Arq.
Duration: 10 lessons.
The aim of this module was to understand the interrelation between climate, metabolism and architecture through the design of a climatic commune in Barcelona. The exercise consisted on the design of a housing complex based on the principles of climatic adaptation, passive strategies, energy efficiency and circular metabolism.
The project was developed through different scales, from the urban insertion and masterplan to the architectural design of a housing block and its details. Across this process, the integration of passive strategies, renewable energies, materials selection, construction techniques, waste management were key aspects to achieve a net zero energy building inserted in a circular urban metabolism.
Project: Climatic Commune Barcelona
Specialty: Climate
Valer daniel rudics green roofs dissertation_projectDani Rud
The problem statement for the dissertation is ‘how can green roofs influence the
urban environment’. The theory is based on analyses related to the green roof technology
and how could green roofs make the urban life a more sustainable, a more habitable and a
more pleasant environment to live in. The analyses focus on several points that bring out the
impacts urban life is combating with at the moment and the aim is to find out how the
problems can be remediated.
There are many analyses that argument about green roofs having a positive impact upon the
urban environment. And even though the technology is rather new, green roofs projects are
increasingly implemented nowadays. In order to find more about those impacts and their
solutions you are invited to read about them in the following pages.
Valer daniel rudics green roofs dissertation_projectDani Rud
The problem statement for the dissertation is ‘how can green roofs influence the
urban environment’. The theory is based on analyses related to the green roof technology
and how could green roofs make the urban life a more sustainable, a more habitable and a
more pleasant environment to live in. The analyses focus on several points that bring out the
impacts urban life is combating with at the moment and the aim is to find out how the
problems can be remediated.
There are many analyses that argument about green roofs having a positive impact upon the
urban environment. And even though the technology is rather new, green roofs projects are
increasingly implemented nowadays. In order to find more about those impacts and their
solutions you are invited to read about them in the following pages.
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
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Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
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The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
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Honest Reviews of Tim Han LMA Course Program.pptxtimhan337
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This presentation provides a briefing on how to upload submissions and documents in Google Classroom. It was prepared as part of an orientation for new Sainik School in-service teacher trainees. As a training officer, my goal is to ensure that you are comfortable and proficient with this essential tool for managing assignments and fostering student engagement.
3. The Line
This book represents a year in my life. It is a line that takes dif-
ferent directions as time progresses. It is about architecture proj-
ects that were modelled together with different professors and
classmates, moments that became spaces, people, friends, who
were accompanying and being part of this whole process during
this 2023 in Madrid.
The line is time and at the same time the path I went through. It
is the path that I was drawing and modifying and that in turn was
modifying my way of thinking, of seeing, of projecting, of living.
Introduction
M.a. _ 2023
MCH. Master in Collective Housing.
UPM. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
ETH. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich.
Architect _ 2021
FAU. Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
UNT. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán.
Nationality
Argentina + Spain
Email
jeronazurarq@gmail.com
MCH
The Master of Architecture in Collective Housing is a postgradu-
ate full-time international professional program of advanced ar-
chitecture design in cities, housing and energy studies presented
by Universidad Politécnica of Madrid and Swiss Federal Institute
of Technology.
Director
Dr. Arch. José María de Lapuerta Montoya
General Manager
Arch. Nuria Muruais Angel
Jerónimo José Nazur
Dedication
About
To God,
To Luli, my parents, Fernando & Ana Laura, and my brother, Igna-
cio, for their unconditional support and love.
To my family and friends, to my teachers and partners, to
Apóstoles de Lourdes, to Colegio Nueva Concepción and Facultad
de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, for being there in every step of my
formation and carreer and encaurage me to be a better person
and professional.
4. Workshops
W_01. Hrvoje Njiriç. Housing the unpredictable
W_02. Andrea Deplazes. Working + living
W_03. Juan Herreros. Residential productive towers
W_04. Elli Mosayebi. Domestic fragments
W_05. Batlle i Roig. Merging city & nature
W_06. Dietmar Eberle. 200 100 50 20 10 - Years
W_07. Anne Lacaton. Housing & reuse at SSB
Specialties
S_00. 3D Printing
S_01. Climate, Metabolism & Architecture
S_02. Housing Practice
S_03. Construction & Technology.
S_04. Sociology, Economy & Politics
S_05. Leadership, Processes & Entrepreneurship
S_06. Low Resources & Emergency Housing
S_07. Urban Design & Landscape
S_08. City Sciences
S_09. LEED Certification
MCH Program Housing
S_03. Green-houses: from Amsterdam to Reykjavik
W_06. 200 100 50 20 10 - Years
S_01. Climatic commune in Barcelona
W_01. Mooring (in) the City
W_03. Nature Prime
W_07. Housing & reuse at SSB
6
8
34
44
60
76
92
Urbanism
S_08. InnovaMadrid Norte
W_05. Inbetween
114
116
134
Research
S_02. Social Agreements
S_04. Yerba Buena: 1st in #trends
150
152
160
Contents
6. 8 9
Green-houses: from Amsterdam to Reykjavik
S_03. Construction & Technology.
MSc. Arq. Ignacio Fernández Solla
Eng. Archie Campbell
Eng. David Castro
Arq. Diego García Setién
10 lessons.
Andrés Padilla _ MEX
Isabel Monsalve _ ECU
Krishna Yadav _ IND
The aim of this module was to understand buildings as enti-
ties based on the interplay of three physical realms, Structure,
Envelope & Services, connected by a Industrialization process.
The exercise consisted on taking an existing collective hous-
ing building, in this case Patio Houses by Josep Lluis Mateo in
Amsterdam, and relocate it in a different climate, extreme cold
in a highly industrialized economy or tropical warm climate in
a modestly industrialized economy. Across this process the
project was reconceptualized in terms of envelope, structure
and services and reindustrialized for a better performance in
the new location.
Project
Specialty
Leader
Assistants
Duration
Team
Abstract
7. MCH 2023 Housing 11
10
Patio Houses by Josep Lluís Mateo Green-houses, new proposal
8. MCH 2023 Housing 13
12
Latitude: 52º 22’ 22”.
Temperature: 1º to 20º.
Sun hours: 8 to 16 hours.
Patios.
Row Houses.
Harbour proximity to increase apartment value.
Amsterdam
Project DNA
Latitude: 64º08’07”.
Temperature: -9º to 12º.
Sun hours: 4 to 21 hours.
Greenhouses or wintergardens.
Row houses.
Harbour proximity for productive reasons.
Reykjavik
New DNA
N
9. MCH 2023 Housing 15
14
1. Streets
Only two vehicular streets to
access the port and for load-
ing and unloading products in
the market.
Pedestrian streets and bicy-
cle paths around the housing.
2. Program
In addition to the row houses,
there were a plaza, a patio
and a market for fisherpeople
to sell fresh products.
3. Pitched roofs
Change from flat roof to
pitched roof due to climatic
issues. Heavy snowfall and
strong winds.
4. Public space
In order to aboid long façades
and to promote social life out-
side the houses, some units
were deleted.
In this way, we created patios
between houses.
5. Subtraction
Subtraction of part of the vol-
umes generating the access
and the greenhouse.
6. Greenhouses
Both the access and the
greenhouses are covered
with glass in order to get nat-
ural light to the interiors.
7. Sun exposure
The accesses and the green-
houses are exposed to the
sun in order to heat the pri-
vate spaces.
8. Wind deflection by
shape
The triangular shape deflects
the wind.
9. Wind deflection by veg-
etation
In addition to the shape, local
vegetation helps to deflect
the strong winds that come
from all directions.
10. Masterplan
With the market in the front
to relate with the industrial
district. Direct access from
the city to the port and 46
housing units with plazas and
patios between them.
11. MCH 2023 Housing 19
18
Amsterdam Reykjavik
GSEducationalVersion
F F
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Patio Houses
Double row.
Long service core.
Voids & solids.
Lagre façade facing north and south.
ducationalVersion
SOLID VOID SOLID SOLID SOLID SOLID
VOID VOID VOID VOID
GSEducationalVersion
F F
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
GSEducationalVersion
F F
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Green-houses
Single row.
Double & short service core.
Voids & solids.
Large façade facing south .
GSEducationalVersion
SOLID VOID SOLID SOLID SOLID SOLID
VOID VOID VOID VOID
GSEducationalVersion
water water
N S
WinterSun
S
u
m
m
e
r
S
u
n
water
N S
Winter Sun
S
u
m
m
e
r
S
u
n
GSEducationalVersion
water water
N S
WinterSun
S
u
m
m
e
r
S
u
n
water
N S
Winter Sun
S
u
m
m
e
r
S
u
n
N N
S S
N
12. MCH 2023 Housing 21
20
GSEducationalVersion
GSEducationalVersion
GSEducationalVersion
GSEducationalVersion
Post + beam
with articulations
Foundations
Bracing for constant
seismic activity
Roller articulation
GSEducationalVersion
GSEducationalVersion
Single unit
module
Pinned articulation
4 units system
Articulation with
adjacent unit
14. MCH 2023 Housing 25
24
CEILING FINISH
50 mm multi-layer wood panels.
STRUCTURE
Timber column, 400 x 140 mm thick.
INTERIOR FINISH
18 mm multi-layer wood panel.
Vapour barrier, polyethylene sheet,
0.2 mm thick.
Silicone seal with polyethylene backing.
Aluminium window straps
fixed to window & structure.
Corrugated / corten steel cladding 5mm
thick.
Metal sections for corrugated sheet,
C-section.
Icelandic rockwool insulation,
100 mm thick.
Icelandic rockwool insulation,
200 mm thick.
Permeable polyurethane lining for
wood protection, 1.5 mm thick.
Timber panel, 75 mm thick.
GLAZING
2 layers, 48 mm thick.
Vapour breathable, waterproof membrane
0.2 mm thick.
INTERIOR FINISH
18 mm multilayer wood panel.
Vapour barrier, polyethylene sheet,
0.2 mm thick.
Timber panel, 75 mm.
Permeable polyurethane lining for
wood protection, 1.5 mm thick.
Permeable polyurethane lining for
wood protection, 1.5 mm thick.
Icelandic rockwool insulation,
100 mm thick.
Icelandic rockwool insulation,
200 mm thick.
Metal section for corrugated sheet
C-section.
Metal sheet cladding 5 mm thick.
STRUCTURE
Timber column, 200 x 300 mm thick.
Façade detail _ Plan
Façade detail _ Section
GLAZING
2 layers, 48 mm thick.
Aluminum window straps
fixed to the window & structure.
WATERPROOFING
Bitumen Capping sheet resistant
to roots.
Elastomeric bitumen layer with
glass lattice reinforcement.
Elastomeric bitumen vapour
barrier.
Bitumen primer.
Silicone seal with
polyethylene backing.
GREEN ROOF
Substrate.
Filter fleece.
Drainage board (geogrid).
Protection & storage fleece.
Perlite screed 70mm
Permeable polyurethane lining for
wood protection, 1.5 mm thick.
STRUCTURE
Timber beam, 400 x 140 mm.
THERMAL INSULATION
polyurethane foam panels,
160 mm thick.
Roof detail _ Section
15. MCH 2023 Housing 27
26
Air handling unit
Heating
District heating.
Centralized system.
Radiant floor heating.
Hydronic floor heating sys-
tem with different circuits.
Serpentine layout.
Water supply
Water consumption per day
per unit.
3 to 4 people per unit.
4ppl x 80L = 320L per unit.
Ventilation
Mechanical ventilation
system.
Pipe district heating plant
Water temperature 65 -100
Heat exchanger
Storage of rain
water in tanks
Water distribution
16. MCH 2023 Housing 29
28
Modules 1A & 1B
Module 2
Auxiliar bracing for shipping
Shipment layout
Modular 3D construction.
Shipments from port to port.
From wood source in Copenhagen to assembly plant in Reyk-
javik.
From assembly plant to site.
Industrialization
17. MCH 2023 Housing 31
30
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
03. Module 1B
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
01.Foundations in - situ
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
02. Module 1A
1. Foundations
They are done at the begin-
ning on site with concrete
in order to assembly the 3D
modules on them.
2. Module 1A
Assembly of the first half of
the housing unit.
3. Module 1B
Assembly of the second half
of the housing unit.
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
05. Final result
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
04. Accesses and Grenhouses
ASSEMBLY PROCESS
03. Module 2
4. Module 2
Assembly of the workspace
module.
5. Greenhouses
Glass roofs and wooden
structures from the front,
middle and back part of the
units.
6. Modules assembled
4 to 8 Modules assembled
in line, based on the master-
plan.
19. 34 35
200 100 50 20 10 - Years
W_06. Dietmar Eberle. 200 100 50 20 10 - Years.
Arch. Dietmar Eberle
Dr. Arq. Alberto Nicolau
5 lessons.
The workshop proposed an exercise with a quite innovative
methodology. Three places of intervention were proposed in
Madrid: the first located in the historic city, the second in the
city of the 19th century and the third in the city of the 21st
century. The process consisted on three design stages: first
the shape in the urban context, then the structure and finally
the façade.
It was about working on each of these design stages for a day,
in a different place. The next day, the students would change
category and location, with the possibility of continuing a
classmate's work or starting a process from the beginning. In
the end, the students chose one location and developed the
three stages.
In this case, it is shown the final result of the whole process in
the 21st century city, one block (5924 m²) in front of the Madrid
Río park.
Project
Workshop
Leader
Assistants
Duration
Abstract
20. MCH 2023 Housing 37
36
Urban strategie
Site 3 _ Madrid Río _ 21st Centur
Jerónimo Nazur
MCH _ W7 _ Dietmar Eberle & Alberto Nicolau
C shape completing the existing block.
Defined limits of public and private space.
Principal façade facing Madrid Rio Park.
Maintain context heights.
Site & Shape
N
21. MCH 2023 Housing 39
38
Structure & Circulation
Tipical floorplan _ 1:500
Jerónimo Nazur
MCH _ W7 _ Dietmar Eberle & Alberto Nicolau
Possible Distribution
Typical floorplan _ 1:500
Jerónimo Nazur
MCH _ W7 _ Dietmar Eberle & Alberto Nicolau
Modular concrete grid.
Irregularity given by cantilevers.
4 cores in order to have flexibility and reduce corridors surface.
Structure
Possible housing distribution
Typical floorplan
Jerónimo Nazur
MCH _ W7 _ Dietmar Eberle & Alberto Nicolau
Structure axonometric
N
22. MCH 2023 Housing 41
40
Façade & Envelo
Deta
+20.00
Level 6
+23.00
Level 7
+17.00
Level 5
+14.00
Level 4
+11.00
Level 3
+8.00
Level 2
+5.00
Level 1
+00.00
Level 0
Section _ 1:100
Detail _ 1:25
Plan _ 1:100
Jerónimo Nazur
MCH _ W7 _ Dietmar Eberle & Alberto Nicolau
+20.00
Level 6
+23.00
Level 7
+17.00
Level 5
+14.00
Level 4
+11.00
Level 3
+8.00
Level 2
+5.00
Level 1
+00.00
Level 0
Section _ 1:100
Detail _ 1:25
Façade Section
Façade Detail
Concrete: structure.
Bricks: Panels with metallic
frames and pivot that can
rotate 90º in order to open or
close the hole façade.
Steel: railing and frames.
Climate regulation, flexibility
and dynamism.
+20.00
Level 6
+23.00
Level 7
+17.00
Level 5
+14.00
Level 4
+11.00
Level 3
+8.00
Level 2
+5.00
Level 1
+00.00
Level 0
Section _ 1:100
Detail _ 1:25
Plan _ 1:100
Façade Floorplan
24. 44 45
Climatic commune in Barcelona
S_01. Climate, Metabolism & Architecture.
Dr. Arq. Javier García Germán
9 lessons.
Brittany Seigert _ USA
Camilo Meneses _ CHL
Nestor Lenarduzzi _ ARG
William Castro _ PER
The module explored the design opportunities which the fields
of thermodynamics and ecology are opening to architecture,
and specifically to the field of collective housing. It was fo-
cused on climatic questions and on the metabolic dimension
of architecture, with the objective of finding design strategies
which bridge the void between quantitative and qualitative ap-
proaches.
The specialty was immersed in the quotidian implications of
sustainability, connecting everyday life to architecture, which
introduces to the specialty the ethnological dimension of ar-
chitecture.
All this concepts were first implemented on a climatic proto-
type for winter and summer in Barcelona, and finally in a 20
units collective housing scheme in the same city.
Project
Specialty
Leader
Duration
Team
Abstract
26. MCH 2023 Housing 49
48
Modular concrete grid.
Irregularity given by cantilevers.
4 cores in order to have flexibility and reduce corridors surface.
Barcelona Modular concrete grid.
Irregularity given by cantilevers.
4 cores in order to have flexibility and reduce corridors surface.
Climatic analisys
N
27. MCH 2023 Housing 51
50
Winter _ Afternoon at the beach Summer _ Afternoon in a plaza
Winter _ night in the city Summer _ night in the city
Winter _ Morning at the beach Summer _ Morning at the beach
28. MCH 2023 Housing 53
52
HEATING
strategy
COOLING/
HEATING
strategy
COOLING
strategy
winter
heating
cooling
summer
PASIVE
THERMAL
EXCHANGE
solar chimney
thermal heater
with foliage
P
E
R
G
O
L
A
S
U
N
E
X
P
O
S
I
T
I
O
N
T
E
M
P
S
T
A
B
I
L
I
T
Y
B
L
O
C
K
S
U
N G
E
T
R
I
D
O
F
H
U
M
T
E
M
P
S
T
A
B
I
L
I
T
Y
L
I
F
T
L
O
W
A
L
B
E
D
O
WALL
G
R
E
E
N
H
O
U
S
E
(-)
without foliage
Modular concrete grid.
Irregularity given by cantilevers.
4 cores in order to have flexibility and reduce corridors surface.
Prototype
Cooling and heating strategies diagram
30. MCH 2023 Housing 57
56
Co
m
p
a
c
t
e
a
r
t
h
Prefabr
i
c
a
t
e
d
c
o
n
c
r
e
t
e
W
o
o
d
1000 km
1
Quarry
Lérida province
1
Quarry
Lérida province
2
2 3
Fabric
Mollerusa
150 km
2
Galicia Region
Sawmill
30 - 40 km
10 - 20 km
10 - 20 km
1
Barcelona
Greenhouse
Jasm
i
n
Dissasembly
Raw earth
Dissasembly
Prefabricated concrete
Building
as a vertical garden
Wooden and
concrete structure
as a public space
Forest
1
Galicia Region
Bugan
v
i
l
l
a
Barcelona
Distribution centre
2
Material selection and transportation
Winter _ Night
Summer _ Night
Winter _ Morning
Summer _ Morning
32. 60 61
Mooring (in) the city
W_01. Hrvoje Njiriç. Housing the unpredictable.
Arch. Hrvoje Njiriç
Arq. Esperanza Campaña
5 lessons.
Lucas Navarro Arévalo _ ARG
Nestor Lenarduzzi _ ARG
This workshop was designed to challenge and seek creativ-
ity with ideas and concepts in architectural design for areas
affected by a natural catastrophy, war or threatened by a pan-
demic situation. It aimed to promote a multitude of answers,
coming up with affordable and sustainable units of limited size
and budget to meet the urgent demands.
For this challenge, the chosen location was the Santa Fe City
in Argentina, a place sorrounded by rivers that have constantly
flooded the city since its foundation in 1573.
In this project, an attempt to give an architectural answer to
an specific social group of Santa Fe, fishermen, was made by
taking advantage of the city's abandoned and incomplete in-
fraestructure.
Project
Workshop
Leader
Assistant
Duration
Team
Abstract
34. MCH 2023 Housing 65
64
Last flood.
In 2003 the biggest flood occurred in the
city and 4 surrounding towns, due to an
unprecedented growth of the level of the
Salado river (because of the rain in the
north) and intense precipitations at the
same time.
Despite the fact that there were defense
embankments, 15 meters north of the city
had not been finished, and there is where
the water began to enter. As the city was in
the river valley, to release the accumulated
water, it was necessary to blow up the
embankments in seven strategic points to
release it.
Flood history.
After 80 years since its foundation in 1573,
the city moved 60 km south due to the
coastal erosion done by the Cayastá river
(tributary of Paraná river).
The new place was not better. The city
suffered significant floods in 1905, 1915,
1966, 1973, 1983 and 1998.
During this time, various embankment sys-
tems were constructed to act as a defense
against them.
Santa Fe City, Argentina.
Founded in 1573 .
Around 500.000 inhabitants.
70% of the Santa Fe city is occupied by riv-
ers, lagoons, and wetlands, and it is located
between the flood valleys of the Salado and
Paraná rivers.
35. MCH 2023 Housing 67
66
The project is meant to host and provide permanent or tempo-
ral housing to fisher people and their families.
During past floods they were relegated to the south of the city
still in dangerous locations, by the rivers.
Artist: Juan Aparicio (1931 - 2019).
Vulnerable society The site was chosen from the existing abandoned infraestruc-
ture of the Santa Fe city.
The concrete pilars for a bridge were constructed but it was
never finished and nowadays still remains in disuse.
An habitable bridge system could be implemented for hosting
fisher people and also provide the city with links to satelite cit-
ies across the river.
Urban opportunities
N
36. MCH 2023 Housing 69
68
System 1: City link.
City connection emergency
services area.
System 3 (bridge): Housing 1.
Permanent housing and cohou-
sing market main circulation.
System 2: Housing link.
Plazas / public spaces.
Links the bridge and the
river.
System 4 (river): Housing 2.
Permanent cohousing, tempo-
rary housing and common wor-
king space and services.
37. MCH 2023 Housing 71
70
Connection with the city.
Modular structure + circulation.
Street for emergency services, pedestrian and bicycle circula-
tion+ market and cultural activities.
First medical and psicological aids, cultural use and market
place.
Easy to adapt to emergency or cultural use.
System 1:
City link
Public space.
Plazas with different possibilities. Cultural activities, every day
life situations, walks, sports, competitions, playgrounds, skate
park, etc.
System 2:
Housing link
Module structure +
circulation path for
pedestrian/bicycling street.
S1 or S3
insertion
Sections
Fish market
Emergency and vehicular access
Cultural use
Structure
P1
P3
P2
P4
38. MCH 2023 Housing 73
72
Permanent housing, cohousing and market.
Ground floor for circulation and public cultural or productive
uses.
Upper floor for housing with front gallery or patio.
System 3:
Housing 1
Permanent cohousing, temporary housing, common working
spaces, fishermen facilities.
System 4:
Housing 3
Structure
Meeting and coworking space
Permanent housing
Temporal housing and
housing dock
Floating housing
dock system
40. 76 77
Nature Prime
W_03. Juan Herreros. Residential productive towers.
Arq. Juan Herreros
Arq. Pedro Pitarch
5 lessons.
Isabel Monsalve _ ECU
Samira Taubmann _ AUT
William Castro _ PER
This workshop experimented with alternative residential strat-
egies in coexistence with productive programs, taking as an
intervention object some iconic office buildings of Madrid.
The objective was to explore and test innovative residential
approaches from different points of view and according to dif-
ferent scales with productive programs.
In Nature Prime Tower, an ironic and satirical point of view was
adopted in order to question our way of living in the city and to
imagine an apocalyptic scenario where nature is a luxury that
will disappear in the coming years.
The main purpose was to introduce rural towns into a highrise
building by taking the Spanish trademark and patent office and
transforming it.
Project
Workshop
Leader
Assistant
Duration
Team
Abstract
41. MCH 2023 Housing 79
78
Spanish trademark and patent office. Black Tower Conceptual image of the project’s vision
42. MCH 2023 Housing 81
80
Considering the planet’s current situation, our future may not
look bright.
As buildings grow and cities extend more and more their limits,
nature is decreasing and becoming the valuable good.
Critical future scenario In order to leave the cities it is necessary to drive 1 to 2 hours
but in the future this will grow dramatically.
Nature will be seen as an incredible experience that very few
people will be able to see in person. Probably older genera-
tions will be the ones who talk to the youth about plazas, parks,
natural reserves or camping stories.
Mega-cities
43. MCH 2023 Housing 83
82
As a reference to the possibility of what can come out of the
combination of these two opposite urbanizations, there is the
theoretical project by SITE in New York for Highrise of Homes.
Each level contains some rural houses with its gardens and
brings the possibility for people to enjoy the best of low density
in a high density building.
Rural towns + highrise
buildings
It is important to remember which are the best activities and
possibilities that rural homes bring to people. Vegetable gar-
dens, barbecues and long tables for the whole family, nature
and gardening are some of them.
From rural to urban
SCHREBERGARTEN -
HÄUSL
44. MCH 2023 Housing 85
84
The way that people move around rural towns are one of the
best ways to go from point A to B with no rush and enjoying the
views and all the activities, vegetation that is around.
This kind of situations can be seen in “Pueblos Blancos” in An-
dalucía, Spain. Where people live in hills and in the top of it is
the central plaza and the big church.
Circulation As part of the proposal, there is a system of “memberships”
and “add ins” that people can purchase.
From the basic one with a grass plot to a bigger one with a
small rural home or even bigger plot with a larger house.
Add ins will make the user’s experience with nature better. Bar-
becues, animals, spiritual infusions, a grass cutter, etc.
Memberships
Memberships
Add
ons
48. 92 93
Housing & reusing at SSB
W_07. Anne Lacaton. Housing and reusing at SSB.
Arch. Anne Lacaton
Arq. Diego García Setién
5 lessons.
Nestor Lenarduzzi _ ARG
Samira Taubmann _ AUT
This workshop focused on defining and exemplifying optimal
conditions to live in the city, providing exceptional quality of
life by offering a large range of facilities, proximities, and plea-
sures, as well as a large variety of dwelling typologies to fit
different needs, expectations and ways of life.
For this exercise, the potential reuse of obsolete industrial fa-
cilities turned into mixed-use and dwelling structures to foster
good conditions of life was explored. The site was in Zurich,
owned by the swiss national railway company and occupied by
workshop sheds, still used as a train reparation center.
A master intervention plan for the building (developed by a
group from the last MCH edition) was assigned to each group,
which was meant to be respected, criticized or developed.
Project
Workshop
Leader
Assistant
Duration
Team
Abstract
50. MCH 2023 Housing 97
96
Conceptual section given
Conceptual development
Dynamic core interpretation
Conceptual interpretation
51. MCH 2023 Housing 99
98
1
1 2 3 4
5
6
7 10 11 12
8
9
3
5
7
9
2
4
6
8
10
12
11
Free space & extra-space: No defined function. Free in its us-
age. Decompresses space enabling the user to fully inhabit.
Creates new ways of inhabiting.
Capacity of appropriation: Free interpretation is central in or-
der to appropriate space and to invent infinite situations of
use. Allows life-long evolution of the space.
Private outdoor space: Such as a balcony, terrace or winter gar-
den relates to the environment, and offers sort of garden-like in
a house, while being in one’s own, in peace.
Qualities of inhabiting
52. MCH 2023 Housing 101
100
Groundfloor
Typical floorplan
Playground floorplan
Buffer plan. Semi-public space
Passages
Communal rentable
saloons
Big 2 stories
playground
Joker/satelite room
N
60. 116 117
InnovaMadrid Norte
S_08. City Sciences.
MS Arq. Julia Landáburu
MS Ing. Susana Isabel
5 lessons.
Andrés Melo _ COL
Hector Herrera _ MEX
Paloma Romero _ MEX
Santiago Aguirre _ CHL
William Castro _ PER
The City Science module objective was to apply science
and research to address urban challenges through an evi-
dence-based approach. Based on the notion of the city as
a complex system, or as a system of systems, the specialty
aimed to provide tools and techniques to navigate the com-
plexity of city making.
The chosen site was in Madrid Nuevo Norte, along the Castel-
lana axis, between M30 and M40. For this exercise, the vision
of the project was to propose a reference of sensitivity to-
wards the territory and its preexistences through regenerative
design in order to promote a sustainable neighbourhood, with
new industry in old renewed buildings, encouraging technolog-
ical developments towards a brighter future.
Project
Specialty
Leaders
Duration
Team
Abstract
62. MCH 2023 Urbanism 121
120
A1
M40
M30
M
6
0
7
North Madrid.
Between M40 and M30.
Access to the capital city from the rest of Europe.
Metropolitan scale InnovaMadrid Norte is a reference of sensitivity towards
the territory and its preexistences through regenerative
design in order to promote a sustainable neighbourhood.
This new industry in old renewed buildings will encaurage
technological developments towards a brighter future.
Vision statement
18
THC
17
THC
19
THC
20
THC
20-21
THC
N
63. MCH 2023 Urbanism 123
122
Disconnected area with only one metro sta-
tion, Cercanías.
Bus lines travel arround the plot.
Cycle paths stop when getting to the terrain.
From Paseo del Prado to El Pardo this axis
crosses Madrid from south to north.
It has always been an answer to society’s
needs along history, past and present of
Spain’s Capital city.
Public transport
The plot & Castellana Axis
Cercanías RENFE & other trains
Plot
Castellana Metro Line 1 & 4
Metro Line 10
Cycle paths
Bus Lines
Is a very important condition for the connec-
tivity and accessibility to the city.
There is a difference of 10 meters from the
highest point (West) to the lowest (East).
Topography
+10.00
m
+
7.50
m
+
5.00
m
+
2.50
m
±
0.00
m
Old industrial buildings.
Some of them are working while others are
abandoned.
Exists the possibility to keep some of them,
and give them a second life.
Preexistences
Industrial buildings
N
64. MCH 2023 Urbanism 125
124
Las Tablas
Tres Olivos
Fuencarral
Ramón y
Cajal
Industrias
Chamartín
La Paz
Las Tablas
Tres Olivos
Fuencarral
Ramón y
Cajal
Industrias
Chamartín
La Paz
Las Tablas
Tres Olivos
Fuencarral
Ramón y
Cajal
Industrias
Chamartín
La Paz
L10 + ML
L10 + L1
L1+ L4 + ML
L10 + ML
L10 + L1
N
66. MCH 2023 Urbanism 129
128
80% of the existing buildings are reused.
2 new buildings are added in the south sec-
tor.
The Sorth area is the innovation centre, where
investigations on new construction materials
are done and where people can see these
new discoveries.
The North sector is for the heavy industry pro-
duction.
Preexistences, streets & paths
Plazas
Reused buildings
New buildings
They work as buffers to reduce the noise of
trains in the east side.
In the west they are around industry and hous-
ing and they are accessible by car or walking.
Green infraestructure
Green areas
Cycle & pedestrian paths
Castellana extention
Public transport Housing
The most dense area is along Castellana,
conforming a continous façade with com-
merce in the first floor.
To the east, density is lower and the blocks
are open letting the green areas pass through
the buildings.
Bus lines are extended along the Castellana
axis.
Metro line 4 is extended in order to guarantee
a better connection with South Madrid.
Housing
Bus lines
Metro Line 4
N
67. MCH 2023 Urbanism 131
130
Innovation centre.
In this place companies can show their new discoveries in the
material and sustainability area to the people and show the
impact that this has to our planet.
There are activities to complement this dynamic area with
restaurants, cafes and shopping malls.
Defined blocks to the west side in the upper part of the plot and
open ones to the east, following the topography.
Buffer park in the east to decrease the train noises for housing.
Industry sector
South
Housing
N
69. 134 135
Inbetween
W_05. Batlle i Roig. Merging city & nature.
Arq. Joan Roig
Arq. Josep Batlle
5 lessons.
Camilo Meneses _ CHL
Krishna Yadav _ IND
This workshop was oriented by the intention of "Merging City
and Nature". The exercise consisted on a new neighbourhood
in the Campamento area in south-west Madrid.
The process of design consisted on proposing strategies that
dealt with density, green and blue infraestructure, connectivity
and public transport, as well as the services supply and sus-
tainability.
Project
Workshop
Leader
Assistant
Duration
Team
Abstract
71. MCH 2023 Urbanism 139
138
It is located in the south - west Madrid, between M30 and M40
highways and crossed by the A5 road.
It represents a very important point for the green infraestruc-
ture of the city because it connects Bosque Metropolitano
with Casa de Campo and it is crossed by two streams of water,
Meaques and Valchico.
The Site
Campamento
Campamento plays different roles in the city of Madrid ac-
cording to its natural value, its possible connections and urban
characteristics.
A5, the streams and the topography are nowadays barriers that
segregates the territory.
Buildings and neighbourhoods are isolated.
There are very few streets that cross the A5.
It represents an opportunity to merge city and nature and com-
plete Madrid’s green infraestructure.
It makes the accessibility very difficult but also represents an
opportunity for water treatment and irrigation systems.
Site analysis &
diagnosis
N
72. MCH 2023 Urbanism 141
140
By taking the main streets of the south east neigbourhoods,
crossings were made to go over the A5 by bridges and connect
both sides of the site.
To reduce car noises the topography was modified along the
highway. Vegetation also works as a buffer to decrease the
sounds in the neighbourhoods.
Integrate
From fragmented to integrated
New streets get deep into the empty area generating spaces in
between them for vegetation and housing.
Merge
From grid to organic From separation to addition From exclusion to
inclusion
73. MCH 2023 Urbanism 143
142
Nature and city gradually merge in the north side of the A5.
Buildings density and height decrease as they get nearer the
water streams.
Vegetation does the same but the other way around, being re-
duced as it gets closer to the A5.
Graduate
From rigid and isolated to fluid and stratified
74. MCH 2023 Urbanism 145
144
The main goal of this new neighbourhood is to give back the
city the energy it consumes by using solar panels in roofs.
Rain and grey water are treated in order to be used for wa-
tering vegetation. Topography helps to channel water across
green areas.
Energy supply
Water supply
Waterlands and vegetable gardens are projected to keep green
areas wet and to give a productive use to the land.
Organic waste is used for compost while inorganic waste is
taken to a district recycling plant.
Vegetation
Waste management
75. MCH 2023 Urbanism 147
146
P
C
C
P
P
P
P
P
C
C
P
P
P
P P
C
C
P
P
P
P
C
C
P
P
P
P
C
P
P
P P
C
C
P
P
P
P
It is a neighbourhood between the urban and rural context,
where city and nature merge. It is a sustainable, green and pro-
ductive place where people can enjoy living in the city with the
advantages of having nature outside their homes.
Inbetween
Masterplan for Campamento
Masterplan zoom in streets and housing typologies
Conceptual section with services
N
78. 152 153
Social Agreements
S_02. Housing Practice.
Dr. Arq. Fernando Altozano
12 lessons.
This module consisted on the study of different cases of col-
lective housing, analyzing one or several essential aspects of
them. The methodology involved the selection and analysis of
case studies that were interesting to the student so that, in that
process, they would find a particular topic to begin research
work.
The work archieved in this specialty consisted on carrying out
an exhaustive research on a particular topic related to the field
of housing.
In this specialty the aim of this investigation was to describe
and compare different social agreements in order to incor-
porate them as a tool into the design process and direct the
project decisions towards the social interaction and common
good.
For this, it was important to point out all the pros and cons of
each case study so that it was possible to boost or solve them
from an architectural point of view.
Project
Specialty
Leader
Duration
Abstract
79. MCH 2023 Research 155
154 David
Tower
I
Caracas,
VE
Villa
31
I
Buenos
Aires,
AR
Patio
Houses
I
Amsterdam,
NL
La
Borda
I
Barcelona,
ES
Cambridge
Hotel
I
Sao
Paullo,
BR
Kalkbreite
I
Switzerland,
CH
Belén
I
Iquitos,
PE
Corviale
I
Rome,
IT
Gängeviertel
I
Hamburg,
DE
Teepeeland
I
Berlin,
DE
La
Tourette
Convent
I
Éveux,
FR
Kowloon
I
Mong
Kok,
HK
Wilton
Paes
I
Sao
Paulo,
BR
Col.
Mayor
Arg.
I
Madrid,
ES
Can
Vies
I
Barcelona,
ES
Introduction
A Social agreement, in sociology and politics,
is an implicit contract among the members
of a society to cooperate for social benefits.
Translated to architecture, social agreements
are a set of rules stablished by a community
to regulate the coexistence between the resi-
dents of a building.
To incorporate this sociological term into ar-
chitecture means to push the boundaries of
architecture towards an interdisciplinary sci-
entific approach to the domestic scale of a
collective housing building.
All over the world, it is possible to bring to-
gether a lot of buildings and social contracts
within them. Is it possible to categorize the
different social agreements? What is the re-
lationship between social agreements and
space? How much influence does architec-
tural design have on the relationship between
people? Can architecture create communi-
ties? Can communities shape architecture?
What does it take for a community to take
shape inside a building? Is the concept of
community and collectivity the same all over
the world?
The aim of this investigation is to describe
and compare different social agreements in
order to incorporate them as a tool into the
design process and direct the project deci-
sions towards the social interaction and com-
mon good. It is important to point out all the
pros and cons of each case study so that it is
possible to boost or solve them from an archi-
tectural point of view.
To achieve this goal, the first step will be to
collect different examples that are radically
different from each other, legal and illegal,
domestic and urban scales, low and high den-
sity, among others. The next phase is about
collecting information about them, param-
eterizing it and placing it within files corre-
sponding to each case. Finally, the analysis
will consist of classifying or grouping them
following a certain criterion and comparing
them with each other to obtain conclusions,
reflections or questions.
Relevance
It is possible that in research of this type,
as architects, we can take these categories
of social agreements to propose new ways
of living for society or even to foresee how
people will behave in a building based on a
particular design and from there, modify it to
give inhabitants greater flexibility and possi-
bilities.
Another contribution of this research project
is to put aside the debate of legality or illegali-
ty of each case study and to put emphasis on
the person, their comfort, how they interact,
how they relate to others and to the space
they have available.
It is curious how in many of these buildings
selected, communities find, in the first in-
stance, an empty building, as a blank canvas
on which to express themselves, as an infinite
range of opportunities and possibilities of ap-
propriation. Even more curious is that these
same spaces are for the rest of society, resid-
ual, useless spaces.
From these reflections, many questions came
up, such as: What relevance do we give to ar-
chitectural design in our projects? Is design a
tool to achieve an end or an end in itself? In a
project, at what point should we stop planning
and planning every step of people? How can
we incorporate the free expression of users,
individually or collectively, in our projects?
Throughout 15 examples, an attempt to
analyse how the different communities ap-
propriate this free or unprogrammed space
for common, public or individual use will be
made. In this way, the focus will be placed in
turn on how the projected spaces relate to the
inhabitants and how they coexist in that par-
ticular context.
Social Agreements
A descriptive and comparative approach to the way people
manage to live together and how this impacts on architecture.
80. MCH 2023 Research 157
156
Methodology
For this investigation a list of 15 examples
of collective housing buildings was created.
The criteria for their selection were to choose
apparently different buildings from diverse
places and times regardless of their legal sta-
tus. The more different from each other, the
better.
As it can be seen in the list (p.7), some of
the buildings does not have an architectural
or sociological radical approach, representing
social agreements established and widely
disseminated in contemporary society, while
others take unexpected shapes beyond social
or legal regulations.
From each, the available information on var-
ious internet websites and previous investi-
gations was collected and summarized into
files. There is one file for each example that
synthesizes their main qualities.
These are structured by a graphic, a written
and an iconographic section:
- The graphic one consists on 1 or 2 pictures
that could be photographs or plans highlight-
ing the main spatial characteristics of the ar-
chitectural design, the relationship of private,
common and public space, the capacity of
appropriation of the space by the community
or individuals, among others.
- The written section is about 1 or 2 sentenc-
es, phrases or words that summarize the
case study or that describes its main char-
acteristics and what makes this example re-
markable.
-The iconographic part contains the parame-
ters and is the one that will help to cross the
information of the examples and draw con-
clusions from them. The parameters are 5:
- Relationship between people or interac-
tion: This parameter tries to describe how
and when individuals interact with others.
It can be for necessity, because they want
Analysis of results
By implementing these files as a summary of
the case studies and with the tool of icono-
graphic parameters, it will be possible to
cross all these examples and to make com-
parisons and possibly finding out that some
of these buildings that looked so different are
more similar than what initially was thought
when choosing them.
The first comparison made was by relating
all the sociological parameters to the archi-
tectural one. In other words, by grouping all
the examples with same or similar relation-
ship between spaces. Following this logic, it
becomes visible all the different social agree-
ments or behaviours that an architectural
design can have, or on the contrary, how rigid
can make social interactions. In that way, by
putting the relationship between spaces in
the centre of the analysis, the tool will test the
influence it has over the sociological ones.
In the same line of investigation, by taking
one example of each group of space rela-
tionship and comparing their social variables
it will become visible how one or another ar-
to share, it can be forced by the circum-
stances or it can also not exist at all.
- Relationship between spaces or layers
of privacy: This is the only architectural
parameter and is about how private, com-
mon or public space are related and how
communities appropriate it for a collec-
tive or individual use.
- Social order or status quo: It refers to the
organization of the community, it can be
hierarchical order, equality order, a club or
membership system, a cooperative, etc.
- Terms and conditions or contract: It de-
scribes all the things that someone needs
to have, fulfil or achieve if he/she wants
to be part of that community and live in
that building.
- Motivation to live like that, the “why vari-
able”: This parameter tries to find a spe-
cific answer to the question of why a per-
son would like to live in those conditions?
What motivates someone to do live like
that? Why this building and this commu-
nity and not another one? It is known that
there is no single answer to these ques-
tions since it can vary according to each
resident, but the intention is to find the
reason that is repeated the most times,
since that will be the main one.
As all these information is qualitative and not
quantitative, it improves and facilitates the
data analysis to have categories or parame-
ters that can help to compare the cases and
take out conclusions. For example, for the
“relationship between spaces”, instead of
a written description, a diagram was made
showing the architectural organization of the
building.
In the case of the “interaction” variable, the
text was replaced by a one person or more
people icon and lines that indicates the re-
lationship between them. A similar process
was done with the “social order”, where the
people icons have a vertical relationship or
horizontal one depending on whether there
is a hierarchical order or equality between the
inhabitants. For the “contract” parameter, the
icon represents the most important condition
you must achieve to live there. Lastly, the
“why variable” was left as a question mark
in all files to indicate that there is still much
more to investigate in this parameter.
File example
chitectural decision can reduce or amplify the
capacity of appropriation and the diversity of
social interactions.
Using icons, instead of pictures to compare
them, helps to get to an objective conclusion
or reflection and not to judge each example
by its appearance. Therefore, to arrive to this
point, the files and descriptions must be pre-
cise, in order to represent each case study as
faithfully as possible.
Another criteria for grouping the examples
could be the “why” parameter. For example,
if two communities choose their homes be-
cause of sustainability reasons, it is possible
to test which lifestyle makes less impact on
the planet or make less CO2 emissions or
recycle or reuse more materials. Probably
we will get to the conclusion that illegal oc-
cupations are less harmful than legal and
traditional buildings because they manage to
build their houses with recycled materials and
reused infraestructure.
If we choose the “contract” and “status quo”
variables it is possible to test if the same con-
81. MCH 2023 Research 159
158
Analysis file example
$
ditions could work on different societies. Also
we may find out that one social order is the
consequence of a particular contract or the
other way around. It can help to think on ways
to turn illegal buildings into legal ones as well.
In conclusion, as a result of having a criteri-
on of grouping or selecting case studies by
certain parameters and comparing them, it
makes possible to test the relevance of each
parameter and it also helps to find out what
other variables and case stu dies are
needed to enrich the investigation and to
deepen, confirm or refute the conclusions
drawn on all these topics.
This dynamic creates a cycle of research –
analysis – conclusions – reflections, that pro-
vides feedback to the next or previous stage
of investigation.
Conclusions & reflections
From the analysis done, some changes and
additions can be made on the parameters
that can lead to better and deeper conclu-
sions, but first it is important to underline
some general thoughts.
First of all, the initial premise about whether
architectural design determined social vari-
ables is confirmed by noticing that in most
comparisons the way in which private, com-
mon or public spaces are distributed or orga-
nized provides different possibilities for inter-
action between people. For example, social
interaction is not the same in a row houses
system, where people access their home di-
rectly from the street, without a common cor-
ridor, as in a system of private spaces around
a courtyard or common space, in which inter-
action will occur occasionally because it is
inevitable to access to the private space with-
out walking through that common courtyard
or common corridor.
However, it could be intuited that, in most of
the cases, the reason why people choose to
live in one building or another goes beyond
the architectural parameter. Although it may
be a factor, it is possible that its degree of
influence when choosing one building or
another is not the most determinant. In this
case, it can be said that the contract variable
is much more decisive. This can be evidenced
in the case of the convent, the university res-
idence or even in residential buildings with a
marked ideology as is the case of La Borda
and Kalkbreite, where their residents are the
ones who clearly adhere to this lifestyle and
choose it for themselves. Following this log-
ic, it becomes visible all the different social
agreements or behaviours that an architec-
tural design can have, or on the contrary, how
rigid can make social interactions. In that
way, by looking to the other comparisons, we
can see a wide capacity of appropriation of
space as in Sao Paulo and Hamburg buildings
or in Can Vies in Barcelona. But it can be seen
more about this in David Tower, where people
built their houses out of office materials and
furniture. People out of necessity built their
own homes out of an obsolete structure, or
said in other words, with no need of design
tools or experience.
A remarkable fact of this example is also the
sustainability, as well. Inhabitants did not use
other materials but the ones used for the of-
fices. It is important to highlight this aspect
at this time in which office buildings from the
last 50 years are slowly falling into disuse due
to the growing popularity of the home office
and as architects we must think about ways
to give a second life to these enormous struc-
tures.
In addition, it is outstanding the creativity and
diversity of ways to use common spaces and
how each community adapt it to their needs.
For example, while in Teepeeland everything
surrounding the tents is for public use, in Cor-
viale the common space in the middle level of
the building was subdivided and privatized by
squatters and in Belén Iquitos you find self-
built paths and market that communicate
the whole neighbourhood so that inhabitants
could interact and sell their products.
All these thoughts, reflections and hypothe-
sis bring new parameters into consideration
that will improve the quality of the investiga-
tion and also invites to open the search for
new case studies in order to test them and to
generate more reflections and conclusions.
These are:
- Capacity of appropriation: If the design lets
people use freely the spaces or not and how
they express this way of appropriation.
- General density: The amount of people by m²
can be a quantitative data that may support
the conclusions and help to draw new ones. It
can tell if the capacity of appropriation grows
or decreases depending on it.
- Density in common spaces: It will help to
understand better the way people use these
spaces and the how the capacity of appropri-
ation grows or decreases depending on it.
- Advantages: Describes the benefits of living
in a place like that. It helps to know this in or-
der to take it as something to foster with the
architectural design.
- Disadvantages: Describes the problems of
living in a place like that. It helps to know this
in order to take it as a threat to tackle with the
architectural design.
Another line of investigation can be done
from the legal aspect, proposing interven-
tions on the illegal cases in order to regulate
them without losing the advantages of each
social agreement and solving or reducing its
disadvantages.
To give more complexity to the research, it
would be interesting to add cultural variables
of each country and city with the ambition of
understanding more precisely the behaviours
and choices of people and also fieldwork in
each of these examples would provide in-
formation beyond the analysis and could
complement and deepen what has been said
above.
Lastly, the mix of architecture and sociology
in this first approach opens the door to other
disciplines that will provide a particular per-
spective from their scientific field and will
generate new questions and discussions on
this topic, giving more complexity to the in-
vestigation.
Bibliography
- Stevens, J. (2018). Occupation & City: The
Proto-Urbanism of Urban Movements in Cen-
tral Sao Paulo. Doctoral thesis. Brussels, Bel-
gium.
- Stevens, J. (2015). Insurgent Cartography.
Mapping Occupied Sao Paulo. International
Workshop. Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- Caplbo, T. y Percossi Bossero, F. (2020). The
urbanization of Villa 31 in its context: a state
of the question of the rehabilitation of the
Retiro neighborhood (2015-2019). Buenos
Aires, Argentina
- Lacaton, A. (2023). Syllabus of Workshop 7:
Housing & reuse at SBB: solutions for good
conditions of life. MCH 2023 Edition. Madrid,
Spain.
- Giral Alonso. E. (2023). Syllabus of Seminar
Low Resources & Emergency Housing. MCH
2023 Edition. Madrid, Spain.
82. 160 161
Yerba Buena: 1st in #trends
S_04. Sociology, Economy & Politics.
Prof. Lic. Soc. Daniel Sorando
7 lessons.
This specialty addressed issues of the social, political and eco-
nomic sphere from the point of view of architecture and urban
planning and how they affect architects in their field of work
and how they can deal with them.
The work to be done consisted of two parts. The first, an inves-
tigation in a neighborhood of Madrid, for subsequent analysis
and intervention proposal, and the second, a theoretical essay
based on the impact of the different topics discussed in the
module on housing.
For the second of them, it was chosen to describe and analyze
the case of the city of Yerba Buena in Argentina, its housing
policies, its expansion in the territory and the urban dynamics
that will allow to analyze future scenarios to which it is direct-
ed.
Project
Specialty
Leader
Duration
Abstract
83. MCH 2023 Research 163
162
Introduction
From 1950 to the present day, Latin American
countries have gone through a process of
accelerated urbanization, since they began
this period with a territory, mostly rural, and
have reached the present day with a greater
percentage of urbanized land. This growth of
cities was driven by a marked tendency of so-
ciety to concentrate on them (CEPAL, 2017).
However, this is not a phenomenon that be-
longs only to the capitals of these countries.
Although the accelerated urbanization and
explosion of cities is much more marked in
the capitals, at the same time, this is replicat-
ed, on a smaller scale, in cities of the interior.
From this process, it is possible to distinguish
certain trends or patterns of socio-spatial
behaviours that, accompanied by certain eco-
nomic policies, are triggering the problems
that cities are currently going through and, in
turn, allow us to glimpse future scenarios to-
wards which we are heading.
To analyse these trends, I propose to study
the case of Yerba Buena. It is a city bordering
San Miguel de Tucumán, capital of the Prov-
ince of Tucumán, located in northwestern
Argentina. Together with other municipalities
and rural communes they constitute the Met-
Historical context
The beginnings of Yerba Buena date back
to the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, when they were two settlements.
The first, called Villa de Yerba Buena and the
second, located a few kilometres to the east,
called Villa Marcos Paz.
In both villas the layout was made following
the model of Hispanic urban ordering. A grid
block was designed, lots were divided, streets
and buildings were projected: a chapel, a po-
lice station and a school. The square would
occupy the central place and around its public
life would unfold.
Over time, Villa Marcos Paz adopted the role
of a summer village, while the Villa de Yerba
Buena, a more industrial one, with a sugar
mill, connected to the capital by a railroad.
From 1940 to 1992, the vacant territory be-
tween the two was parcelled out and sold,
generating an exponential growth of urban
land, which went from 1.29 km2 to 11.39
km2. This was mainly due to the development
of an avenue that connected the capital with
both villages and the extension of the electri-
cal and sanitary network to the west of San
Miguel.
The population increase of Yerba Buena also
Yerba Buena: 1st in trends
A descriptive and comparative approach to the way people
manage to live together and how this impacts on architecture.
ropolitan Area of Tucumán (MeAT).
The MeAT has the characteristic of being the
most densely populated territory in the coun-
try, surpassing with 64 inhabitants per Km2
the 55 inhabitants per Km2 of the province of
Buenos Aires, which surrounds the Argentine
capital. 81% of the Tucuman's population is
urban, with 70% living in the metropolitan area
(2010 Census).
The physical environment on which it sits
is constituted mainly by the plain and the
mountain range, with steep slopes in a north-
west-southeast direction. The settlements
are located mostly in the plain that runs be-
tween the Sierra de San Javier, to the west,
and the Salí River, to the east, placing Yerba
Buena on the west border with the mountains.
As Sorando and Leal stand, the structure of
modern cities and the change process they
are going through cannot be separated from
the social behaviours that have given its form.
In the same line, both these demographic and
physical characteristics, constitute the bases
from which I intend to point out these pat-
terns that affect the social, spatial, environ-
mental and economic dimensions of the city.
Image 1: Aereal view of MeAT Image 2: Historical evolution of Yerba Buena until 2020
happened due to the higher cost of real es-
tate in the capital city and the appeal of the
rural area, where the land had less value and
it was possible to settle in the new neighbour-
hoods for different employees, retirees, etc.
In this context, in 1978, when the villages had
been territorially unified, they were declared
as what is now known as the Municipality of
Yerba Buena.
Subsequently, due to the various economic,
political and social crises at the national level,
the railroad and the sugar mill were becom-
ing obsolete and the values of the land in the
capital city increased even more, which led
a large part of the San Miguel de Tucumán’s
population to look for a new place to live.
In addition, state interventions were decreas-
ing and, on the contrary, private investments
increased, creating several private neigh-
bourhoods on the periphery of the MeAT, in
response to the need of the market by pro-
viding plots with accessibility to services and
improvements in security in times when gov-
ernment entities did not sufficiently supply
these needs.
This is how citizens who had a better eco-
nomic pass, found an answer in the new ty-
pology of closed neighbourhood, while those
84. MCH 2023 Research 165
164
600
700
500
400
300
200
100
0
Expansion
-
Hectares
Informal settlement
Real state intervention
Public intervention
who had fewer resources, began to occupy
the interstices between private cells or bub-
bles, such as disused rails and certain vacant
lands with which the real estate sector spec-
ulated.
This brought a certain lack of control of ur-
ban growth and denoted the lack of planning.
Great contrasts were generated in the urban
fabric, with barriers caused both by the irrup-
tion of private urbanizations in areas of po-
tential growth and expansion of the city, being
today immersed in it, as well as the barriers
caused by natural accidents, such as water
courses.
Growth trends
De Mattos, in 2006, wrote about five trends of
the new urban dynamics that transform Lat-
in American cities, characterized by an em-
phatic socio-spatial inequality and driven by
neoliberal economic policies and the absence
of a State that takes effective measures to
bridge these growing gaps. Later on, Sorando
and Leal, in 2019, argued that this is not an
issue from a specific continent, but it affects
the global society.
The new urban dynamic begins with "the poly-
centric city" (De Mattos, 2006) or the “archi-
pelagos of global centres” (Sorando and Leal,
2019), referring to the spatial dispersion of ur-
ban centres throughout a metropolitan area.
This is a trend that occurs on a metropolitan
scale, since several urban poles or nodes
scattered in the metropolitan area intervene,
dehumanizing the city scale (Cicolella, 2012).
In the case of MeAT, you can find various
productive, commercial, residential and rec-
reational nodes dispersed everywhere follow-
ing the market guidelines that suit each one,
without thinking about the environmental im-
pact that this implies.
In light of this, we find to the east the wa-
terfront of Rio Salí invaded by quarries that
throw their waste downstream to the detri-
ment of society; we find the largest commer-
cial and labour area in the capital’s city centre,
where the real estate market seeks to exploit
the land and get the biggest profit out of it;
to the west, in Yerba Buena, at the foot of the
Sierra San Javier, is located the area of great-
est real estate pressure, due to its remote lo-
cation with respect to the environmental and
noise pollution of the east and central zone,
and therefore, of greater environmental qual-
ity of the MeAT.
This generated in recent decades a strong
deforestation and loss of absorbent soil by
the construction of private urbanizations that
sought to get the maximum benefit from the
terrain, at the expense of the native flora and
fauna and propitiating the ideal scenario for
heavy floods in the southern and eastern ar-
eas of the MeAT.
Next, we have the tendency to the "unequal
city" (De Mattos, 2006) that indicates the
consequences of precarious and unequal
working conditions. Faced with this reality
of the labour market, economic inequalities
worsened and this can be seen reflected in
the urban fabric. Global cities gather the best
paid jobs and professionals but also a big un-
employed group and poor labour regulations
(Sorando and Leal, 2019).
There is an inclination for wealthier social
groups to move away from the capital’s city
centre, in search of favourable environmental
conditions and more security. Therefore, they
are grouped with people of similar econom-
ic and social characteristics in private urban
developments of large surfaces and very low
density, surrounded by a perimeter wall for
“greater security”. In turn, the poorest social
groups are forced to move away from differ-
ent urban centres, in search of cheaper or
high-risk land.
According to this, currently, Yerba Buena is a
faithful reflection of the coexistence between
the city of the rich and the city of the poor. The
Tucumán upper class lives in socially homo-
geneous neighbourhoods, "safe" from insecu-
rity from the outside, while the lower classes
occupy the residual spaces between closed
neighbourhoods and high-risk areas, such as
train tracks or flood areas.
The third trend, refers to real estate business-
es that seek to improve "the image of the city"
(De Mattos 2006). In a context of absent or
ineffective State and neoliberal economic pol-
icies, where private investment prevails over
public investment, the ideal space for "urban
marketing" is generated.
In our case study, political irregularity and
lack of control of urban interventions, give
private capital the freedom to modify the city
as they please. In this way, and with the urban
characteristics already described, the image
of "The Garden City of Tucumán" was creat-
ed. Being this nickname a distinctive that dif-
ferentiates Yerba Buena from the rest of the
nearby cities, referring to a superior environ-
mental quality, proximity to nature, away from
noise, cement and poor quality of life.
This brings with it new "urban icons" (De Mat-
tos, 2006). These are architectural artifacts
linked to consumption such as shopping cen-
tres, multinational clothing, restaurants, ho-
tels and supermarkets chains that seek to be
protagonists of the urban landscape (Segura,
2014).
In the city of Yerba Buena most of these arti-
facts are located in the main circulation axes
of the city, which connect it with the capital,
so that they are easily accessible. At the same
time, new projects of shopping centres and
business parks are waiting to be approved to
start their works in the expansion area, north
of Yerba Buena. The consequence of this is
the loss of identity by the appearance of these
urban objects in the natural landscape (Segu-
ra, 2014).
Finally, all this multicentricity and socio-eco-
nomic-spatial segregation brings with it the
problem of mobility. Given the dispersed ex-
Informal settlement
Closed neighbourhood
Image 3: Locations of closed neighbourhoods and informal settlements in 2020 Image 4: Expansion by typology in different municipalities from 1989 to 2010
Yerba Buena Tafí Viejo Capital
85. MCH 2023 Research 167
166
pansion of the urban sprawl and the increase
in population by leaps and bounds, the need
is generated for a means of mobility and road
infrastructure that can travel these long dis-
tances, as well as infrastructure of basic san-
itation, sewage and electrical services whose
networks became small in the face of the in-
crease in the metropolitan area. This situation
challenges governments to give a solution of
a huge scale with limited economic resourc-
es.
Conclusions
Following current trends, it is not absurd to
think that the urban fabric continues to grow
and cross municipal limits. Considering the
potential for population growth and inequal-
ity, the chances of increasing pressure on
available urban land and adjoining rural land
are immense, endangering environmental
quality and nature reserves near the city.
The future scenario presented by these
growth patterns necessarily leads us to focus
on the free areas closest to the city, which are
naturally where the expansion of the urban
sprawl would be directed. Yerba Buena still
has 600 hectares of vacant land to the north,
representing approximately 13% of the mu-
nicipality's surface.
These lands represent the possibility of de-
compressing the current central area and
planning a new sector of the city so that there
is foresight and does not generate imbalanc-
es in its conformation and consolidation at
the time of adhering to the urban fabric. For
this, the planning of the future city should be
considered one of the priority policies in the
face of the current situation of the municipal-
ity.
Maloutas (2017) stands, no matter what
sociopolitical agreement is stablished, the
overall outcome of urban restructuring tends
to be to the benefit of hegemonic classes.
Therefore, although these lands present a
wide variety of opportunities, their interven-
tion will require an exhaustive environmental
impact analysis and regulations that prior-
itize the protection of the natural landscape
and sustainability for the rational use of the
remaining resources. In addition, this must
be accompanied by housing policies that
provides opportunities to the poorest sectors
and that, in turn, promotes socially heteroge-
neous neighbourhoods.
Bibliography
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del desarrollo urbano en América Latina y el
Caribe. Montero, L. García, J. Ed. Naciones
Unidas, Santiago.
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unequal: The decline of social mixing in Bar-
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102,67 ha
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Image 5: Empty land in north Yerba Buena in 2020
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