Presentation at the "New School" of New York

1. ARCHITECTURE AS
INTERVENTION IN POLITICAL
AND ECONOMIC POWER
Fernando
Murillo
University of
Buenos
Aires
N.Y. March
6th 2017

3. ARCHITECTURE VS HOUSING?
Architecture:
Art and Science
reflecting the
highest values of
a Culture
Housing:
Response to critical
habitat social needs
according to
minimum standards
Political and
Economic Power

4. I. Approaches
evolution
II. Participatory
design?
III.A way
forward!
Agenda

5. I. APPROACH EVOLUTION
Periods. Approaches and tools
1900-1950. I-II WW Classic-
Philantropy
Cheap houses for urban workers.
Industrial firms helping their workers
1950-1970. Post-war.
Human rights. Modernism
Industrialized massive complexes.
Land use and densities zonning .
1970- middle 80.
Hábitat I 1976. Oil crisis
Critics of modernism
Site & services, self-build suburban
areas to settle evicted people.
Bioclimatic architecture
Middle 1980-2000.
Environmental crisis Hábitat
II 1996. Sustainable
development
Smaller housing complexes (up 3
stories) , land regularisation,
environmental impact assessmens.
2000-2016. Climate change
and migration. Hábitat III
2016. The right to the city
Renewal housing complex. Mix
densities, land uses. Slum upgrading.
Disaster risk reduction

6. CLASSIC PHILANTROPY. 1900-1950.
BUTTELER NEIGHBORHOOD. PARQUE
CHACABUCO. 64 HOUSING UNITS
(1907). BUENOS AIRES

8. Modern architecture: Plan Voisin (1925). Paris

9. CRITICS OF MODERNISM: HÁBITAT I. (1976) JANE
JACOBS. OIL CRISIS.
PRUIT-IGGOE (1972)

10. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: BIO-
CLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE.

11.  The enabling approach: People, markets and social housing
 Sustainable development vs. Globalization
 Best practices promoting new search for affordable housing
HABITAT II (1996) “SHELTER FOR ALL”

12. Singapur sustainable housing

13. BIJLMERMEER REDEVELOPMENT
PROJECT. AMSTERDAM.
NETHERLANDS OMA, 2000

14. THE RIGHT TO THE CITY. HÁBITAT III
CITY-WIDE SLUM UPGRADING
PROGRAM (MEDELLIN, 2010)

15. HOUSING APPROACH
IQUIQUE. CHILE
(ELEMENTAL. A. ARAVENA)

16. Challenges ahead
1. Slum upgrading promotes
gentrification
2. Housing continue being
unaffordable for the most
vulnerable
3. Self-help housing continue
being the only option
4. Low density without services
leads to city sprawl
5. Massive high densities
creates social allienation
6. Job creation continue being
disconnected from plans.
Can participatory
planning make a
difference?
II. Participatory design?
Social
Economic
Environmental
Cultural
Location in the urban fabric
Need for jobs and better income
Socio-territorial segregation
High vulnerability to
disaster of slum
dwellers
Low self steem and
identity loss in
public housing

17. “Compass”. Community self-organization to
define priorities for public works and regulations
with a human rights approach
“Migraplan” impredictable
migration corridors expanding
cities and informal settlements
“Participlan”: Pact
between neighbours
and municipalities to
implement projects
Design by Research

18. 80 80
80
80
60
60
60
60
40 40
40
20
20
20
20
Diagnosis
Action plan
Human rights
Regulations
Works and
public
services
40
The
«Compass»
Community organization
1) Suelo y vivienda
2) Infraestructura
3) Equipamientos
4) Accesibilidad
5) Sustentabilidad

19. Soldati: Barrio DormitorioZagala: Barrio concentrador de pobres
Varela: Asociación público-privado (Iglesia) San Carlos: Banco de tierra y auto-gestión

20. Participation challeng public policies

21. Suacha, Colombia

24. City-wide slum upgrading in Kigali
(Rwanda)

26. REFUGEE RE-HOUSING
PLAN IN GAZA STRIP

30.  Architecture is a powerful tool
to build community
empowerment and identity
 Participatory design is a way to
find community based solutions
to housing challenges
 Implementing participatory
architecture in concrete
projects is a way to challenge
top-down urban planning
 Overcoming individual solutions
for community and city-wide
approaches is a feasible way to
achieve the right to the city.
 The right to the city goes
beyond to ensure all people
speak up to decide on the
habitat and city where they
want to live.
III. A WAY FORWARD!