza and calles 7 market
*Pocketsnearby.ofurban spaces defined as a type of cultural hub or area with high cultural and social value in the Casco Viejo. Existing pockets are the Plaza 24 de Septiembre, El Arenal, and 7 calles market.
2027 - Rehabilitation of all other urban voids distributed and identified over time.
74
EDUCATIONECONOMY RECREATIONENTERTAINMENT
Figure 59 Design exploration for the selected examples of satellite projects.
EDUCATION
75
3. ThisEntertainmentotherexample
is a building that is almost completely torn, so modules of reinforcement would be needed. Then a new space could be installed in the empty area behind its façade, and a new façade can be designed to fit its existing typology.
7 Refer to all urban voids on Part Four: Research Conclusions > Section III: Context
The last example is a building that is completely deteriorated and abandoned, which makes it ideal to be used as open exterior spaces for recreation.
this example, the roof seems to be starting to fall apart on one corner so the intervention could consist of elements for reinforcement. And traditional balconies and terrace spaces can be enhanced to follow its original typology.
Satellite projects theoretic exploration:
RECREATION
still has interior spaces that could be rescued and used for programs such as a shops and makerspace. And the possibility of even adding an extra level with access from the sidewalk, inviting people that are walking by while also allowing proper seating space.
2. ConsideringEducation
EDUCATIONECONOMY RECREATIONENTERTAINMENT PERIODCOLONIALCENTURYXVIIICENTURYXVII PERIODREPUBLICAN CENTURYXXCENTURYXIX STYLEECLECTICSTYLENEOCLASSICAL No gallery + no detail + parapet 2 stories + balcony (Altillo Vaca Diez) Compact house Elevated gallery + arch + parapet (Casa Madre Nazaria)
I’ve worked with four examples as a conceptual exploration of the established different program types6
These urban voids7 were selected as strategic interventions for part 2 because of their location (since they could serve as connecting points between the identified pockets of urban This1.Economyspace).firstexample
ECONOMY
Figure 60 Selected examples for satellite projects, based on the 4-type program categories: economy, education, entertainment, and recreation.
ENTERTAINMENT
6 Program types mentioned in Part Four: Research Conclusions > Section IV: Program Scheme
4. Recreation
Part 1. Pedestrianization of streets connecting Urban Lounges
RESIDENTS VEHICLES
- Leveled parking lots (and expand)
- Public lighting (underground wiring)
- Protective street barriers
URBAN SERVICES AND EMERGENCY
BICYCLES MAIN NETWORK (BIKE LANE)
Part 2. Urban revitalization
- Public toilets
PHASE 2. TRANSITIONAL AND URBAN INTERVENTION
-phase:Setrestriction and maximum speed of movement
- Parking and bike rental services
The following is a list of guidelines and regulations to consider during this
9 See appendix, Key Terminologies, p.191 for definition
ACCESS CONTROL
DUM PROXIMITY AREA
DUM CARRIERS
- Permitted access for passing vehicles (residents and emergency vehicles)
76 PUBLIC TRANSPORT NETWORK
Considering that vehicles currently get more attention than pedestrians in the Casco Viejo, causing traffic to be one of the main reasons for a poor spatial experience, phase 2 would consists of a transitional and urban intervention, where all rehabilitated urban lounges can be connected through the design of pedestrian and vehicle routes to avoid traffic, improve the pedestrians experience, and enhance the overall circulation throughout the Casco Viejo.
BASIC TRAFFIC NETWORK
CURRENT MODEL SUPERBLOCK MODEL
Figure 61 Salvador Rueda’s Supermanzana concept.
- Afforestation (green implementation)
8 (Garfield, 2016)
BICYCLES SIGNPOSTS (REVERSE DIRECTION)
PRIVATE VEHICLE PASSING
consisting of 9 blocks (figure 61). He defined a Superblock as a set of cells that work to efficiently articulate the city to not only reduce traffic but consider mobility, public space, and user uses as main pillars 8 Following the Superblock model and applying a similar solution to the Casco Viejo transportation system could be an ideal solution, since the means of transport mainly used is the public transportation network of busses and “trufis”.9 This would create a much more organized vehicular circulation system on a larger scale throughout the Casco Viejo, which would therefore reduce traffic. With vehicular traffic gone, there will be new possibilities for extended sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes, and larger public spaces.
SINGLE PLATFORM (PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY)
FREE PASSAGE OF BICYCLES
- Security systems
- Proposed Dimensions: streets (3m), bike lanes (2m), sidewalks (3m)
Jery Dino Mendez, Bolivian architect and professor of restoration and preservation.
- Signage
“The ideal would have been for the center to maintain its 80% vegetation. Now, consequently, the center is drowning in buildings and vehicles, it needs more life.”
Subsequently, part 2 consists of the implementation of accessories and urban furniture. Some of the contextual challenges to address are: mix of facades, patches of spontaneous emergency architecture, half-built buildings, infrastructure instability, irregularity of setbacks, irregular and unpaved streets, lack of sidewalk space, absence of green areas, informal settlements that block pedestrian flow.
The idea is for this boulevard to not only be a walkway, but an urban infrastructure that offers a pleasant experience, enhances pedestrian flow, and encourages accessibility and circulation. To further explore this ambition, I studied an urban proposal by Spanish architect, Salvador Rueda, named “Supermanzana” (or superblock), where he proposes an established distribution of circulation spaces between streets, bike lane, and sidewalks, with the intent of creating a larger pedestrianized area
Septiembrede
El
High traffic circulation routes
77
parkNew
Plaza
Figure 63 Vehicle routes to reduce traffic + improve pedestrian experience based on Master Plan proposal for the Improvement of Transportation and Microbus Network by JICA Team. Scale 1:24000
0m0m 240m240m 480m480m 960m960m
Figure 62 Existing and new “pockets” of public spaces in the Casco Viejo. Scale 1:24000 24
7marketcalles Arenal pocket Los Huérfanos area
Thephases.challenge within the development of the toolbox was to carefully resolve what are the components that would create this document, and what is the rationale behind the selection of such elements. It was crucial to build this document with sensibility. This means that spontaneous elements such as urban furniture, landscape, and local materials (a bench, a newspaper stall, or chess tables) should be as much part of the toolbox as a larger scale element such as a building or an enclosed
The toolbox contains structural components focused on modularity within an adjustable grid for different types of interventions, climate control mechanisms including different types of facades to respond to different conditions and needs, and recycling technologies to introduce innovative solutions for sustainability to existing structures (figure 66).
78
IV. Toolbox:
The toolbox also consists of all the elements needed to fit the different public program types: economy, education, entertainment, and recreation. As well as urban furniture for sidewalk extensions and open space interventions. Additionally, and prominently, it contains different types of structural connectors and adaptors for both temporal and more permanent or fixed interventions, such as interlocking technology ready to be assembled and with enough flexibility to be disassembled for temporal interventions. And for more permanent interventions, connectors such as steel framing and beams that, with their use, would not only serve as reinforcement but would also be permanently embedded in the existing (figure 67).
An initial guideline.
The proposal of this urban strategy calls for an integral model to operate as a catalyst for all urban transformation, becoming a guideline through a set of principles that will eventually allow for a reversible design and appropriation over time, while providing enough flexibility in all interventions.
Innovationspace.and technology play a complex role when it comes to respecting historic layers of a building. Therefore, this toolbox was built to have the necessary components with the potential to repair and consolidate urban voids into urban lounges following a set of tools and principles designed to guide the historic, cultural, and social impact of each
It is important to highlight that this document also consists of intangible tools, which are design principles that will guide all interventions in the Casco Viejo (figure 65).
intervention. It is designed to entail the use of local resources, materials, and technologies, with the intention to also apply energy saving methods, water reuse and recycling technologies, in order to create a more sustainable urban environment.
Figure 64 Urban Lounge, initial concept sketch. Multi-services space for the public use.
It is important to highlight that recycling in architecture goes far beyond the simple reuse of materials. Whole buildings, sections of them, or even just their floor plans can be retained, refurbished, transformed, or extended into living spaces to fit social needs and aspirations.
That being said and based on my research outcomes and collected data, I synthesize a set of principles and conclusions – including architectural guidelines, policies, and research findings – with the objective of compiling a “go to” scheme for interventions in the Casco Viejo. Therefore, this section describes a theoretical toolbox that aims to assist not just one specific design but to assist as an intervention model during all
Spaces that offers sense of belonging and participation, and enables users to create activities of their own. An environment that encourages diversity of user groups.
79
Responsible architectural and urban interventions that re-establish social to spatial relations by emphasizing existing meaning, values, identity, and memory.
SIMPLE & ADAPTABLETEMPORALITY
CONSCIOUS GREENERY
Improving, upgrading, and restoring the physical image of existing facades. This includes pavement and seating areas, both integral (e.g. steps, low walls) and explicit (e.g. benches, seats).
SHARED & APPROPRIATED
Use vegetation as buffer space to reinforce spatial continuity between interior and exterior spaces and create different types of semipublic spaces. principles in toolbox.
COMFORT & IMAGE ACCESSIBLE & LINKED
Provide adaptors and connectors to allow the implementation of design for different typologies and be used for either temporal or more interventionspermanentthatcouldevenevolveovertime.
Benefiting both people and planet, through the careful selection of materials, building techniques, utilities, and design configurations of indoor and outdoor spaces.
Figure 65 Design
Designed with enough flexibility and offering a simple modular building system that can easily be scaled, upgraded, repaired, and/or reconfigured.
Convenient to use, visible, easy to access and move within. Streets should be part of the ‘social’ space, this means that, for example, cutting off a space from the street with railings or walls will isolate and reduce its use.
HEALTHY & SAFE
SELF-SUPPORTINGREINFORCING80TRUSSESMECHANISMSCONTROLCLIMATECOMPONENTSSTRUCTURAL FAÇADES)OF(TYPES TECHNOLOGIESRECYCLING
REDIRECTED ROOFS CANOPY INTEGRAL FOUNDATION TO ROOF TREE DESIGN TRADITIONAL ROOF STRUCTURE ADJUSTABLE FINS HANGING FAÇADE(LATTICEFOLDINGCANOPYPANELSORSOLID) BALUSTRADES FOR MESHBALCONIES WATER STORAGE AND REUSAGERAINWATER COLLECTOR HAND WATER PUMP MODULAR FRAME SYSTEM (SCAFFOLDING STRUCTURE) Figure 66 Structural and Environmental challenges in toolbox.
EXISTING(SOLUTIONSFOUNDATIONFORSTRUCTURES)
TRUSSES
MECHANISMSCONTROLCLIMATECOMPONENTSSTRUCTURAL FAÇADES)OF(TYPES TECHNOLOGIESRECYCLING EXISTING(SOLUTIONSFOUNDATIONFORSTRUCTURES)REDIRECTED ROOFS CANOPY INTEGRAL FOUNDATION TO ROOF TREE DESIGN TRADITIONAL ROOF STRUCTURE ADJUSTABLE FINS HANGING FAÇADE(LATTICEFOLDINGCANOPYPANELSORSOLID) BALUSTRADES FOR MESHBALCONIES WATER STORAGE AND REUSAGERAINWATER COLLECTOR HAND WATER PUMP MODULAR FRAME SYSTEM (SCAFFOLDING STRUCTURE) ENTERTAINMENTEDUCATIONECONOMYRECREATIONINTEGRATED SEATING WITH LANDSCAPE NEWSPAPERBENCH STALL CHESS TABLES FURNITUREURBAN BASED ON PROGRAM TYPEFIXED OR LONG-TERM INTERVENTIONSTEMPORAL INTERVENTIONS VERT. AND HORIZ. GREEN GARDENS (COMMUNITY CROPS) SOLAR PANELS HEAT COLLECTIONINTEGRAL TOILETS MODULE TECHNOLOGIESRECYCLING Figure 67 Structure connections and programmatic urban elements in toolbox.
SELF-SUPPORTING81
PossibleScenarios:Outcomes.
Instead of taking 2-3 years, it takes 4+ years, but still happens.
SCENARIO 1. SCENARIO 2.
82
Part 1 of phase 1 process takes longer than expected due to many possible factors: lack of funds, lack of people interested, etc. So now the outcome could change and take more time than anticipated, maybe instead of taking two or three years, it could take four or six PartScenarioyears.3.1ofphase
Part 1 of Phase 1 is successful, completed by 2027
lack of funds unavailable lack of interestedpeople unauthorizedmunicipalityby
Part 1 of Phase 1 takes longer than planned
Part 2 of Phase 1 becomes a “plan B”.
Motivates stakeholders to move forward with Part 1
V.
Scenario 1.
1 is not successful, which could also be for many possible reasons. Then part 2 of satellite project would become a sort of a plan B of phase 1, so these interventions can still happen and maybe if they are successful then they become the fuel per say that motivates stakeholders to move forward with part 1 (Los Huerfanos), so the anchor project can be reconsidered.
SCENARIO 3. (SCENARIO 3 POSSIBLE TURNAROUND)
Part 1 of Phase 1 not developmentTriggerssuccessfultheofpart 2.
Part 2 of Phase 1 becomes a “plan B”.
Figure 68 Urban Lounge, initial concept sketch. Modular framing adapted to existing.
Part 1 of phase 1 of the building of Los Huerfanos can take place and completed by 2027, which then triggers the development of part 2 with the satellite projects.
Scenario 2.
Figure 69 Urban Lounge, initial concept sketch.
83
PART SIX
ACTION – PLAN
DESIGN PROPOSAL
“Architecture is essentially an extension of nature into the man-made realm, providing the ground for perception and the horizon of experiencing and understanding the world. It is not an isolated and self-sufficient artifact; it directs our attention and existential experience to wider horizons. Architecture gives a conceptual and material structure to societal institutions, as well as to the conditions of daily life. It concretises the cycle of the year, the course of the sun and the passing of the hours of the day.”
Juhani Pallasmaa, 1996
The Eyes of the Skin
A space of lights and hope. And a space that is the heart of freedom of expression, which is one of the rarest types of spaces one can find nowadays.
Figure 70 Los Huérfanos field research sketch.
The urban strategy established on the previous chapter is deemed as too large of a scale and indeed consists of long-term projects. Therefore, and for obvious reasons, there are limitations as to what is possible to further develop during the design phase, considering what can be managed within a graduation project of a single student. That being said, I’ve relied on the building of Los Huerfanos as the anchor project, with the hopes that it becomes a design proposal with enough potential to stimulate the process in the near future. It is important to highlight that the design of Los Huerfanos is not meant to be replicated for all future phases as a sort of copy-cut-paste approach, but instead, the goal is for this project to be led by a set of design principles and construction approach as mentioned in the toolbox (chapter five, section IV) that ideally would be adapted and implemented in all other future interventions as well.
1 The anchor project is Part 1 of Phase 1, further explained in Part Five: Design Concept > Section III: Ur-ban Strategy
DESIGN PROPOSAL
The first phase of what entails today the the area of Los Huerfanos was the two-story building that occupies half of the front block (toward the north). This was the Orphan Asylum, later named “Instituto José Mercado Aguado”. This part of the building consists of a symmetrical plan (figure 76), with interior courtyards that are surrounded by extensive corridors and gallery space. It is important to note that the façades (figure 72) successfully combines the padding and fading to the sides, creating a very elegant elevation. At the time it was built, exterior galleries were not the dominant typology, which resulted in an eclectic style with a more detailed yet clean façade. The main façade is defined by a parapet, detailed decorations, high pilasters, and a repetition of openings throughout the upper and lower floors using two types of windows (on the ground floor windows with wooden balusters marked with French-style lintels, and on the upper floor two leaves wooden windows marked with mouldings). The main front access is crowned by a baroque style tympanum, giving height and importance to the building; and the two secondary entrances to the sides of the main body are highlighted by a pair of pilasters that with ground to the parapet height (figure 71).
The anchor project1, which is an adaptive reuse of the building of Los Huerfanos, is meant to be a space where people have an amazing access to public services. A space that is clean and green. A space that is inclusive for all, accessible for all, creative for all: young people, children, families, vulnerable communities, informal settlers, etc. A space that inspires.
PART SIX
I. Design Aim:
86
ACTION – PLAN
The design aim is not to create a renovation proposal with additions and subtractions, but to generate a space with an interconnected play of its inside and outside, where functional and private spaces are in an interwoven relation to the open public areas.
An overview.
II. Existing Building:
A public space of light and hope.
This design proposal therefore becomes the architectural case for the implementation of both my urban strategy and thesis graduation project. I believe this approach of developing an anchor project with such an extensive goal connects everything within my thesis, all the way from my research (which defined the current condition of an entire city center in degradation), toward establishing a specific urban strategy, and now being able to move forward with an architectural design as an initial phase.
Figure 72 Los Huérfanos existing facades. Scale 1:600
Main entrance to the chapel Paddedfaçade
Balusterwindow
Opened: 10 of August, 1927 by Bishop Monsignor Rivero Owner: Belonged to the congregation of Los Hermanos de las Escuelas de Cristo before it was passed to the municipality. Deterioration: Stable structure, recoverable.
Figure 71 Details of main facade.
NORTH
ELEVATION EAST ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION
Style: Neoclassical, Eclectic, Modern 2 stories + no gallery + parapet Design (1894): Domingo Ofreddy - Salta, Argentina Construction (1908 – 1918): Luis Decarpontriez - Santa Cruz, Bol
BalusterParapetwindowwithpadding
TympanumBaroqueElement
Location: René Moreno, Manuel Ignacio Salvatierra, Independencia, and Lemoine streets
Padding on the pilasters
87
Padding on the pilasters
Period: 1700-1800-1950-1970 Republican (mining period) - Post War
Padding on the pilasters accessCorner
SchoolMercadoJoséAguadoofArtsandCraftsArgentinabyDesignedengineerDomingoOfreddyfromSalta,in1894.
MODIFICATIONSFUNCTIONS
AsylumOrphan
Figure 75 Los Huerfanos (anchor project) timeline (functions and modifications).1
fromDescarpontríezsupervisedConstructionstartedbybyDonLuisSantaCruz,finalizedby1918.
The then president of Bolivia, Daniel Salamanca, promulgated a law declaring the assets of the philanthropist and benefactor José Mercado Aguado to be of public benefit.
LaCollegeSalle
Figure 73 Los Huérfanos current exterior façade.
Figure 74 Los Huérfanos, images of its current state.
Don José Mercado Aguado donates a fifth of his assets in favour of the orphans. This donation reached more than 4 million dollars.
Construction ended and the building was occupied by descendants (children) of Dr. Mercado Aguado, who claimed to have low economic resources and did not receive any part of the inheritance.
1 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007)
Chapel altar restored, water tank built on Sacristy roof, motor pump, pipes, and kitchen installed, old hygienic services expanded.
During the Chaco War, the theadministeredmosthospital,barracksfunctionedbuildingasandlikebuildingsbystate.
88 193219271894 194219311908 19491948
New floor on upper level, some beams in poor replaced.condition changed.floorChapelwas
Figure ground level level 2, with program based on 2007 use. Scale 1:1000
The building is expanded, constructionswithof the east and west sides.
21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 GHKLJFEDCBAKLJHGFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 290095009800 9500 9800800029008200110007700 1890040006400120001010010500360080006000 3800 11700 2900290010900290066002900830030008000 10900 2900 6600 2900 8300 30003600 36003800 7700110008200 5000
South side of the building is built, intended for the operation of the Daniel Rivero school.
and
76 Los Huérfanos floor plans,
PrintChapelOfficesShop Laundry Room BedroomsStores 0m 10m 20m 40m
89 1952 1966 2007 20151991 199619801970 BarberyOvidioBasicSchool SchoolRiveroDaniel MercadoJoséAguadoInstitute Abandoned
90 200.00 3000.00 200.00 700.00 700.00 700.00 2600.00450.00350.00 500.00600.00 600.00 500.00 4000.00 300.003200.00 4000.00 400.00 800.00 800.00700.00 500.00 600.00 3300.00200.00 3000.00 200.00 700.00 500.00 700.00 700.00 2600.00 4000.00 400.00 800.00 800.00700.00 500.00 600.00 3300.00200.00 450.00350.00 500.00600.00 600.00 500.00 4000.00 300.003200.00 500.00 600.00 600.00 700.00 700.00 4000.00 400.003000.00500.00 700.00 500.00 600.00 600.00 700.00 700.00 4000.00 400.003000.00500.00 700.00 Courtyard 1 Courtyard 3 Courtyard 2 Courtyard 4 Figure 77 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of columns.2 2 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007) - photos and data for drawings
Outer courtyards 1 & 4: Columns are square and consist of a base, shaft and capital, their height is of 3.3m and are thicker.
91 700.00600.00 600.00700.00 5500.00 600.00 900.004200.00400.00 700.00 4300.00 1000.00600.00 800.003200.00300.00 1200.00 600.00700.00 200.00 600.00700.00 200.00 200.00 700.00600.00 600.00700.00 5500.00 600.00 900.004200.00 700.00 4300.00 1000.00600.00 800.003200.00300.00 1200.00 600.00700.00 200.00 600.00700.00 200.00 200.00
Inner courtyards 2 & 3: Columns are circular, and their diameter increases in the center, they consist of base, shaft and capital, their height is of 3m.
ChapelFoyer
92 2600.00 2650.00 550.00 1200.001100.00 150.0040.00 600.00150.00 1300.001200.00 200.00 300.001200.00 600.00900.002100.00300.00700 Side entrances to chapel Entrance to the rest of the building from lobby Main façade entrance Main access to the chapel from lobby 1800.002000.00 4100.00 3100.00 2100.00 600.00 1300.001200.00 600.00900.00 150.00200.00500.00700 Figure 78 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of doors.3 3 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007) - photos and data for drawings
93 650.00 1400.001300.00 3000.00800.00700.00 510250.00 610350.00 3100.003050.00 600.00 1800.001900.00 610 3100.003000.00 1200.001400.00 250.00350.00600.00 510 550.00 1200.001100.00 1500.00 3100.00 100 500.00200.00300.00 Entrance to offices.administration Laundry room four-leaf door. Entrance to lobby from Entrancecourtyards.toprinting shop with machinery.
94 2000.00 2100.00 1300.001200.00 2000.00 2100.00 1300.001200.00 French-stylelintelsScrollwork Glass 2100.00 1300.00 300 500.00500.00 300300 330 2500.00400.001600.00400.00 1200.001300.00 700.002100.00 1800.001900.00 2000.00 Side façades. Glass windows replacing original wooden baluster windows for printing shop. Throughout the building. Lateral sides of the chapel. Second level of main facade. Figure 79 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of windows.4 4 (Landivar Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007) - photos and data for drawings
Foyer/vestibule of the chapel. Administration area (offices). Print shop. Courtyards.Walls, 20 x 35 fired adobe brick. Presumed that original roof was built with a panelling of black palm, mud, and straw, and was later replaced by fired adobe bricks and tiles.
Figure 80
Chapel. Top floor of Galleries.chapel. Roof reinforcement.Adobe brick and plaster. Materials and technology of the existing building “Los Huerfanos” Velazco & Duran Diaz, 2007)
95 Courtyard waterwheel.
5 5 (Landivar
Removal of some walls (2), to allow an open pedestrian axis for a public boulevard that would activate visitors’ circulation (3). This is a subtle way to invite people into the building.
Identify valuable pieces2 of the building that must be rescued (1). Such as its unique types of doors and windows; and its different columns from the courtyards, foyer, and chapel.
96 EXISTING
Los Huerfanos is constituted as a property of patrimonial value, therefore it was preserved and revitalized by adapting and accommodating spaces to meet current urban needs, while maintaining its identity of place and unique characteristics of the original structure. Therefore, the proposal follows a design methodology that respects and respond to the existing. From the design development we can see with simple block massing how design responds to the existing, and is therefore not intuitive.
III. Design Development: Toward a socio-spatial integrative design.
Address the importance of the four existing courtyard spaces (4), with the implementation of a new type of courtyards, as stepped gardens (5). The intervention also consists of the addition of elevated sidewalks, which allows for an open ground level while also creating an enhanced circulation for all upper-level programs (6).
2.
1.
Remove and replace the roof of the north area, which is the oldest portion of the building (7). This is an opportunity to also create an addition on top of the existing (8), along with destination points for visitors (9). And the implementation of greenery that is visible even from the sidewalk (10).
2 See drawings of existing valuable pieces (doors, windows, and doors) in p.90-95.
FRONT (1908) - BACK (1970) RESCUE VALUABLE PIECES REMOVE
Figure 81 Design development of proposal.
97 5. NEW COURTYARD LANGUAGE 9. DESTINATION “LOUNGES” 3. OPEN AXIS 7. ROOF RESTORATION (FRONT AREA) 4. COURTYARDS 8. ADDITION 6. ELEVATED SIDEWALKS 10. GREENERY
98
IV. PromotingProgram:spaces to work, learn, and share.
Los Huerfanos renovation includes naturally lit interiors, a user-oriented program, and green spaces obtained by the existing and new courtyards. The building consists of an entire block, which means that its intervention is large enough to house most of the program function types3 identified in Part Four.
Program types mentioned in Part Four: Research Conclusions > Section IV: Program Scheme
Figure 82 Space classification, active vs sedentary.
ACTIVESEDENTARY
In other words, the program was specifically arranged to honour the building’s original function by promoting spaces to work, learn, and share.
All programmatic spaces were assessed and arranged based on matrix studies of space classification, such as adjacent, independent, public, semi-public, active, or sedentary. This helped to evaluate if the distribution works correctly. Additionally, a user journey matrix assessed the connection between the user and uses of each programmatic space.
The proposed facilities for this intervention was fashioned to commemorate the history of ‘Los Huerfanos’ with dedicated spaces for children (to contribute to cultural appropriation from an educational viewpoint), workshop spaces for artists and artisans (giving informal artists and artisans a space to work), exhibition spaces and local shops (to attract visitors for a growing economy), an outdoor theatre for musicians and performers (to boost culture and uplift “street talent”), and implementing more innovative ideas such of that of an urban farm (to contribute toward a sharing and unified community).
The first half calls for a more “private” or close program (since these are more sedentary and closed spaces), and the back of the building would be for active spaces with a more dynamic circulation (figure 82), since the pedestrian axis acts as a dominant factor and there is a large ground area available for people to appropriate the 3space.
ADJACENT | DEPENDENT DIFFERENT | INDEPENDENT
Figure 83 Space classification matrixes, by programmatic functions.
URBANCHAPELFARM STEPPED GARDEN CULINARY STUDIOS
ARTISANSMAKERSPACESTUDIOS
GALLERY AND EXHIBITION KINDERGARTEN (4-8 YEARS OLD) PLAY AND LEARN AREA (9+) PERFORMANCE OPEN THEATRECHAPEL
MARKET GALLERYAREAAND KINDERGARTENEXHIBITION(4-8YEARS OLD)
84
POP-UP RETAILS (FOR RENT)
ARTISANS SOUVENIR/MAKERSPACESTUDIOSARTISANS
PLAY AND LEARN AREA (9+) PERFORMANCE OPEN THEATRECHAPEL
PLAY AND LEARN AREA (9+) PERFORMANCE OPEN THEATRE
URBAN FARM CAFE
QUESTION INTANGIBLE TANGIBLEPROBLEM
Figure User journey matrix, user - uses - space.
STUDENTSARTISANSMAKERSCHILDREN EVERYDAY VISITORS | PERFORMERSMUSICIANSTOURISTS COFFEE, “SOMO” AND JUICE VENDORS
SHOPS
STORAGELOUNGESTUDYLIBRARYAREA
GALLERY AND EXHIBITION KINDERGARTEN (4-8 YEARS OLD)
(CLEANING ANDSTAFFMAINTENANCE)(RETAILS)
STAFF
TOOLBOX STORYBOARD DESIGN PROPOSAL
URBAN FARM STEPPED GARDEN CULINARY STUDIOS URBAN FARM STUDYLIBRARYCAFEAREALOUNGESTORAGE
DESIGN AIM
99
ADJACENT | DEPENDENT DIFFERENT | INDEPENDENT
SOUVENIR/ ARTISANS SHOPS POP-UP RETAILS (FOR MARKETRENT)AREA
URBAN FARM STEPPED GARDEN CULINARY STUDIOS URBAN FARM STUDYLIBRARYCAFEAREALOUNGESTORAGE
SOUVENIR/ ARTISANS SHOPS POP-UP RETAILS (FOR MARKETRENT)AREA
PUBLIC SEMI-PUBLIC ACTIVE SEDENTARY
ARTISANSMAKERSPACESTUDIOS
SOCIAL ORIENTED SPACES GALLERY AND EXHIBITION CULINARY KINDERGARTENSTUDIOS(4-8 YEARS OLD)
Figure 85
PHOTO AND PRINT STUDIO 2LEVEL
TOILETS
PERFORMANCE OPEN THEATRE CHAPEL
JIPI JAPA STUDIO (PALM WEAVING)
CASTING AND SCULPTURE STUDIO
SOUVENIR/ ARTISANS SHOPS
POP-UP RETAILS (FOR RENT) MARKET AREA
PLAY AND LEARN AREA (9+)
MAKERSPACE
TEXTILE CARPENTRYSTUDIO/WOODS
PAINTING STUDIO
100
ARTISANS
CRAFTS STUDIO
CERAMIC STUDIO
DRAWING STUDIO
LEVELGROUND 1LEVELAND ALL LEVELGROUND
RETAILS
JEWELRY STUDIO
URBAN FARM STEPPED GARDEN URBAN FARM CAFE LOUNGESTUDYLIBRARYAREA SERVICES
Programmatic spaces, ground level.
ARTISANS/MAKERS LEASABLE STORAGE GENERAL STORAGE
87
Figure Programmatic spaces, level 1.
86
Figure Programmatic spaces, level 2.
101
the horizontal front mass to encourage passive ventilation and stack effect (figure 89), oriented louvres to protect from any direct radiation, and a stepped garden in the middle to not serve as water collection but also reduce heat.
Air outlet, insulated duct for hot air from the roof
convectiveAirInsulationcavity, and radiative heat exchangesBuilding integrated PV modules (BIPV)
Figure 88 Climate control technologies, Building Integrated Photovoltaic modules (BIPV).
Air inlet at the soffit
Aditionally, building integrated PV panels (figure 88) were used particularly for the roof of the theatre space, since it is facing in the ideal location for the most sun collection. Biodiverse vegetation was placed on parts of the building’s roof.
Climate control technologies: Taking into consideration climate control, I worked with Rhinoceros 3D4 and Grasshopper5 as main software to perform a radiation simulations (figure 90) for each programmatic space of the project. I performed a study to the project’s building mass with its approximate amounts of window openings, roofs, and the exact climate data based on location. The results help identify if there are any particular zones throughout the building that should be taken into account in terms of climate comfort. I then verified how the problem areas can be or have been addressed throughout the design with strategies such as, solar chimneys on
V. Structure, Climate, and Materials: Simulation and further studies.
Ventilation grills, air outlet from the programmed spaces to solar chimney.
5 (Rutten & Davidson, Robert McNeel & Associates, rhino plug in)
Incoming solar Convectiveradiation heat losses
102
Figure 89 Climate control technologies, Natural stack ventilation, solar chimney.
4 (Hull, Robert McNeel & Associates, version 7.0)
Dark surface, to absorb solar radiation and heat the air at the top of the chimney to improve air suction.
Stack ventilation
Solar chimney, improves the ventilation within the spaces
Cross ventilation
Radiative heat
Reflectedlossesradiation
Figure 90 Microclimate Maps (simulations every 3 hours), Average Operative Temperature
103
The online software, Ubakus6, also served as an essential tool to guide not just the structural layering of material components, but to also calculate data such as levels of humidity for moisture protection, temperature profile, moisture proofing, and heat and thermal protection, to name a few (figures 91-92). This tool was of great guidance to arrive to the best decisions in terms of materiality, structure, and climate comfort strategies used for the design.
In terms of materiality and considering wood as the main material for the intervention, it is important to highlight that all wood types will be local. I accessed documents7 elaborated by Cadefor in collaboration with WWF Bolivia that contained detailed information on Bolivian FSC certified timber species and products. Centred on the information provided, I selected specific wood types for all building element (figure 95), which were determined based on their quantity available, performance properties, resistance, maintenance, and cost.
Figure 91 Ubakus simulations. Top to bottom: floor structure, floor humidity, roof temperature, roof humidity
104
7 (Aguilar, 2002) (Cadefor, 2008)
6 (Plag, online graphical editor)
Wood types:
Structure simulations:
Building fragment study: Furthermore, and with guidance from the simulation runs utilizing both Grasshopper and Ubakus, I defined more precisely and in detail the structure, connections, and materiality of a fragment of the building. This particular fragment was chosen because it covers the main structure connections and interventions that repeat in very similar ways throughout the rest of the project. I proceeded with building up all the layers for structural reinforcement, floors, walls, and roofs for the renovation. From this 3D model (figure 93-94), I was then able to further draw all sections and section details with accuracy.
26,0
*Assuming free circulating air
4
22,2°C Surface temperature outside (min / average / max): 25,9°C 26,0°C 26,0°C All statements without guarantee Roof for passive ventilation, U=0,18 W/(m²K)
The following results are properties of the tested component alone and do not make any statement about the heat protection of the entire room: Temperature pro le 1 Air layer (80 mm) 2 Lamination (20 mm) 3 Spruce (20 mm) 4 mineral wool 035 (30 mm) 5 Vapor retarder sd=5m 6 mineral wool 035 (180 mm) 7 Breather membrane sd=0,05m 8 Rear ventilated level (40 mm) 9 Roo ng tiles (103 mm) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9363432302826242220181614 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 [mm]500 [°C]Temperature OutsideInside Temperature at 3pm, 11am and 7am Temperature at 7pm, 11pm and 3am The surface temperature during the day 36343230282624222018161412 14 16 18 20 22 24 2 4 6 8 10 12 InsideOutside [°C] [time of day] Phase shift: 7.1h Top: Temperature pro le within the component at di erent times. From top to bottom, brown lines: at 3 pm, 11 am and 7 am and red lines at 7 pm 11 pm and 3 am. Bottom: Temperature on the outer ( red ) and inner ( blue surface in the course of a day. The arrows indicate the location of the temperature maximum values The maximum of the inner surface temperature should preferably occur during the second half of the night. Phase shift* 7,1 h Heat storage capacity (whole component): 47 kJ/m²K Amplitude attenuation ** 14,1 Thermal capacity of inner layers: 35 kJ/m²K TAV *** 0,071 * The phase shift is the time in hours after which the temperature peak of the afternoon reaches the component interior. ** The amplitude attenuation describes the attenuation of the temperature wave when passing through the component. A value of 10 means that the temperature on the outside varies 10x stronger than on the inside, e.g. outside 15-35 °C, inside 24-26 °C. The temperature amplitude ratio TAV is the reciprocal of the attenuation: TAV = 1 / amplitude attenuation Note: The heat protection of a room is in uenced by several factors, but essentially by the direct solar radiation through windows and the total amount of heat storage capacity (including oor, interior walls and furniture). A single component usually has only a very small in uence on the heat protection of the room. The calculations presented above have been created for a 1-dimensional cross-section of the component. ofcaseinliableonlyisproviderservicethes,contenttheseofusefreethebyharmedareyouIfwww.ubakus.de.oncalculatorU-valuethebygeneratedbeenhasdocumentThis conditiandtermsthetoreferpleaseinformation,furtherForprovider.servicetheofparttheonnegligencegrossandintentonsathttps://www.ubakus.de/agb
3
47,4 cm Whole component 5,588
6
9 10,3 cm Roo
Heat protection
18
# Material λ R Temperatur [°C] Weight [W/mK] [m²K/W] min max [kg/m²] 1 8 cm Air layer (ventilated) 22,0 0,1 Thermal contact resistance* 0,170 22,0 22,2 2 2 cm Lamination 0,130 0,154 22,1 22,3 10,0 3 2 cm Spruce 0,130 0,154
8 4 cm Rear
0,170
Layers (from inside to outside) 22,2 22,4 9,0 3 cm mineral wool 035 0,035 0,857 22,3 23,3 0,5 cm Lattung (10%) 0,130 0,231 1,4 0,05 cm Vapor retarder sd=5m 0,220 0,002 22,8 23,3 0,1 18 cm mineral wool 035 0,035 5,143 22,8 26,0 3,2 cm Sparren (KVH) (10%) 0,130 1,385 23,3 26,0 8,8 membrane sd=0,05m 0,500 0,001 25,9 26,0 0,4 contact resistance* 25,9 26,0 ventilated level (outside 26,0 26,0 0,0 ng tiles (clay) 26,0 51,5 89,5 at the inside (min / / 22,1°C
air)
average
max): 22,1°C
statements without guarantee Roof for passive ventilation, U=0,18 W/(m²K) Moisture proo ng For the calculation of the amount of condensation water, the component was exposed to the following constant climate for 90 days: inside: 22°C und 34% Humidity; outside: 26°C und 64% Humidity (Climate according to user input). This component is free of condensate under the given climate conditions. # Material sd-value Condensate Weight [m] [kg/m²] [Gew.-%] [kg/m²] 2 2 cm Lamination 0,60 10,0 3 2 cm Spruce 0,40 9,0 4 3 cm mineral wool 035 0,03 0,5 3 cm Lattung (10%) 1,4 5 0,05 cm Vapor retarder sd=5m 5,00 0,1 6 18 cm mineral wool 035 0,36 3,2 18 cm Sparren (KVH) (10%) 9,00 8,8 7 0,05 cm Breather membrane sd=0,05m 0,05 0,4 47,4 cm Whole component 6,50 89,5 TheHumiditytemperature of the inside surface is 22,0 °C leading to a relative humidity on the surface of 34%.Mould formation is not expected under these conditions. The following gure shows the relative humidity inside the component. 60 540 1 Air layer (80 mm) 2 Lamination (20 mm) 3 Spruce (20 mm) 4 mineral wool 035 (30 mm) 5 Vapor retarder sd=5m 6 mineral wool 035 (180 mm) 7 Breather membrane sd=0,05m 8 Rear ventilated level (40 mm) 9 Roo ng tiles (103 mm) Relative humidity (%) saturation point1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91009080706050403020100 0 100 400 [mm]500 (%)humidityRelative OutsideInside 200 300 Figure 92 Ubakus simulation results, roof for passive ventilation. Thermal protection, temperature profile, moisture proofing, and heat protection.
All
7 0,05 cm Breather
5
105 All statements without guarantee Roof createdconstructionon7.3.2022Roof for passive ventilation Thermal protection U = 0,18 W/(m²K) EnEV Bestand*: U<0,24 W/(m²K) excellent insu cient Moisture proo ng No excellentcondensate insu cient Heat Temperatureprotectionamplitude damping: 14 excellent insu cient 40180302080371 60 540 60 540 4070407040 1540 110 110 1 2 765 8 9 1 Spruce (80x40) 2 Lamination (20 mm) 3 Spruce (20 mm) 4 mineral wool 035 (30 mm) 5 Vapor retarder sd=5m 6 mineral wool 035 (180 mm) 7 Breather membrane sd=0,05m 8 Rear ventilated level (40 mm) 9 Roo ng tiles (103 mm) <-> Layers marked by arrows are perpendicular to the main axis. Impact of each layer and comparison to reference values For the following gure, the thermal resistances of the individual layers were converted in millimeters insulation. The scale refers to an insulation of thermal conductivity 0,035 W/mK. Sparren (KVH), mineral wool 035 LaminationSprucemineral wool 035 Equivalent insulation thickness(WLS035)mm0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 WärmeschutzVO95DIN4108EnEVBestandniedrigeTi GEGEnEVU=0,25Bestand2020BestandEnEV14NeubauU=0,2EWärmeGBWEnEV16NeubauGEG2020Neubau3-Liter-HausU=0,15ESanMVKfWEinzelmaßn.NeubauKfW55 NeubauKfW40PassivhausU=0,1 Inside air : 22,0°C / 34% Outside air: 26,0°C / 64% Surface temperature. 22,1°C / 26,0°C sd-value: 6,5 m Thickness 47,4 cm Weight 89 kg/m² Heat capacity: 47 kJ/m²K *Vergleich mit dem Höchstwert gemäß EnEV 2014/2016 für erstmaligen Einbau, Ersatz oder Erneuerung von Decken, Dächer und Dachschrägen (Anlage 3, Tabelle 1, Zeile 4a). 3 4 All statements without guarantee Roof for passive ventilation, U=0,18 W/(m²K) Temperature pro le 60 25°C540 60 540 Top left: Temperature pro le in the blue section (see right illustration). Bottom left: Temperature pro le in the green section
Thermal
surface. Surface temperature inside
Figure 93 Screenshots of building fragment study, shown as a sequence.
106
107
Figure 94 Close up of wall from building fragment study, shown as a sequence. of wood types for building elements, Bolivian FSC certified timber species
contentmoisture12%atDensityshrinkageRadialshrinkageTangentialratioshrinkageradial/TangentialbendingStaticgraintoparallelCompressionOanka)hardnessLateral kg/m39803.3%5.6%1.7kg/1371cm2kg/cm2719kg1428 kg/m37604.6%10%2.2kg/1013cm2kg/cm2S45kg833 kg/m35203.9%5.7%1.5kg/cm2685kg/cm2445kg364 kg/m36804.4%7-2%1.63kg/cm2846kg/cm2514kg735 kg/m39605.5%8.2%1.5kg/1167cm2kg/cm2884kg1628 kg/m36605.1%8.3%1.6kg/cm2913kg/cm2579kg743 REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURE: TAJIBO (IPE) INTERLOCKING STRUCTURE: COQUINO FAÇADE (TONGUE AND GROOVE): ALMENDRILLO INTERIOR WALL AND FLOOR FINISHES: PALO MARIA WALL PANELING: YESQUERO FLOORING (SIMILAR TO SPRUCE): OCHOO
Figure 95 Selection
Figure Façade options for plug-in to structural model.
108
96
Using standard and smaller members with interlocking technology avoids the need of producing special or very large beams, which makes it is easier to work and fit the renovation on site. These could also be pieces of recycled wood from the demolition, which makes the process 100% circular and cost-effective. Additionally, its modularity provides the necessary flexibility to have different types of facades (figure 96) that can plug in to the structural module based on programmatic needs and further design options.
109
Figure 97 Detail of vertical greenery, plug-in panel used for elevated sidewalk.
Fastened with screws andMeshnuts litter Centre of growth plant fabric layer/gravel
Stainless steel Polypropyleneflowerpotsmaterial Filtering
Climbing
Perforated stainless steel sheet Drainage
Main joist, composed of (2) 40x80mm CLT beams, fixed with ¾ stainless steel screw
Custom Made Steel Anchor Plate
Figure 98 Structural model exploded axonometric.
Interlocking module:
Concrete anchor socket ¾ stainless steel bolts
Secondary crossing joist, (2) 40x80mm CLT beams, fixed with ¾ stainless screw Interlocking composite columns, (4) 80x80mm CLT posts
The new structure for all additions of the building is meant to fit into the existing in the most flexible and integrated way. The proposed structural interlocking model (figure 98) is shown as an exploded axonometric to visualize the wooden pillars and its connections.
Plant
Stability node, intermediate assembly, (2) 20x80mm stiffeners, secured with ¾ stainless screw
VI. FloorDrawings:plans,sections, elevations.
110 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 CDKLJIFEBAKLJIFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GHGH 290095009800 9500 9800800029008200110007700 1890040006400360080006000 3800 11700 2900290010900290066002900830030008000 10900 2900 6600 2900 8300 30003600 36003800 7700110008200 130001100086005000 Figure 99 Floor plan, ground level, removed. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m
the bottom walls were removed to create a pedestrian axis and allow for an open green boulevard with access to retails from both sides.
Highlighted in yellow (figure 98), the parts of the building that were removed to precisely show the reason behind why they were removed. For example,
Highlighted in red (figure 99), the additions in the intervention.
111 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 CDKLJIFEBAKLJIFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GHGH 290095009800 9500 9800800029008200110007700 189004000640013000110008600360080006000 3800 11700 2900290010900290066002900830030008000 10900 2900 6600 2900 8300 30003600 36003800 7700110008200 5000 Figure 100 Floor plan, ground level, additions. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m
112 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 CDKLJIFEBAKLJIFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GHGH Figure 101 Floor plan, basement level. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m
In this case the bio-filter is integrated into an expansion tank. Then the water
Section D Section C SectionA SectionB
Basement:
Water collection process: (later shown in 1:40 details)
Via the overflow, water flows into an underground shaft, where it is mechanically and biologically cleaned.
WATER HARVESTING
The basement mainly consists of the proper equipment for a rainwater harvesting system to help reduce utilities, especially considering Santa Cruz’s tropical and humid climate. The harvesting system captures rainwater
by directing it from large surfaces (in this case, a stepped garden) to an underground tank. Rainwater is then filtered and pumped to appliances. The basement also has appropriate space for storage and services (toilets) for the above market space.
Ground Level: The dominant factor for the upper section are the existing courtyards; and for the bottom section, the ground level is more open for free circulation through the retails and cultural exhibitions.
CERAMIC STUDIO CARPENTRY+WOODCRAFTSSOUVENIR/ARTISANSSHOPS JEWELRY STUDIO TEXTILE STUDIO CHAPEL POP-UP RETAILS (FOR RENT) MARKETAREA KINDERGARTEN PLAY AND LEARN GALLERYEXHIBITIONAND PERFORMANCEOPENTHEATREPAINTINGSTUDIO +PHOTOPRINTSTUDIO CASTING + SCULPTURE STUDIOJIPI JAPA STUDIO DRAWINGSTUDIO
113 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 GHKLJIFEDCBAKLJIHGFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Figure 102 Floor plan, ground level. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m Section D Section C SectionA SectionB
passes through the a filter where the phosphorous is removed, inhibiting the growth of algae. After being cleansed the water is fed through an earth collector. This consists of pipes laid in the ground.
SOUVENIR/ARTISANSSHOPS POP-UP RETAILS (FOR RENT) GALLERYEXHIBITIONAND URBANGARDENSSTEPPEDFARM MARKET AREA CULINARY STUDIOS
114 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 CDKLJIFEBAKLJIFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GHGH Figure 103 Floor plan, level 1. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m Section D Section C SectionA SectionB
PERFORMANCEOPENTHEATRE
This level consists of the bottom portion of the building since this area was built later as an addition. Not only its walls are thinner, but the ceiling heights are lower, which created a dynamic change of levels throughout the entire block.
Level 1:
115 21 22 2423 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 191613 14 17 CDKLJIFEBAKLJIFEDCBA 1815121110 201 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 GHGH Figure 104 Floor plan, level 2. Scale 1:650 0m 5m 10m 20m 30m Section D Section C SectionA SectionB Level 2:
URBANGARDENSSTEPPEDFARM LIBRARY STUDY AREA LOUNGE
Vast gallery and terrace space is meant not only to enrich the idea of an elevated sidewalk, but to also house public meetings, popups, and recreational spaces that further promote mental and physical wellbeing.
116 Ground-3400.006400.007400.000.003800.00Level02LevelBasementLevel03Level01 FEDCBA 400011700 189005000 6400 SECTION A-1 SECTION A-2 Figure 105 Section A, scale 1:250. Left to right: ceramic studio (ground level), study room above (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level), open theatre performance space, shops and exhibition space (ground level and level 1), pedestrian axis (ground level), and pop-up retail space for rent (ground level and level 1).
117 G H J K LI 3600 8000 600013000 11000 8600 SECTION A-3
118 BA Level 03 Level GroundLevel3800.0002016400.00Level0.007400.00 Figure 106 Section A-1, ceramic studio (ground level), study room above (level 2), and existing courtyard (ground level). Scale 1:75 DETAIL 1 DETAIL DETAIL 3
119 CB DETAIL 2 DETAIL 4
20mmshelf,Steelbolts,Anchor centerfrom50mmat30 lightingwall-washRecessed
Gravel
120 wall.existingtoconnection-toponaddition1,Detail107Figure 1:20Scale
capstone,Decking 20mmsheet),open(porouslayerDrainage
400x90IPE,Tajibogirder,Wood 20mmlayer),(separationmembraneFilter hangerSteel
40mmCoquino,packer,Wood 10mmEPDM,plantsroofGreen
20mmFibreboard,Gypsum80mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded 30mmlevel,Installation20mmSpruce, 20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling
stuccowithwallbrickadobeExisting
280mm-320mmmedium),(growingSoil
240x90IPE,Tajibonotch,withgirdertobeamwoodinterlocking(behind)
180mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded 150mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded 20mmsheet),open(porouslayerDrainage 10mmEPDM,20mmterrakotta,finish,floorExterior
400x90IPE,Tajibobeam,Wood 400x90IPE,Tajibopost,Wood
wallbrickadobeExisting interiortowardstuccowithwallbrick(added)Newbolts,Anchor centerfrom50mmat30 40mmCoquino,packer,Wood lightingwall-washRecessed 20mmshelf,Steel @260mm80x40Ochoo,joists,Floor20mmMaria,Palolamination,finish,floorInterior 240mmair,Stationary 400x90Ochoo,beams,softwoodwithLevelling20mmSpruce, electricityofdistributionfloor,*Raised roomsstudyandlibraryinislandsworkfor
20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling80mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded 20mmSpruce, 400x90IPE,Tajibobeam,Wood 400x90IPE,Tajibopost,WoodhangerSteel400x90IPE,Tajibogirder,Woodnotch,withgirdertobeamwoodinterlocking(behind) 240x90IPE,Tajibo25mmSpruce, 80x40Coquinostructure,interlockingfromJoists 30mmlevel,Installation
121 floor.raised–toponaddition2,Detail108Figure 1:20Scale
20mmboard,basedCement 20mmFibreboard,Gypsum Mortar 25mmSpruce,20mmterrakotta,finish,floorExterior structure,interlockingfromJoists 80x40Coquino20mmSpruce,@260mm80x40Ochoo,joists,Floor 240x90IPE,Tajibobeam,Wood
capWood tileroofingVentilated 80mmCellulose, 540mmevery30x60(Lattung),Batten 40mmcavity)(airlevelInstallation 520mmevery40x80Yesquero,Serebobatons,horizontalwith(clay)tilesRoofing 40mmair),(outsidelevelventilatedRear 540mmevery(Konterlattung),counterbattens40x60with30x60batten,Tile 180mm035,woolMineral 540mmevery(Sparren),beams180x60with0.5mmmembrane,Breather
2detailhorizontal horizontal detail 1
20mmOSB/3, 20mmMaria,Palofinish,woodInterior 20mmSpruce,30mm035,woolMineral0.5mmretarder,Vapor 20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling 40mmboards,insulationfiberWood 550mmevery40x80Yesquero,Serebobatons,verticalwith20mmAlmendrillo,siding,grooveandTongueEPDM,10mmReinforced 80x40Coquino,beams,structureInterlocking
122 ventilation.passiveforroof3,Detail109Figure 1:20Scale
280mm-320mmmedium),(growingSoil 10mmEPDM,plantsroofGreen 20mmsheet),open(porouslayerDrainage20mmlayer),(separationmembraneFilter
Gravel
180mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded (clay)tilesRoofing
10mmEPDM,20mmOSB/3, 80mmCellulose,20mmMaria,Palofinish,woodInterior
20mmSpruce,
180mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded
3detailhorizontal
540mmevery30x60mm(Lattung),Batten 30mm035,woolMineral 20mmSpruce, 20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling0.5mmmembrane,Breather40mmair),(outsidelevelventilatedRear @540mm(Konterlattung)counterbattens40x60mmwith30x60mmbatten,Tile 0.5mmretarder,Vapor180mm035,woolMineral @540mm(Sparren)beams180x60mmwith
20mmcavity)(airlevelInstallation 20x40Yesquero,Serebobatons,verticalwith 10mmEPDM,20mmSpruce,40mmCoquino,panel,structureWood
20mmAlmendrillo,siding,grooveandTongue
123 roof.greentoroofsloped4,Detail110Figure 1:20Scale
tileroofingVentilated
20mmSpruce, 20mmplaster,Clayfinish,Ceiling
beams,structureInterlocking 80x40Coquino,
124 ED
Figure 111 Section A-2, open theatre space with views to existing courtyard (ground level), steps guide to shops and exhibition space (level 1). Scale 1:75
125 GF
Section A-3, pop-up retail space for rent with access from both sides (ground level and level 1), addition to existing roof with polycarbonate sheets to allow clear light from above while providing shade and protection from the rain. Scale 1:75
126 IH
Figure 112
127 LKJ DETAIL 5
Interior wood finish, Palo Maria, 20mm
OSB/3, 20mm Tongue and groove siding, Almendrillo, 20mm
Horizontal Detail 1, roof for passive ventilation (cut from detail 3, roof for passive ventilation). Scale 1:20
Mineral wool 035, 30mm with 30x60 batten (lattung), every 540mm
Interlocking structure posts, Coquino, 80x80
80202080300 204040 80 40 80 80 550 80 4201380804020
Roofing tiles (clay), 76mm
Figure 114
Cellulose, 80mm
outsideinside
Spruce, Interlocking20mmstructure beams, Coquino, 80x80 Ceiling wood finish (profilholz), Palo Maria, 20mm
outsideinside
Figure 113
Wood fiber insulation boards, 40mm with vertical batons, Serebo Yesquero, 40x80 every 550mm Installation level (air cavity) 40mm with horizontal batons, Serebo Yesquero, 40x80 every 520mm
Rear ventilated level (outside air), 40mm with 40x60 counterbattens (konterlattung), every 540mm
Breather membrane, 0.5mm
Vapor retarder, 0.5mm Tile batten, 30x60
128 1540 60 <-> Layers marked by arrows are perpendicular to the main axis. 540 1800.50.52080203040401 30 26040 70 40 70 40
Mineral wool 035, 180mm with 180x60 beams (sparren), every 540mm
Horizontal Detail 2, wall interlocking structure (cut from detail 3, roof for passive ventilation). Scale 1:20
Interlocking structure beams, Coquino, 80x80 connected to existing roof structural beam
Crossing beams, Coquino, 80x40
H-channel (connects panels along length side) Corrugated polycarbonate sheets
Figure 116 Detail 5, roof extension - connection to existing roof. Scale 1:20
Polycarbonate connector U-channel (applied over solid tape on panel width side)
129 2080202080410 18010 138080 40 80 20 80 40 80 420
Interior wood finish, Palo Maria, 20mm
Roofing tiles (clay), 76mm
Figure 115 Horizontal Detail 3, interior wall to green roof (cut from detail 4, sloped roof to green roof). Scale 1:20
Tile batten, 30x60 bottomtop bottomtop bottomtop
Structural stability nodes Bolt connection on steel plate to intersectingPolycarbonatebeamsconnector
Spruce, Cellulose,20mm80mm
Fasteners, screws ensure proper loadweight to panels
Structural stability nodes Bolt connection on steel plate to intersecting beams
posts, Coquino, 80x80 outsideinside
Polycarbonate connector U-channel (cap to seal profile ends to protect from dust, water and bugs to the hallow spaces)
Soil (growing medium), continued
Extruded polystyrene (XPS 035), 180mm
OSB/3, 20mm
EPDM, Interlocking10mmstructure
Interlocking structure posts, Coquino, 80x80
Battens (purlins), Serebo Yesquero, 40x80
Left to right: textile studio (ground level), library (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level), kindergarten (ground level), culinary studio above (level 1), café above (level 2), stepped garden (ground level), market area (ground level and level 1), rainwater harvesting system and storage/services (basement).
SECTION B-1 SECTION B-2
130 Ground-3400.006400.007400.000.003800.00Level02LevelBasementLevel03Level01 FEDCBA 400011700 189005000 6400 Figure 117 Section B, scale 1:250.
131 J K LIG H 13000 11000 8600 3600 8000 6000
132 B A Level 03 Level GroundLevel3800.0002016400.00Level0.007400.00 Figure 118 Section B-1, textile studio (ground level), library (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level). Scale 1:75
133 C
134 F ED
Figure 119 Section B-2, kindergarten (ground level), culinary studio above (level 1) with access to the stepped garden to cultivate their own crops, café above (level 2) which also has access and views to the stepped garden, and rainwater harvesting system and storage/services (basement) below the stepped courtyard, so the garden also serves to help with the collection of water. Scale 1:75
DETAIL 6
DETAIL
135 G
DETAIL 7
DETAIL 8
panelslidingGlass, framingMetal 25mmSpruce,
136 slab.existingtoconnection6,Detail120Figure 1:20Scale
20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling20mmFibreboard,Gypsum@260mm80x40Ochoo,joists,Floor30mmlevel,Installation
lightingwall-washRecessedfixtureslightingRecessedhandlingairandVentilation 50mmInsulation, 20mmfinish,CeilingceilinghangingforStuds
80x40Coquinostructure,interlockingfromJoists20mmMaria,Palolamination,finish,floorInterior 25mmSpruce,80mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded
40mmCoquino,packer,Wood 20mmshelf,Steelbolts,Anchor centerfrom50mmat30
400x90IPE,Tajibopost,Wood doorglassslidingbehindhangerSteel 400x90IPE,Tajibogirder,Wood frameportalwoodReinforcement
slabsupportingcolumnmasonryexisting(behind)180mmslab,concreteExisting20mmMaria,Palolamination,finish,floorInterior
(4)nodesstabilityStructural 80x40Coquino,beams,structureInterlocking180mmslab,Existing
(4)nodesstabilityStructural 80x40Coquino,beams,structureInterlocking 80x80Coquino,posts,structureInterlocking
180mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded20mmsheet),open(porouslayerDrainage 10mmEPDM,20mmterrakotta,finish,floorExterior
137 garden.communityforcourtyardstepped7,Detail121Figure 1:20Scale
20mmSpruce, 30mmlevel,Installation
20mmboard,CLTGravel
20mmSpruce, 80mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded
20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling20mmFibreboard,Gypsum
fixtureslightingRecessed 180x90beamsroof""invertedCLT 50mmlevel,Installation 600mmevery50x90(lattung),battenwith 20mmFibreboard,Gypsum 20mmMaria,Palo(profilholz),finishwoodCeiling80mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded20mmSpruce,cropsandplantscourtyardStepped 180x280panels,partitionplantWooden 280mm-300mmmedium),(growingSoil 20mmlayer),(separationmembraneFilter 20mmsheet),open(porouslayerDrainage 10mmEPDM, 180mm035),(XPSpolystyreneExtruded
138 distribution.andstoragesystemharvestingrainwater8,Detail122Figure 1:40ScaleInletInlet Outlet Effluent Sludge Effluent SludgeScum Scum drainfieldtogoesWastewater
139 treatment.andcapturesystemharvestingrainwater9,Detail123Figure 1:40Scale tubePerforatedGravel Drainage Bio-Filter Overflow SkimmerSieveCurved pumpCirculation FilterSandPhosTecUltraFilter
140 242221 27262523 11000 82009800 9500 380077002900 Level Ground02LevelBasementLevel03Level01-3400.006400.007400.000.003800.00 Figure 124 Section C, scale 1:250. Left to right: shops and artists retails (ground level and level 1), stairs (vertical circulation), entire basement space for rainwater harvesting and storage/services, kindergarten (ground level), play and learn area (ground level), access to level 1 from stepped courtyard, ramp (vertical circulation), exhibition space (ground level and level 1).
141 33 343230 312928 980095003800 7700 2900110008200 DETAIL 9
142 242221 27262523 11000 82009800 9500 380077002900 Level Ground02LevelBasementLevel03Level01-3400.006400.007400.000.003800.00 Figure 125 Section D, scale 1:250. Left to right: carpentry wood crafts studio - artisans (ground level), existing courtyard for performance space (ground level), storage – artisans (ground level), existing courtyard for children (ground level), chapel (ground level and level 2 for choir), existing courtyards for children (ground level), storage – makers (ground level), painting studio – makers (ground level).
143 33 343230 312928 980095003800 7700 2900110008200
144
Figure 126
Elevation analysis. Before and after from the existing to the proposal design, demonstrating a transition and deconstruction of lines. The dominant horizontal and vertical lines of the existing façades were used to create a pattern which was then transitioned into a lighter architecture consisting of thinner lines for the intervention.
Figure 127 Los Huerfanos line drawing perspective.
145
Figure 128 North elevation, line and shaded drawings. Scale 1:250.
Figure 129 West elevation, line and shaded drawings. Scale 1:250.
Figure 130 East elevation, line and shaded drawings. Scale 1:250.
Figure 131 South elevation, line and shaded drawings. Scale 1:250.
Figure 132 Bird eye perspective render, North-West corner.
154
155
156
Figure 133 Boulevard axis, west side view toward stepped garden and market structure.
157
Figure 134 Boulevard axis, east side view toward entrance to exhibition space.
158
159
Figure 135 Exhibition space on level 1.
160
161
162
Figure 136 Open gallery space on level 2, views toward entrance to café.
163
Figure 137 Café on level 2, views toward stepped garden.
164
165
166
Figure 138 Kindergarten on ground level, views toward one of the existing courtyards.
167
Figure 139 Courtyard, views toward stepped theatre space.
168
DISCUSSIONS FILM 2D DRAWINGS RENDERS FILM
WALKTHROUGH
ANIMATED
169 Figure 140 QR codes to films.
170
RESEARCH SYNTHESIS
TIMELINE
PLAN OF ACTION.
upgrade the fabric
The recovery of a dilapidated and decaying historic city center.
Define key terms: Understanding conditions social cohesion + capital urban regeneration + resistance
MANIFESTO
Socialtransformationandreconnectionspatial
METHODS HYPOTHESISRESEARCHFRAMEWORK
Space is a public tool
individualthe thespaceurban
QUESTION
TOOLBOX
Contextual +Conceptual Analysis: Define spaces urban policy + existing conditions
toward inclusiveness
history + development Public Space: Past and current debates urban sociology
Observations: An ethnographical approach interpretation
SOCIALINCLUSIVENESSSOCIALUNITY
171
Mapping: A communitycelebrateappropriationpracticesocio-spatialofspacetheeverydaylifeandtheordinaryinvolvementinprocessfilmofcollecteddata
The social responsibility of design
RESEARCH AIM
“Casco Viejo” (old town) Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Discussions: A profound recollection of opinions
adaptive reuse of colonial approach study andrenewal,developmenthistoricalregeneration,reinventionofspacessetofprinciples
The loss social-spatialofcohesion
How can patrimonial buildings and spaces in the Casco Viejo be redefined to bring back social-spatial cohesion, and in what ways could they be restored to become more inclusive without compromising traditional values and identities?
through the lens of the inhabitants
PROBLEMATIQUE
THEORY RESULTSDESIGN
different viewpoints + position
reactivate culture + respect heritage
SPATIALQUALITYSPATIALPRACTICES
choices and design strategies
State of discoursethe A socialthatsocio-spatialpracticereclaimsmodalities
“Pockets” of reactivated public spaces.
(QUALITATIVEFIELDWORKRESEARCH) (QUANTITATIVEARCHIVE DATA)
Mapping (formalInterviewspatternsanddiscussionsandinformal)
Statistical information Based on previous studies from Instituto Cruceño de Estadística (ICE) and Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)
CONTENT + CONTEXT METHODOLOGY – ETHNOGRAPHIC INVESTIGATION
Documenting observations
RESEARCH TO DESIGN PLAN OF ACTION.
Film, photographic, and audio Sketchingdocumentation(storylineon ink)
TIMELINERESEARCHTHEORY(PRAXEOLOGY)KeytermsTheoreticalframeworkHistoricalframework
172
- Population - Use - Demographics - (pedestrianCirculation vs vehicle flow)bySuperblockTransportationModelSalvadorRueda
173
DESIGN PROCESS - PROPOSAL
From Respectingresearch:layers of Rescuinghistory local materials
CONSTRUCTION + BUILDING TECHNOLOGY
From UrbanUrbanProposalFormulatingusers’respondingresearch:toneedsbriefconcept:VoidtoLounge
Innovative solutions + implementation
SITE PROGRAM DESIGN OBJECTIVES
From InitialLosMaintypologiesDifferentspacesPop-upvoidsselectedresearch:urbanpublicinterventionHuerfanosmassing
DESIGN
From -Macro---Micromodelsocio-spatialresearch:integrativeScale:RestorationInvolvementEconomyScale:Circulation
The death and life of great American cities. Orig. publ. 1961. Vintage Books.
Teorías e historia de la ciudad contemporánea. Editorial Gustavo Gili.
Anderson, S. (1975). People in the physical environment: The urban ecology of streets. Cambridge: Urban Ecology Program/Grunsfeld Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laboratory of Architecture and Planning.
(2015, June 11). Retrieved from https:// Jacobs,view/408.journals.open.tudelft.nl/footprint/issue/J.(1993).
The Production of Space (N. S. Donald, Translated). Blackwell Publishing, London.
Staying with the trouble: Making kin in the chthulucene. Duke University Press.
Fuller, M. G., & Löw, M. (2017). Introduction: An invitation to spatial sociology. Current Sociology, 65(4), 469–491. org/10.1177/0011392117697461https://doi.
Avermaete, T., Havik, K., & Teerds, H. (2009). Architectural positions: Architecture, modernity and the public sphere. Amsterdam: SUN.
Gehl, J., & Svarre, B. (2013). How to study public life. (K. A. Steenhard, Trans.). Island Press.
Haraway,org/10.5822/978-1-61091-525-0_1https://doi.D.J.(2016).
Limpias Ortiz, V. H. (2010). Plan Techint: Medio siglo de urbanismo moderno en Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1st ed.). Santa Cruz de la Sierra: Gobierno Municipal Autónomo.
REFERENCES
Zumthor, P. (2020). Atmospheres architectural environments, surrounding objects. Birkhäuser.
Carmona,doi.org/10.1177/0956247818815792https://M.(2019).Principlesforpublicspacedesign,planningtodobetter.
URBAN DESIGN International. 24.
Vázquez,10.1080/20507828.2018.1556374DOI:C.G.(2016).
LITERATURE
Corboz,10.1057/s41289-018-0070-3.A.(1983).TheLandasPalimpsest. Diogenes, 31(121), 12–34. org/10.1177/039219218303112102https://doi.
Bhan, G. (2019). Notes on a Southern urban practice. Environment and Urbanization, 31(2), 639–654.
Putnam, R. (1995). Bowling alone: America’s declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6
Staničić, A., & Šijaković, M. (2019). (Re) building Spaces of Tolerance: A “Symbiotic Model” for the Post-War City Regeneration. Architecture and Culture, 7:1, 113-128.
Löw, S. M. (1996). Spatializing Culture: The Social Production and Social Construction of Public Space in Costa Rica. American Ethnologist, 23(4), 861–879. http://www.jstor.org/ Löw,stable/646187S.M.(2009)Towards an anthropological theory of space and place. Semiotica 2009(175).
Rudiger, A., & Spencer, S. (2004). Meeting the challenge: Equality, diversity and cohesion in the European Union’, Paper presented to the Joint European Commission/OECD conference on the economic effects and social aspects of migration, Brussels. Retrieved from Manca A.R. (2014) Social Cohesion. In: Michalos A.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. 007-0753-5_2739tudelft.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/978-94-https://doi-org.
actions in contemporary practice. ProQuest Ebook Central idm.oclc.orgebookcentral-proquest-com.tudelft.https://
Lefebvre, H. (1968). Le droit a la ville: 2e ed. Lefebvre,Anthropos.H.(1991).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
Pallasmaa, J. (2005). The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the Senses. Wiley.
Issue # 16: Spring 2015: Commoning as differentiated publicness. FOOTPRINT - Delft Architecture Theory Journal.
174
The Image of the City Cambridge/London: The MIT Press.
Petrescu, D., & Trogal, K. (Eds.). (2017). The social (re)production of architecture: Politics, values and
Putnam, R., Light, I., De Souza Briggs, X., Rohe, W. M., Vidal, A. C., Hutchinson, J., Gress, J., Woolcock, M. (2004). Using Social Capital to Help Integrate Planning Theory, Research, and Practice: Preface, Journal of the American Planning Association, 70:2, 142-192. 10.1080/01944360408976369DOI:
Löw, S. M. (2016). The Sociology of Space: Materiality, Social Structures, and Action (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Lynch,69568-3idm.oclc.org/10.1057/978-1-349-doi:https://doi-org.tudelft.Kevin(1960)
Hull, B. (1993). Rhinoceros 3D [Computer software]. Retrieved from https://www. rhino3d.com/
La Larga Noche de Museos Santa Cruz. [Video]. Facebook Live Event. Retrieved from https://fb.watch/8JYTUPzB82.
Barcelona is banning cars from massive new ‘superblocks’. Business Insider Nederland. Retrieved from https:// superblocks-ban-cars-2016-10/.www.businessinsider.nl/barcelona-
Instituto Cruceño de Estadística. ICE. (2021). Retrieved from http://ice. Merin,santacruz.gob.bo.G.(2013,December 3). Peter
VIDEOS & PODCASTS
Plag, R. (2009). Ubakus Graphical editor [Computer software]. Retrieved from calculator/https://www.ubakus.com/en/r-value-
Hoyos Ramallo, R. A., Chugar Zubieta, I. M., & Bolivia). Arquitectura. (2017, October 10). La preservación y revitalización Como Lugar de Memoria Urbana del Centro Histórico de Santa Cruz de la Sierra. repositorio.ucb.edu. bo. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from handle/20.500.12771/45.http://repositorio.ucb.edu.bo/xmlui/
Escudero,Cedure.J.C.(n.d.).
175 STEICO Technical detailing. (2019, February). Retrieved from Construction_Guide_LVL_en_i.pdfkonstruktionsmaterialien/STEICO_downloads/produktinformationen_fileadmin/user_upload/importer/https://www.steico.com/
Landivar Velasco, M. S., & Duran Diaz, M. (2007). Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado. Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz de la Sierra - UPSA.
Polémica reforma al centro histórico de Santa Cruz. (2020, February 21). La Razon.
Carlos García Vázquez: ‘la ciudad contemporánea nació como un gran negocio’. Plataforma Arquitectura. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from Mansilla,un-gran-negocio.ciudad-contemporanea-nacio-como-cl/cl/803791/carlos-garcia-vazquez-la-https://www.plataformaarquitectura.S.(2021,May18).
Mazoni, M. (2005). Santa Cruz de la Sierra, una ciudad que busca su
Instituto Nacional de Estadística. INE. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.ine. gob.bo.
Prado Salmón, F. (2021). Plan Estratégico De Desarrollo Urbano Metropolitano 2021.
Rutten, D., & Davidson, S. (2007, September). Grasshopper [Computer software]. Retrieved from https://www.WEBSITESgrasshopper3d.com/
Zumthor: Seven personal observations on presence in architecture. ArchDaily. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from architecture.observations-on-presence-in-peter-zumthor-seven-personal-https://www.archdaily.com/452513/
Paz, R. [Roubennesburgo]. (2020, May 19). Centro Historico ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, normativa sobre volumetria de edificaciones [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from Siebenthal,watch?v=LrrGUoY301Yfulhttps://www.youtube.com/A.(Host).(2020,Feb04).ThomasHeatherwickonaDesigningonHumanScale(No.1)[Audiopodcastepisode].In Design and the City by reSITE. LittleBig Studio. Siebenthal,thomas-heatherwickcity-designing-on-a-human-scale-with-www.resite.org/stories/design-and-the-https://A.(Host).(2020,Feb11).ChrisPrechtonaNewGenerationofArchitects.(No.2)[Audiopodcastepisode].In Design and the City by reSITE. LittleBig Studio. prechtnew-generation-of-architects-chris-resite.org/stories/design-and-the-city-https://www.
Rodríguez Álvarez, G. A., & Soruco López, Ó. (2021). Modelo De Desarrollo Cruceño: Factores Y Valores Que Explican Su Éxito. Instituto Boliviano de Comercio Exterior (IBCE).
CADEFOR (2008, July 2). Bolivian Certified Woods. WWF International, Barbián Comunicación. (3rd ed.) Imprenta Landivar SRL. Retrieved from https:// certified-woodswww.wwf.org.bo/?139501%2FBolivian-
Codigo de Urbanismo y Obras. Colegio de Arquitectos Santa Cruz. (2020). Gobierno Autonomo Municipal De Santa Cruz De La Sierra. Retrieved from Equipocodigo-de-urbanismo-y-obras/.http://www.cascz.org/web/deEstudioJICA.(2017,December).
espacio. Ciudades, (09), 135160. ciudades.09.2005.135-160https://doi.org/10.24197/
Using reclaimed timber - The ultimate guide to reclaimed timber: Norclad. NORclad | Timber Cladding Solutions. (2018, January 15). Retrieved from Valencia,using-reclaimed-timber/co.uk/reclaimed-timber-ultimate-guide-https://www.timbercladdingsolutions.N.(2017,February8).
Proyecto de Plan Maestro de Mejoramiento de Transporte para el Área Metropolitana de Santa Cruz. Retrieved from https://openjicareport. jica.go.jp/pdf/12302832_01.pdf
Código De Urbanismo Y Obras - Tomo II. CADECOCRUZ. (n.d.). Retrieved from tomo_II.pdf.https://cadecocruz.org.bo/descargas/
ARCHIVE
Aguilar, F. (Trans.). (2002). Cadefor. MDSP, FAO PAF-BOL, IBAMA, LPF. Información Técnica para el Procesamiento Industrial de 134 especies maderables de Bolivia. Serie Técnia XI. Retrieved from http:// Barberyspecies_eng.pdfwww.synthmind.com/Bolivia_wood_Alpire,C.H.,MendietaOssio,P.,
Innovation brief on SUPerbLoCKS - European Commission. CIVITAS PROSPERITY - European Platform on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. Retrieved from Garfield,pdf.innovation_brief_superblocks_2017.sites/default/files/cycling-guidance/https://ec.europa.eu/transport/L.(2016,October11).
Figure 9 Research Diagram. (Author’s work)
Fill Rouge – ArtsThread [edited]. Retrieved from https://www.artsthread.com/portfolios/filrouge/
PART ONE. INTRODUCTION
Figure 6 Behind, “El Altillo Beni”, abandoned building with patrimonial value. (Collage paper image) (Author’s work)
Figure 14 How involved are local authorities with the problems the Casco Viejo is currently facing? (Collage paper image) (Author’s work) made with aerial image retrieved from https://panelesdivisorios.blogspot.com/2017/03/teja-colonial-santacruz-bolivia.html
Figure 1. Social encounters.
Figure 8 Space is a public tool. (Author’s work)
Figure 2. Casco Viejo, a nostalgic area. (Author’s work) made with photos by © Andres MacLean.
Figure 10 Santa Cruz early 19th century. Based on plan by Carlos Cirbian 1825. (Author’s work, data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 3. City of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Incremental growth. (Author’s work)
Figure 5 Casco Viejo connecting thread. (Author’s work) made with Fill Rouge – ArtsThread [edited]. Retrieved from https://www.artsthread.com/portfolios/filrouge/
Figure 4. Scenario sketches. What could be the consequences? (Author’s work)
PART TWO. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Figure 11 Santa Cruz early 20th century. Based on plan by Luciano Justiniano 1905. (Author’s work, data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 12 Psychogeography Exploration. Characterization and de-characterization of the Casco Viejo. (Author’s work)
Figure 13 Regulations of the Historic Center. Document scans. Retrieved from http://www.cascz.org/web/codigo-de-urbanismo-y-obras/.
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 7 Screenshots of film produced to show how people use, appropriate, and define space. (Author’s work)
176
Figure 15 Field research diagram based on mapping, film documentation, and on-site discussions focusing on the urban, the cultural, and the social. (Author’s work)
Figure 18 Patterns of occupancy. (Author’s work)
Figure 26 Demographics, age of users of squares and parks in the Casco Viejo. (Author’s work) Based on data from study carried on March, 2020 by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. Information retrieved from http://ice.santacruz.gob.bo.
PART THREE. METHODOLOGIES
Figure 21 Patterns of common practices. (Author’s work)
Figure 25 Average monthly cost of rent (Bolivian pesos). (Author’s work) Based on data from study carried on March, 2020 by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. Information retrieved from http://ice.santacruz.gob.bo.
Figure 27 Plaza 24 de Septiembre. (Collage paper image) (Author’s work)
Figure 23 City Center division. (Author’s work) Based on data provided from the INE and map division by Ruben Paz.
177
Figure 16 Connectivity of terms diagram. (Author’s work)
Figure 22 Patterns of social spaces. (Author’s work)
Figure 17 Patterns of income generation. (Author’s work)
Figure 24 Casco Viejo’s population. (Author’s work) Based on data from study carried on March, 2020 by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. Information retrieved from http://ice.santacruz.gob.bo.
Figure 20 Patterns of events. (Author’s work)
Figure 19 Patterns of appropriation. (Author’s work)
Figure 29 Comparison of Total Pedestrian and Vehicle Flow. (Author’s work) Based on data from study carried on March, 2020 by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. Information retrieved from http://ice.santacruz.gob.bo.
Figure 33 Storyline on ink: Calle Bolivar, entre 24 de Sept. y Murillo. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
178
Figure 31 How do people respond to a constant changing city? (Author’s work)
Figure 40 Storyline on ink, final drawing. (Author’s work)
Figure 30 Pedestrian Flow in Plaza 24 de Septiembre during weekdays. (Author’s work) Based on data from study carried on March, 2020 by El Gobierno Autónomo Departamental de Santa Cruz through El Instituto Cruceno de Estadística (ICE), in collaboration with the Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz. Information retrieved from http://ice.santacruz.gob.bo.
Figure 38 Storyline on ink: Calle Ayacucho, entre Colón e Independencia. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 34 Storyline on ink: Calle Libertad, entre Junín y Buenos Aires. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 39 Storyline on ink: Calle Junín, entre España y Libertad. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 32 Storyline on ink: Calle Sucre, entre Rene Moreno y La Paz. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 28 Means of transport used in the Casco Viejo. (Author’s work) Based on study in 2017 elaborated by JICA Team for the project proposal of the Master Plan for the Improvement of Transportation and Microbus Network. Information retrieved from https://openjicareport.jica. go.jp/pdf/12302832_01.pdf
Figure 37 Storyline on ink: Calle René Moreno, entre Sucre y Ñuflo de Chávez. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 35 Storyline on ink: Calle 24 de Septiembre, entre Bolivar y Charcas. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
Figure 36 Storyline on ink: Calle Independencia, entre Ayacucho y Suarez de Figueroa. (Author’s work, based on data provided from Beni Chan)
PART FOUR: RESEARCH CONCLUSIONS
Figure 47 Traditional daily activities. (Author’s work)
Figure 51 Urban Lounge, initial concept sketch. Neoclassical arches and palm trees. (Author’s work)
Figure 44 Sketches of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies. (Author’s work)
Figure 50 Design toward a socio-spatial integrative model, concept illustration. (Author’s work)
Figure 53 Possible interested actors. (Author’s work)
Figure 45 On-site photos of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies. Photos taken by author.
Figure 42 Network of Urban Voids, identified during research phase. Scale 1:10000 (Author’s work)
Figure 49 Objectives through sketches. (Author’s work)
179
Figure 43 Taperas in the Casco Viejo. Photos taken by author.
Figure 48 Grounds of shared space, 4-type program categories. (Author’s work)
PART FIVE. URBAN PROPOSAL
Figure 46 3D models of some identified Urban Voids showing the different typologies. (Author’s work)
Figure 52 Types of (Author’sstakeholders.work)
Figure 54 Phase 1. Architectural Intervention (part 1 and part 2). (Author’s work)
Figure 55 Existing and proposed pockets of urban spaces in the Casco Viejo. (Author’s work)
Figure 41 Contextual elements. (Author’s work)
Figure 69 Urban Lounge, concept sketch. (Author’s work)
Figure 59 Design exploration for the selected examples of satellite projects, following guidelines from the toolbox. (Author’s work)
PART SIX. DESIGN PROPOSAL
Figure 67 Structure connections and programmatic urban elements in toolbox. (Author’s work)
Figure 60 Selected examples for satellite projects based on the 4-type program: economy, education, entertainment, and recreation. (Author’s work)
Figure 68 Urban Lounge, concept sketch. Modular framing adapted to existing. (Author’s work)
Figure 65 Design principles in toolbox. (Author’s work)
Figure 70 Los Huérfanos field research sketch. (Author’s work)
Figure 57 Part 2 of Phase 1. Satellite projects. (Author’s work)
Figure 66 Structural and Environmental challenges in toolbox. (Author’s work)
Figure 58 Urban Lounge concept sketch. Greenery on existing structure. (Author’s work)
Figure 61 Salvador Rueda’s Supermanzana concept.
Figure 62 Existing and new “pockets” of public spaces in the Casco Viejo. Scale 1:24000 (Author’s work)
Figure 63 Vehicle routes to reduce traffic and improve pedestrian experience. 1:24000 (Author’s work) Based on study in 2017 elaborated by JICA Team for the project proposal of the Master Plan for the Improvement of Transportation and Microbus Network. Information retrieved from https://openjicareport.jica. go.jp/pdf/12302832_01.pdf
Figure 64 Urban Lounge, concept sketch. Multi-services space for the public use. (Author’s work)
Image retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.nl/barcelona-superblocks-ban-cars-2016-10/.
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 56 Zoom in to new pocket of urban space, Los Huérfanos area. (Author’s work)
180
Figure 71 Details of main facade. (Author’s work) created with data from the research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 82 Space classification, active vs sedentary. (Author’s work)
Figure 79 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of windows. Photos and data used to draw the line details of windows was retrieved from research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 76 Los Huérfanos floor plans, ground level and level 2, with program based on 2007 use. Scale 1:1000 (Author’s work) created with data from the research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 81 Design development of proposal. (Author’s work)
181
Figure 72 Los Huérfanos existing facades. Scale 1:600 (Author’s work)
Figure 74 Los Huérfanos, images of its current state. Photos taken by author.
Figure 83 Space classification matrixes, by programmatic functions. (Author’s work)
Figure 75 Los Huerfanos (anchor project) timeline (functions and modifications). Data retrieved from research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 73 Los Huérfanos current exterior façade. Photos taken by author.
Figure 77 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of columns. Photos and data used to draw the line details of columns retrieved from research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 78 Valuable pieces of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”, types of doors. Photos and data used to draw the line details of doors was retrieved from research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 80 Materials and technology of the existing building “Los Huerfanos”. Photos retrieved from research book “Instituto Jose Mercado Aguado, Relevamiento” (2007) by Maria Sara Landivar Velazco and Maricruz Duran Diaz.
Figure 84 User journey matrix, user - uses - space. (Author’s work)
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 91 Ubakus simulations. Top to bottom: floor structure, floor humidity, roof temperature, roof humidity. (Author’s work)
Figure 93 Screenshots of building fragment study, shown as a sequence. (Author’s work)
Figure 98 Structural model exploded axonometric. (Author’s work)
Figure 88 Climate control technologies, Building Integrated Photovoltaic modules (BIPV). (Author’s work)
Figure 100 Floor plan, ground level, additions. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 90 Microclimate Maps (simulations every 3 hours), Average Operative Temperature. (Author’s work)
Figure 97 Detail of vertical greenery, plug-in panel used for elevated sidewalk. (Author’s work)
Figure 94 Close up of wall from building fragment study, shown as a sequence. (Author’s work)
Figure 99 Floor plan, ground level, removed. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 92 Ubakus simulation results, roof for passive ventilation. Thermal protection, temperature profile, moisture proofing, and heat (Author’sprotection.work)
182
Figure 85 Programmatic spaces, ground level. (Author’s work)
Figure 87 Programmatic spaces, level 2. (Author’s work)
Figure 89 Climate control technologies, Natural stack ventilation, solar chimney. (Author’s work)
Figure 95 Selection of wood types for building elements, Bolivian FSC certified timber species (Author’s work)
Figure 96 Façade options for plug-in to structural model. (Author’s work)
Figure 86 Programmatic spaces, level 1. (Author’s work)
Figure 110 Detail 4, sloped roof to green roof. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 111 Section A-2, open theatre space with views to existing courtyard (ground level), steps guide to shops and exhibition space (level 1). Scale 1:75 (Author’s work)
Figure 108 Detail 2, addition on top – raised floor. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 104 Floor plan, level 2. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 101 Floor plan, basement level. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 107 Detail 1, addition on top - connection to existing wall. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 103 Floor plan, level 1. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 112 Section A-3, pop-up retail space for rent with access from both sides (ground level and level 1), addition to existing roof with polycarbonate sheets to allow clear light from above while providing shade and protection from the rain. Scale 1:75 (Author’s work)
Figure 114 Horizontal Detail 2, wall interlocking structure (cut from detail 3, roof for passive ventilation). Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 115 Horizontal Detail 3, interior wall to green roof (cut from detail 4, sloped roof to green roof). Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 106 Section A-1, ceramic studio (ground level), study room above (level 2), and existing courtyard (ground level). Scale 1:75 (Author’s work)
Figure 109 Detail 3, roof for passive ventilation. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 113 Horizontal Detail 1, roof for passive ventilation (cut from detail 3, roof for passive ventilation). Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
183
Figure 105 Section A, scale 1:250. Left to right: ceramic studio (ground level), study room above (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level), open theatre performance space, shops and exhibition space (ground level and level 1), pedestrian axis (ground level), and pop-up retail space for rent (ground level and level 1). (Author’s work)
Figure 102 Floor plan, ground level. Scale 1:650 (Author’s work)
Figure 124 Section C, scale 1:250. Left to right: shops and artists retails (ground level and level 1), stairs (vertical circulation), entire basement space for rainwater harvesting and storage/services, kindergarten (ground level), play and learn area (ground level), access to level 1 from stepped courtyard, ramp (vertical circulation), exhibition space (ground level and level 1). (Author’s work)
Figure 119 Section B-2, kindergarten (ground level), culinary studio above (level 1) with access to the stepped garden to cultivate their own crops, café above (level 2) which also has access and views to the stepped garden, and rainwater harvesting system and storage/services (basement) below the stepped courtyard, so the garden also serves to help with the collection of water. Scale 1:75 (Author’s work)
Figure 116 Detail 5, roof extension - connection to existing roof. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 117 Section B, scale 1:250. Left to right: textile studio (ground level), library (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level), kindergarten (ground level), culinary studio above (level 1), café above (level 2), stepped garden (ground level), market area (ground level and level 1), rainwater harvesting system and storage/services (basement). (Author’s work)
Figure 120 Detail 6, connection to existing slab. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 121 Detail 7, stepped courtyard for community garden. Scale 1:20 (Author’s work)
Figure 123 Detail 9, rainwater harvesting system capture and treatment. Scale 1:40 (Author’s work)
Figure 126 Elevation analysis. Before and after from the existing to the proposal design, demonstrating a transition and deconstruction of lines. The dominant horizontal and vertical lines of the existing façades were used to create a pattern which was then transitioned into a lighter architecture consisting of thinner lines for the intervention. (Author’s work)
Figure 118 Section B-1, textile studio (ground level), library (level 2), existing courtyard (ground level). Scale 1:75 (Author’s work)
Figure 122 Detail 8, rainwater harvesting system storage and distribution. Scale 1:40 (Author’s work)
Figure 127 Los Huerfanos line drawing perspective. (Author’s work)
Figure 125 Section D, scale 1:250. Left to right: carpentry wood crafts studio - artisans (ground level), existing courtyard for performance space (ground level), storage – artisans (ground level), existing courtyard for children (ground level), chapel (ground level and level 2 for choir), existing courtyards for children (ground level), storage – makers (ground level), painting studio – makers (ground level). (Author’s work)
LIST OF FIGURES
184
185
Figure 132 Bird eye perspective render, North-West corner. (Author’s work)
Figure 136 Open gallery space on level 2, views toward entrance to café. (Author’s work)
Figure 128 North elevation, line drawing (top) and shaded drawing (bottom). Scale 1:250 (Author’s work)
Figure 133 Boulevard axis, west side view toward stepped garden and market structure. (Author’s work)
Figure 137 Café on level 2, views toward stepped garden. (Author’s work)
Figure 139 Courtyard, views toward stepped theatre space. (Author’s work)
Figure 130 East elevation, line drawing (top) and shaded drawing (bottom). Scale 1:250 (Author’s work)
Figure 140 QR codes to films. (Author’s work)
Figure 135 Exhibition space on level 1. (Author’s work)
Figure 138 Kindergarten on ground level, views toward one of the existing courtyards. (Author’s work)
Figure 131 South elevation, line drawing (top) and shaded drawing (bottom). Scale 1:250 (Author’s work)
Figure 134 Boulevard axis, east side view toward entrance to exhibition space. (Author’s work)
Figure 129 West elevation, line drawing (top) and shaded drawing (bottom). Scale 1:250 (Author’s work)
S: Do you think that modern architecture and renovation interventions could somehow change or return what was lost?
In person interview. (#1) May 21, 2021
J: Due to the fact that the city is made up of rings, obviously the first ring, which is the oldest part, contains all the components of a city: transportation, market, health, education, etc. (everything that forms a city). The ideal would have been for the center to maintain its 80% vegetation. Now, consequently, the center is drowning in buildings and vehicles, it needs more life. What you must do is link, connect, walk, and value - each of those words implies a study. An integrated rehabilitation aims
1 Tapera: In Santa Cruz, a facade of an old house in the historic center is called tapera. In the dictionary, tapera refers to ruins in a town.
S: Author
J: Before, there was no regulatory plan or an office that would tell people how to build. Rather, someone started with a tapera1, and the neighbor would make theirs similar or change some things; some would include a gallery, others a patio inside, and so on. Then this combination of different taperas was replicated in time throughout the center following its grid. It is no coincidence then, that 100 years later we, cruceños2, are proud of these taperas, even though they are old pieces of wood, that’s our identity and we must try to preserve the ones that remain. And this idea of preservation is a decision that was made 40 years ago, when people started talking about heritage. And now everything that can be preserved is preserved. In a process of rehabilitation and revaluation, these houses have already reached their end and can now be converted into a museum, gallery, or public space. Not everything has to be a museum though, it just needs to be a decent space for people to use. And the rehabilitation
S: With your experience and the fact that you have had the opportunity to study the evolution of the city center between what it was and what it is today, what is your opinion about the current state of the Casco Viejo?
J: Jery Dino Mendez, architect leading the Center of Historical Heritage (Dicepah), and professor of restoration and preservation.
J: It is important to consider what Santa Cruz was 60 years ago and what it has become now. Heritage is integrated into the tangible and the intangible. Cultural heritage encompasses the urban, the religious, and the traditional. The urban (tangible) includes the layout of streets, squares, parks, and architecture. And the traditional (intangible) includes culture, legends, expressions, music, and dance. These are the elements that make up the historic center and should be considered within its renovation. The historic center is an area that tells history, it shows, through architecture, people’s bureaucracy, customs, gastronomy, etc. (...), so the historic center is where the city was born and where it begins to emerge the typology of place. The type of architecture produced depends on whether it is a tropical or cold place. In the case of Santa Cruz, it is wood architecture, the use of palm and adobe as material, the galleries (…). There is a certain peculiarity and uniqueness of Santa Cruz in its galleries. So, it is important to harmonize and maintain the concept of galleries within new buildings. This is the way that history tells us which is the architecture that is generated. Then over time, the city grows within this framework of progress, but the worst that can happen to a city or town in any part of the world is to lose its identity, to lose the meaning of your grandparents’ and parents’ stories. Young generations should be able to experience
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS (FORMAL)
ADDITIONALAPPENDIXINFORMATION.
S: What would be the most important challenges to consider?
2 Cruceño: Person belonging to or relating to any of the towns/cities that bear the name of Cruz or Cruces (the people of Santa Cruz).
186
process begins when changing the function of a space, when some elements are sacrificed to achieve the objective of a new program (for example, 3 small rooms converted to a large living room). Preserving certain things from the past of a building gives identity and personality to the city because it shows what was there before and what is now; and that adds value to the work done. Because it is an honor to be able to conserve and preserve the history of our Casco Viejo. Then, comes the value proposition, which means showing and promoting architecture and change. You cannot value what you do not know. Santa Cruz has many possibilities to continue to be discovered, to find heritage elements and to start promoting them, so that the Casco Viejo can become a living museum. That is why I say that it is sad to show new generations what the Casco Viejo used to be only through postcards or photographs. It would be ideal that young people can experience heritage, that they can feel and understand it, not only see it through photography or hear it through stories. We still have the opportunity to prevent that from happening, rescuing our historic center and all its characteristic elements. It is the obligation of younger generations to have the intention of rescuing the past, because in the future, inevitably, they will be part of the past as well.
heritage, feel and understand it, not just see it through photography or hear it through stories. In the case of Santa Cruz, wooden architecture with adobe and colonial tile, its four-door windows, balustrade, etc., shaped our architecture style (although in many places this style can be called poor man’s architecture, it is our architecture and we are proud of it). Santa Cruz is full of palm trees, a tropical space, and in this case, architecture adapts to our reality.
J: There is, of course there is. A building that no one talks about, no one touches, no one comments on, and it is beautiful, is the Orphan Asylum (Los Huérfanos). This heritage building has a chapel, but it only fulfills the function of a printing press and profitable shops for rent. Although it has incredible value, and consists of almost the entire block, it has 4 patios, and it is an important building that not many people know about or pay attention to.
S: What are the most essential qualities for a J:rehabilitation?Itisimportant to offer environmentally safe conditions, such as an even sidewalk without so many changes of material to give a better experience to different people that have different abilities/or disabilities (being grandparents, children, and/or young people). Floors are important, streets and sidewalks, as well as lighting, roof or shelter (shade and rain), painting/visual quality of houses, seats, and urban furniture.
187 to be a proposal that ventures examples of other successful projects in the world, and that can be applied to our reality.
S: Are there certain spaces designated for certain uses, or for certain people?
J: In terms of maintenance, if you design a space with good infrastructural quality, people will take care of it. The public space must be respected; it is like the sidewalk. Sidewalks are supposed to be for walking, not for avoiding tripping over people like we do now. So, it is important to give users a space that they can appropriate.
F: The most sustainable cities aren’t going to be the ones that have the smartest technology, but instead the ones that people will not need a car in the first place. And for this, it is highly needed to create cities that are enjoyable to walk. If architects are able to solve the issues of public transportation, and at the same time with design encourage people to bike and walk, then we would be able to solve many other issues related such as economy, safety, and even community participation. We need these public spaces, and we need them to be safe, beautiful, and free to all people. It is necessary to improve the quality of life (urban and environmental quality), to recover meaning of urban heritage, and promote culture, uses and activities. Therefore, the reconstruction architecturally, socially, economically, and even aesthetically, must be focused on how to build spaces that can become a beacon of hope. So, I ask you now, how to build spaces for hope? And not only in Santa Cruz
S: How can a conscious intervention positively influence users’ daily lives?
S: Author F: Fernando Prado, Bolivian architect and urban planner.
S: Is there a building in Casco Viejo that you have in mind that needs an immediate renovation and intervention?
F: I think it is from the stores that the historic center started to go into crisis. The most prestigious stores want to go to the most modern areas outside the city center, and the factor that marks this preference is the fact that the historic center is chaotic. If we talk from 11 in the morning, to five in the afternoon, there is nowhere to park. There are people who do not want to come to the center because of that. A historic center must be a place where people feel they own the space, and that they can walk slowly without fear of being hit by a car. A place where people can grab a coffee, sit down, walk, and be able to see historic buildings. Right now, if you try to walk and
And therefore, areas that are supposed to be merely for circulation (like sidewalks) could be alleviated. It depends on the extent that you give places the use that corresponds and the politics implied, and if the space meets expectations, then it will be successful.
Online interview via zoom. (#2) June 02, 2021
Rehabilitation processes around the world are always the same, they have the same basic concepts. It is also important to make people participate, so that tomorrow they feel comfortable taking ownership. The “San Roque” area, for example, has the potential to become something similar to the plaza. Why not make a plan or pedestrian route, generate activities, souvenir stores, cafes, etc., something similar to the “Rinconcito” (a neighborhood) in Buenos Aires. It is important to have a comprehensive plan with all its elements: buildings, street, gallery, public space, religious space, etc., and it is also important to encourage people to stay as residents in the Casco Viejo, because that way people will give life 24/7 to the Casco Viejo.
S: What do you think is the biggest problem that the Casco Viejo is currently facing?
see the architecture surrounding you, you’ll be hit by a car. The tremendous increase of traffic robbed the street for social function. Social activities include children to play, greetings and conversations, communal activities of various kinds, and finally – as the most widespread social activities –passive contacts, that is, simply seeing and hearing other people. Public space should be understood as the social space in which strangers meet. This space includes boulevards and city parks, as well as cafes, theatres, and opera houses where ‘the public’ is congregated. In the Casco Viejo this mixing of people manifests by having people sitting on benches to enjoy the day or just to watch people pass by. Also having a soda, a snack, or playing chess. And for this, it is essential that the center is more pedestrian. Much more pedestrian than it is now. A historical center that is not pedestrian in the world no longer exists.
S:years.Ah,
S: Author R: Don Ricardo (approx 65 y/o), selling coffee at the plaza.
S: To what extent can urban planning and design methods serve as a catalyst for social and territorial transformation in the Casco Viejo?
S: What other problems exist that may not be so visible?
F: It could be the economy. The truth is that with our government, corruption is normal and even expected. But if we want to save the historic center, we need the economy to improve. For example, those who have businesses in the historic center should pay very little or no taxes, to encourage them to stay in the Casco Viejo. Those who have real estate have been told that they must maintain it because it is historical, but if that is the case then they should be exempted from taxes. They must also be given interest-free loans, so that they can have the resources to protect and restore their homes. There are a number of advantages that must be given to these residents, but there is absolutely nothing getting done.
S: Can I have a coffee please. (…) How long have you been selling coffee in the plaza?
R: Of course, it is, and it should be taken care by those responsible for the city, I think. (…) Have a good day niña5
S: No, no sugar please. And do you sell coffee only in the plaza or do you go to other places around the center?
R: Uju3, for many years now. Selling coffee is part of my life. Do you want with sugar?
5 Niña: girl in spanish
S: What is the urgency of an architectural intervention in the Historic Center?
DISCUSSIONS TRANSCRIPTS (INFORMAL)
188
F: The production of these spaces must come from the realities of our city, streets, violence, instability, poverty, environment, and inequality. We must learn to observe day-to-day problems because there is a history and a past that must be taken into account in order to look into the future, recover and re-imagine the city. Santa Cruz is all about its citizens, and these citizens have proven more and more not necessarily to be resilient, but to be creative, to look forward, to find solutions, to climb out of their challenges they are facing, and that gives hope to the city, its context and its economy. People aspire to approach culture as a comprehensive, flexible field and to transcend aesthetic and intellectual production by incorporating everyday life, and embracing the educated, popular, and mass cultures within their spaces. With the energy from the people, there is hope for this to be achieved.
S: Thanks for the coffee!
I see. You are quite right. It is important to try to keep the past alive, right?
3 Uju: Santa Cruz slang
F: The historic center is part of the living history preserved from the past. Therefore, it is important to manage a special treatment in urban interventions, looking for ways of renewal with respect to place. And to maintain, in the most faithful way, its urban landscape. Now, unfortunately, the result is that the Casco Viejo is an area in deep degradation, that is going to get worse and become not only completely abandoned, but highly dangerous. The preservation area is approximately 60 blocks, 4 blocks from the plaza. And there are regulation and policies that establishes how to conserve, preserve, rehabilitate, and propose new buildings within a specific framework for the historic center. Classifications of preservation includes buildings of monumental character, structural value, typological value, and environmental value. For example, the particularity and uniqueness of Santa Cruz are its galleries. It is important to harmonize and maintain the concept of galleries within new buildings. We must show that we have important spaces and buildings while maintaining what exists as much as possible. The persistence of use and visual identity of the urban landscape, as well as the appropriation of its forms and spaces by the social collective represents a meaningful culture. The urban landscape is constituted as an asset of patrimonial value, therefore it must be preserved or revitalized maintaining its identity of place and its unique characteristics. Therefore, urban revitalization aims to give meaning to the past in relation to the present and to recover tradition through collective memory.
but something that can be adapted in the entire country.
On-site conversation. (#1) May 5, 2021
4 Pues: Santa Cruz slang
S: And now you feel that it is no longer the same? Is the experience worse?
R: No pues4, the square is where there’s always people. The center is no longer like it used to be, when there was always a lot of people walking by all the time. Back then, one could sell everything, at any time, and on any street. It was easier to make a living.
R: Hmm, now I only see unknown faces all the time. Before, you became friends with the people you frequented. Now it is mostly tourists who come to the center. I think that the Casco Viejo has lost its vitality, its emotion and its character as a meeting place. New buildings are not intended for their users, and this is how the Casco Viejo has lost its meaning and direction over the
S: SEB:AuthorSebastian (approx. 30 y/o), a freelance musician playing the accordion outside the Museum of History.
S: I really liked that most of your songs are Bolivian songs. It is rare to hear cultural songs when it is not a holiday.
S: Oh, and always in this corner? Or do you move around the plaza too?
S: And what would you say would help you with your sales? Maybe a space where you can sell your food without restrictions?
DS: I don’t know, they say that the square has to be clean. So right now, there is limited sale. I am a little worried, there is no life, there is no work, there is nothing.
you were not understanding what he was S:saying.No,of course I understand you perfectly. So, you were telling me that what you need then is for authorities to help you with your DS:sells.Yeah, well, they don’t help. Selling our daily bread is a job for us, the poor; and authority do not want us to sell. Instead, they want to remove us (informal settlers/sellers) from the space, but they do not give us a solution either. They should first give us a space, and then they can take us out.
DS: Ah of course take photos niña. Here I show you, look I have empanadas of meat, chicken, and cheese.
thank you, that would be S:amazing!Anddo
S: Yes, and there should be more! And they should also have a proper space so that people can sit and listen, not just on
189 On-site conversation. (#2) May 9, 2021
S: Oh, so good! And do you come every day to sell empanadas here?
DS: Yeah, but we’ll see how the situation S:continues.Yes,let’s hope that once the pandemic alleviates a little, the economy will also improve. Thank you very much for the chat! I’ll buy you an empanada, of meat please.
SEB: At this point with the pandemic, the truth is that it is not just culture. Truth is that a level of cultural and economic rapprochement is needed. Culture can become a great economic development, something that attracts the inhabitants themselves and even tourists, which would greatly boost the economic growth of the entire city.
S: Sure, and promoting culture is a big part of your job, for example.
S: Sure, you first need a solution, right?
DS: No, just here. I do not enter there (main plaza) because the authorities do not let us.
DS: Yeah, we need authorities to employ us. What is the job of a president, mayor, councillor, or prefecture? What good are they if they don’t help us with our work? That is what worries me. They turn their backs on us and put us aside. They don’t listen to us. (…) You understand Spanish, right?
you feel then that culture has already been lost enough in the city?
S: Congratulations on your music, you played really well.
S: DS:AuthorDon Santiago (approx. 60 y/o), an everyday user who sells empanadas at sidewalks nearby the main plaza
S: Oh really, they won’t? And why?
DS: Oh sure, sure niña, thanks to you. Nice to chat with someone, it is no longer common for people to stop and talk with strangers.
SEB: Yes. Well not just mine, all artists, artisans, and musicians need a place where they can feel identified and share their talent. Being a city with so much to promise, it is necessary that we look and plan for the future. I believe that the city has a great potential for growth, and it has a lot to offer young people enthusiastic to learn more about culture. Cultural production is much bigger than we think, and sometimes we complain and can’t cope with it.
S: Yes, yes, of course. I’m from here, from Santa Cruz.
SEB: Thank you, thank you!
DS: Yes, yes. Sundays more than anything.
S: Good afternoon, I was just taking a photo of your empanadas.
DS: Ah, you don’t look from here. I thought
SEB: Thanks! Almost all I play is camba6 music. And yes, people are no longer used to celebrate culture on a daily basis. But that’s why we musicians are here for, to bring a bit of that culture to those who walk by the streets.
6 Camba: word historically used in Bolivia to refer to the indigenous population in the eastern tropical region of the country, or to those born in Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando. Its use is predominant in eastern Bolivia and is considered of cultural pride.
SEB:sidewalks.Ahwell
On-site conversation. (#3) May 9, 2021
S: Hello, how is it going?
S: No, no, I’m from here, Santa Cruz.
I: A long time ago, since I moved from Chile.
S: Sure, makes a lot of sense. But do you think it is important that local authorities take care of public spaces? In other words, to offer a better-established space for you to sell your magazines.
SOF: Hmm, one that’s safe and clean so people want to go. Something that is accessible to everyone and that has entertainment and things to do, at least on Sundays, which is when most people leave their homes for a walk to the plaza. Weekdays you see more people rushing to S:work.Ah
S: Hello, looks interesting what you are sell.
190
I: Oh interesting, it doesn’t seem like it.
I: Sure, thanks for your visit, and good luck in your work!
I: Of course, if you think about it, public spaces have always been defined by people and should therefore be redesigned by and for the people.
S: How long you’ve been in La Recova, I’ve never seen these stones before.
I: Yes, yes, but I love this city. And here I already have my wife and my children.
I: Thank you niña.
On-site conversation. (#4). May 14, 2021
S: Ah! You are Chilean!
S: Author
I: Well, it is convenient because it is close to the plaza so a lot of people come to wonder around, almost always they are tourists. Where do you come from? Are you a tourist?
S: SOF:AuthorSofia (approx. 25 y/o), settler on the opposite street corner of the plaza selling magazines, newspaper, and books at the sidewalk.
SOF: Good, good, what are you looking for? A magazine? Which will take?
SOF: Mmm no, at least not to me. I think that they are already used to it because I’m not the only one. Everyone sells everything on the sidewalks so it would be difficult to get us all out. And also, where else would we sell if not on sidewalks? It suits me a lot because people walk by or pass in their cars, and I can make a quick sell.
already great. Thanks for your contributions!
S: No, nothing specific. But I always see you here on this corner and I wondered if the authorities ever made you a problem for occupying the sidewalk to sell things?
SOF: Yes, I think that maybe the municipality should give more importance to our spaces and include those who are part of the everyday life. And that would help us a lot to be able to sell more too. If there is, say, a space that encourages a sense of community, collaboration, and togetherness, people will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it.
S: Ah look, what you say is very interesting. Now I’ll stop wasting any more of your time so you can keep playing. I’ll come another day so we can chat a little more!
SEB: Super, good luck!
S: I see...
May 16, 2021
S: Yeah, I am just looking into public spaces for architectural research. Actually, I will take this opportunity to ask you, do you feel involved in the decisions that the municipality makes about public spaces?
S: Oh, that’s good, and I see that you really enjoy what you do for a living. What is it like to have a little stall here in La Recova for your handicrafts?
S: And what would be a good place for you?
I: Don Iván (approx. 50 y/o), a hardworking man selling stones at artisans’ market “La Recova”.
I: Hmm, look, I think that we (users) are not the ones who create the space. I mean we are not architects or urbanists, but we are the ones who define public space after all so the design of it should be focus on our needs I think.
On-site conversation. (#5)
S: Yes, you have a very valid point. Thanks for sharing, it is important to know how users feel in public spaces for my project.
Dr. Mario Suárez-Riglos, Bolivian paleontology researcher at the Museum of History, and professor at the UAGRM.9
9
191
Plaza: A public square, marketplace, or similar open space in a built-up area.
Trufis: A type of taxi that has a set or fixed route, similar to a bus.
CEDURE: Library of the Center for Studies for Urban and Regional Development (Biblioteca del Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Urbano y Regional)
CADECOCRUZ: Chamber of Construction of Santa Cruz (Cámara de la Construcción de Santa Cruz)
INE: National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística)
Casco Viejo: old town
(…) I would like to start by saying that unfortunately Santa Cruz does not have much museum awareness, the inhabitants are not interested in culture. Perhaps they are in other cities in Bolivia, but in Santa Cruz there really is still a lot of work to be done on this issue. Our museological conscience is very poor. When I was director of the Natural History Museum, I proposed the idea that on Sundays a space would be opened where people can listen to classical music and at the same time see the museum, but there were very few people interested in learning about culture. And we have had several meetings with other authorities as to what to do to change this.
Plan Techint: A city plan proposal developed by German urban planner Philip Lohbauer, approved in 1967 to define the general urban design and public service infrastructure of the Santa Cruz – focused on the implementation and growth of green areas. The plan consisted of modern ideas and concepts that defined a new city, which in return influenced Bolivian urbanism during the following decades.
ICE: Santa Cruz Statistics Institute (Instituto Cruceño de Estadística)
Universidad Autónoma Gabriel Rene Moreno
area where the first tiles of the city were placed). We must continue working so that culture is made known, baroque architecture for example is something unique in the world. We have a lot of culture to show and offer, not only what Santa Cruz had but also what it claims to have. It is time for us to rethink where we are going, not only the museums, but also the people of Santa Cruz and our culture. And I think we should try to recover part of the collective memory of Santa Cruz that contributes to the enrichment and revaluation of the urban landscape of the Casco Viejo.
Cruceño: Person belonging to or relating to any of the towns/cities that bear the name of Cruz or Cruces (the people of Santa Cruz).
DICEPAHI: Board of the City Center Historical Heritage & Municipal Secretary of Planning (Direccion del Centro y Patrimonio Historico & Secretaria Municipal de Planificacion)
May 18, 2021
KEY TERMINOLOGIES
Metropolitana: Metropolis
Camba: A word historically used in Bolivia to refer to the indigenous population in the eastern tropical region of the country, or to those born in Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando. Its use is predominant in eastern Bolivia and is considered of cultural pride.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTS
Tapera: In Santa Cruz, a facade of an old house in the historic center is called tapera. In the dictionary, tapera refers to ruins in a town.
Topic: Make known the importance of culture in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
There is a lack of communication, to make our museums known, perhaps it might be helpful to share information on the newspapers in order to reach more people. It is essential to show people what heritage means. For example, sugar cane, is an element that people don’t really pay attention to but it is very cultural and could even be used as construction material. Santa Cruz has an enormous capacity to demonstrate its culture and permanent identity. And architecture and design should let people know the meaning of spaces (such as the
7 La Larga Noche de Museos Santa Cruz
8 https://fb.watch/8JYTUPzB82/
Extracted from panelist presentation during “The Long Night of Museums Santa [video,Cruz”73:10:00 and 3:35:00]8
REFLECTION
192
Partnuance.Three
Part One of my report introduces the theme, elaborating on the problem, question, hypothesis, and research aim which gives meaning and identity to the project. Many thoughts evolved along the way - both my hypothesis and research aim changed in response to further findings; and as a result, I now understand that change is also part of the research itself.
is based on methods of observation, mapping, and discussion. This field research became an experience of recollecting, remembering, and comparing information, which enabled me to perceive and understand: the dialects of permanence and change, culture and time, and practices and behaviours. Even though Covid-19 could have limited my performance during my field research, I believe I still came along a successful ethnographic study based on different patterns of user’s everyday life and practices. Furthermore, giving a deeper understanding of established relationships within my research, I had different discussions with users and experts on the topic. The aim was to give people a voice in the research itself. Looking back at my methodology approach, I am convinced that I chose
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
The problem of studying a city was that it is such a huge entity that it required a multitude of points of view. It is a physical place, yes, so it could be approached from geography, where a multitude of people of diverse origins (sociology) coexist, with a temporal (history) and artistic (architecture) extension – to name just a few. Urbanism, for example, led me to understanding issues with politics; researching about previous technologies and traditional materials led me to the study of innovation and
SELF-ASSESSMENT
smart cities; and learning about the economy was a constant analysis as it is a factor that keeps changing depending on crisis. These various disciplines were adequate to focus on the city, yet they encompassed a large portion of information that was incredibly unmanageable for my thesis project. However, at the same time, all of them by themselves, fall short. Consequently, the real challenge was limiting my results during the research phase because even when I started to narrow down data, additional studies were needed to be addressed (or readdressed). Therefore, I think it is important to highlight that the outcomes of my research were not driven in a linear way. Instead, it became a constant process of narrowing and expanding information back and forth, interchanging from question to result and the other way around. Yet this process created a research cycle that eventually led toward a conscious, integrated, and restorative design scheme.
Explore Lab focuses on the personal fascination of each student, allowing them to pursue a specific topic for research, and further develop a design responding to their findings. Far more than personal attachment to the city I was born and raised, the common study of public spaces and its relation to human behaviour is a topic that I’ve always felt passion for, yet never had the opportunity to delve into. I immediately felt there was a connection to the way the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia is constantly responding to growth and urban development over the years, and particularly how its historic centre (Casco Viejo) is being affected in response. Explore Lab was therefore the opportunity to further study this connection and come up with a hypothesis that could address issues of abandonment and decay in an area with great patrimonial value as is the Casco Viejo.
Part Two develops and reviews my hypothesis based on previous literature, which became a dialogue of contemporary debates and theories concerning public space. I elaborated on key terms, the concept of public spaces, issues surrounding the historic context of the Casco Viejo, and the complexity of its management. Within this literature review, I realized that too often scholarly discourse refers to public space in black and white terms, when in reality the perception of public space is far more complex and
After too many stressful situations that I was subjected to face during this year (particularly during these past few months), I must express how grateful I am for the support of those who encouraged me through the hard times. And how deeply proud I feel for the work I’ve come to accomplish, and the tenacity that brought me this far.
So far, the entire process of my thesis has demonstrated myself my own unconscious ability to draw conclusions from a much wider constituency, and to relate with sensitivity and responsiveness to current challenges in the Casco Viejo. That being said, I believe my project reflects a well round cycle of research translated to a design proposal and further plan of action.
situation was the necessary motivation for me to continue my thesis.
193 the most suitable methods for my study since they allowed me to get into proximity with users and expand my knowledge on unknown topics during interviews with experts.
Finally, Part Six reveals the final design of Los Huerfanos, the anchor project of the Urban Strategy. The chapter evolves from information on the existing building, followed by the design development step-by-step process, program and structure, and ending with drawings and realistic impressions of the project proposal.
This entire journey has not just led me to receive a masters degree, but it has taught me way more than what this degree could ever represent. I have come to realize the many obstacles that were presented along the way, being family health circumstances or even inconveniences and issues with my first assigned BT mentor. And I am conscious that being able to continue after every fall proves our human capability to cope with problems (being personally and professionally) and has made me stronger in all
Part Four reflects on research conclusions and arrive at a design proposal that suggests a new classification of urban space, defined as urban voids. Even though this was merely the conclusion of my research, additional studies and technicalities of specific urban voids needed to be re-addressed even after the research phase concluded. Furthermore, this chapter comprises all gathered data and findings discussed so far which drives the conclusions made based on the context and program that will be addressed in the design phase.
Therefore,aspects.
Part Five is the starting point of my design concept, which focuses on transforming urban voids into urban lounges. This chapter was essential for the translation of research conclusions to design since it evolved into an Urban Strategy that divided broad objectives into more feasible phases. This was of immense guide toward identifying an object for design (anchor project). To make sure to get all required data before moving forward, I completed an extra field research phase to have more information on the building of Los Huerfanos to handle it as the architectural case for my design.
To conclude, Explore Lab also gives students the opportunity to arrange their own team of mentors focussed on research, architecture, and building technology. Each with their own speciality, knowledge, and experience were of immense support for my project to exceed even my own expectations. I am greatly satisfied with the feedback and support I received from my tutors, not only concerning my project but considering as well difficult family circumstances that occur right after my P2, which made the completion of my thesis way more challenging to handle than anticipated. I must say that their support and understanding of the
I consider this project has the potential to not only demonstrate my skills and knowledge as an architect, but it has become living prove of the type of professional I aspire to be: perseverant when presented with obstacles, optimistic when circumstances change, relentless upon difficult situations. In one word, resilient.