The Informal Life of Caracas, Venezuela M.Arch. Final Project Draft by Veronica Eulacio Thesis advidsors: Wes Janz, Olon Dotson Sources 28 Case Studies Site 15 Concept Methodologies 11 14 Project Proposal Literature 10 Review Abstract 4 3

Table of Content in immersionandvisitthebarrios. other questionsis to participate to effectivelyrespondthisand beneficial for them? The only way an architecturalgesture that is of thebarriooccupantsthrough to improvethelivingconditions a placetocallhome.Isitpossible using whatever they canfindtohaveashelterand people of survival: ingenious struggle become an these mountainsofhouses, one ontopoftheother and thewayitsinhabitantssolvedmanyproblems, However focusing onthedetailsofeachhouse an eye sore or simply just illegal land invasion. knowledge, thebarriosofCaracasmayseem including those with architecture or construction rejected bytheformaleconomyofcity. Formany, being a betterlifeandendedup hopes offinding people intheworld,who moved tothecitywith in mostcases. This is the storyofmany services these whichmostlymeans“pirating” of survival, needs, leadspeopletoresort to extreme methods conventional accesstoelectricity, water, basic able tohave not being in povertyand Living Abstract: knowledge Formal Construction Janeiro, Nairobi, , ,andevendistressed existinformal communitiesthat as Riode incitiessuch December. Before the trip,researchingliterature of other of for theend this project;thetriphasbeenplanned This willbeanessentialstepintheresearchpartof from thebarrios. will seektoimprovethelivingconditionsofpeople which research should beanarchitecturalintervention requested bythepeoplethisbarrio.Theresultof grant the barriosnearCaracasaidedbyagovernment with agroupofarchitectswhoarecurrentlyworkingin barrios. Another usefulresource will be communicating gesture candotobenefitthepeoplelivingin well ashopefullyuncoverwhatasimplearchitectural of thiswayliving,as bring abetterunderstanding States suchasGary,cities intheUnited Indiana Materials Harvested settlement Organized Fence solution ; will

3 Abstract Literature Review:

It is a well- known fact that cities around the world are currently dealing with poverty. Some cities are overcrowded with squatter communities that invade land illegally and take services in order to survive the expensive demands of living in a metropolis. This is the case in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas, a city that has been divided for decades between social classes who coexist in the same physical space but have completely different cultures and ways of living. After the “oil boom” in the 1950s people moved from the rural areas of Venezuela to Caracas with the hopes of living a better life. However they learned the hard way that in order to survive in the city a lot of income is needed, so they resorted to the only solution they had, invading land. They thought these houses would be temporary and that one day they would be able to inhabit the legal city, but in time those dreams became impossible and the became their permanent residence.

The slums are not new to the world, they have been present as early as in ancient Rome, and even since then, they have lacked approval from society. Nowadays they are still seen as a problem. Outsiders see the squatter communities as a sign of violence, drug, ugly urban fabric, and so on. People neglect the fact that the occupants know the real value of material things. For example, their homes are self- built and this fact makes them not take their shelter for granted. Robert Newirth’s recounting of his travels through four squatter cities , Nairobi, Mumbai and Istanbul, brings a new definition of illegal settlements. Each city has its own history and each squatter has different construction techniques and amenities. Out of the four, Rio de Janeiro seems to have the most developed squatters (). Most of Literature Review 4 their homes have water and electricity (illegal taken) The capital of Venezuela is a city of six million and some of the “legal” businesses have stores inhabitants of which 55% live in the slums, or as they within the favelas. Istanbul also has been able to are colloquially called, barrios (Brillembourg, Feireiss, & develop well, especially due to the law that allows Klumpner, 2005). Life in the barrios is difficult for many for construction to happen overnight to be legal, or reasons, violence is always present, and the majority not turned down. They build their homes in story of the crimes are in some way or another related to buildings with retail in the bottom floors. Both of drugs. People who live in degrading conditions tend to these communities seem to be accepted by the be more vulnerable towards drugs and find them as the legal city, but of course no one from the legal world only soothing source to “cure” their problems, which would ever enter the illegal boundaries. Nairobi in result turns into violence to get such drugs. This is has the settlements with the least “technological” a problem that many barrio occupants deal with, and advances, their homes are mud huts with only one even get involved with early on in life. Caracas has been opening, a door, and most of their inhabitants are ranked the 6th most dangerous city in the world, most of educated people who just simply cannot afford to the crimes happening either in the barrios or instigated live legally. Mumbai’s settlements have a similar by people from the barrios (Nataly, 2011). According to story to Nairobi, but their homes are built with the Venezuelan Newspaper, El Universal, in a weekend concrete. All four settlements are different, but they 33 corpses where received in one of the city’s morgue all have in common the fact that the people who of which 24 were bullet wounded (Miranda, 2011), live there consider them home, they show pride in note that this was only the data collected at one of the their community and really get involved with those morgues of Caracas, not the total amount of deaths who live around them. Who is to say that this way in a weekend. These numbers are considered normal of living is wrong? What can we learn from them to a regular barrio resident. They not only worry about and apply to our living conditions and what can having enough money to feed their families, they worry they take from us? about being able to live another day. These is just one of the emotional difficulties of living in a barrio, the physical aspect is also tough.

Evolution of the Barrios in Caracas Literature Review 5 school system (Rosa,2011). are notregisteredinthe because 4million children there needstobe 13,000newschools in Venezuela to Ecarri bands. According involved withdelinquent to get age groups these arethe mostdangerous and by 40% level inpublicschools inCaracaswasreduced that thenumberofstudentsregistered for highschool foundation ArturoUslarPietri,Antonio Ecarri,assured from thenewspaper El Universal, the president ofthe actually attendingschools. According toanarticle of children Caracas thereisasmallpercentage In school systems. of thedeficiencyineachpublic barrios getinvolvedwithdrugsand violence because living intheseconditionsThemajority ofchildreninthe how theysolvedailyproblemswithasimplesolution. how humansreacttoextreme livingconditionsand find awaytomakeIt isremarkable ithappen. tolearn knowledge. Whateverthebarriooccupantsneed,they for theformalcity, therefore theyhaveconstruction construction workers who live in thebarrios and build energy totheirhomes.Mostofthehousesarebuiltby know howtoconnectanelectricitypoleandtake the hand, isillegallytaken bythebarriooccupantswho basis, but itis not guaranteed.Electricity, intheother Water issometimesprovidedbythecityinaby-weekly needs totheirhomes,suchas water and electricity. possible. Theyhavetofindaway to providebasic lower class lives, occupy every single area humanly not thesteeperones.Thebarrios,where hills, but space. Themiddleandupperclass also inhabit the Caracas isavalley,is apublic whereflatland However there is more than onedownside to parents probablynotencouragedbytheirto even involvedinsomesortofillegalactivity. Their long hourstotrygetbyevery week, or maybe Theparentsofthesechildrenareeitherworking to beeducatedwhennoonemotivatedthem? attend school, who can motivate the children today

6 Literature Review Another reason why the people from the barrios have struggled to move up the social ladder could be the distress that exists between the legal and illegal citizens. . In Caracas, the middle and upper classes have been able to have good relationships with lower class citizens; they are after all the maid, nanny, gardener, school custodian, security guard of daily life, etc. However since Hugo Chavez became president, the two social classes have not been able to coexist. The reason why Chavez has been so popular and able to win all the elections is because he has geared his campaigns towards the poorest people of the country, promising changes and encouraging them to believe in the power that they truly have. These are all good, positive things that he has done. But the result of his influence has not only bettered the life of the poorest citizens by using oil money and allowing Cuban immigrants to give medical treatment in the barrios, but it has also created a great distress between the citizens of Caracas; between people who have money and those who do not. Chavez has gone to the extent of publicly insulting the middle and upper class and has encouraged lower class citizens to invade any secondary housing that the middle and upper class may own, even though they worked hard to be able to afford them. The distrust that may have existed before was probably small, has now become the biggest fear of the middle class Venezuelans, who still employ people from the barrios to work at their house or business, to take care of their children. They now have to be very careful as to what they say or do, because believing in a different political party is now dangerous. Literature Review 7 Encouraging people to invade houses has not been the best approach the President has taken. In his efforts to engage the lower class with his political party, he has created many of what he calls “missions” to help different aspects of life in the barrios. For example, one offers medical help, others education, others housing. One of his newest projects is called “Misión Vivienda” (Housing Mission); its goal is to build the amount of housing necessary for the entire poor population of the nation in a span of 7 years, at a rate of 300,000 houses per year (Universal, 2011). According to another article from El Universal, the director of data-analysis Luis Vicente León expressed that 55.3% of the Venezuelan population do not believe that the government has been efficient in providing a solution to the housing problem, and only 37.9% believe it has (León L. V., Afirman que Misión Vivienda centra estrategia política oficial, 2011). He also believes that the results of the Misión Vivienda are not going to be favorable because “there is a lot of money but there is also a lot of hostility” (León L. V., Afirman que Misión Vivienda centra estrategia política oficial, 2011). In order for Misión Vivienda to be successful, the government must take into consideration the maintenance of all 2,100,000 housing units to be built, as well as assure safety for all their residents. These housing projects have to go beyond just the construction of fancy new houses, and it seems doubtful that the government has thought that through. This is not the first time the Venezuelan government has attempted to provide housing for the poor. Literature Review 8 doesn’t belongthere. the numberonebarriotobeavoidedbyanyonewho surrounded bysquatters,and23deEneroisknownas housing projectwereinvaded.Nowthecomplexes are 4,000 ofthe9,000units and dictatorship ended event that took place inJanuary 23 1958.Thatday the the was not asexpected.The barriowas named after now called 23deEnero. However, theproject’s turnout The resultwas a series of towers located inwhatis was housingforthebarriooccupants. to buildpublic the bestwaytoeradicateproblem that concluded in thehillsofcity, andthedictatorPérezJiménez In the1950s, the slums started to become visible element. always involved the community as an essential interdisciplinary solutions. Theirprojectshave research center that aimstodevelopinnovative and hiscolleague HubertKrumpnerdefineasa He isthefounder ofUrbanThinkTank, whathe attention towardsthebarriosand offerhelp. architect started a beautifulmovement toraise Alfredo Brillembourg aVenezuelancommunities. world have taken interest in helpingthesesquatter It is encouraging toknow that people all over the to betterlife inthebarrios. trying the onlyagent importance. units andprovidessafetytotheusersisofmost a planthatensuresthemaintenanceofhousing plans toprovidelower-class citizens with housing, housing projects should bethatifthegovernment The reasonable conclusion fromallthesepublic The Venezuelan hasnotbeen government

9 Literature Review Project Proposal:

The final project proposal will be a result of previous research in school and a visit to Caracas-Venezuela in December and January. Therefore the project has yet to be defined. However there have been a few floating ideas which could help form a design project. Learning about Fourth World Theory as an elective class at Ball State University has encouraged more rigorous examination of the meaning of poverty. At first the relationship between Fourth World and this thesis was not obvious. However after being introduced to documentaries such as Ghetto life 101 and The Pruitt- Igoe Myth the connection between Fourth World and so-called Third World conditions became increasingly apparent. All these cities varying degrees of poverty and The intention is not to change the life of the people circumstances, but they all have common elements from the barrios radically, for example by taking as well. For example, they all have kids being brought them out of the barrios; it is rather to improve into the world in miserable conditions, these conditions their living conditions by creating positive energy being, poverty, violence, poor family structures, and in their environment. It may be determined that poor education systems. The narrators of Ghetto life a playground is not necessarily the best catalyst 101 were also kids, two 13 year old boys who were for this positive energy. The kids from the barrios forced to mature quickly due to the events they had to need something that will keep them occupied and face living in the ghettoes of Chicago. One of the events away from drugs and violence. In order to arise to that accelerated their maturation was the murder of a an architectural solution that would best benefit the 5 year old boy who was thrown out of a fourteenth floor children from the barrios, it is imperative to engage window by two 10 year old boys. Nevertheless, both in discourse with them during the visit to Caracas. LeAlan and Lloyd, were never involved with drugs or violence during their childhood. Learning about their Designing for the barrios does not necessarily story served as a clear reminder of just how important mean building and designing like the people from the first years of life are. Therefore, the research for this the barrio do. A better outcome may appear if project may be geared toward children. They are the their building techniques are used in combination ones that have the choice to be violent or not, to do with building technologies applied in the legal city. drugs or study, to be happy or angry. Talking to a construction worker who has built in both the city and in the barrio would help to get a clear understanding of the two construction techniques. Project Proposal 10 Methodologies:

“While we may suspect the existence of other worlds and provide the minimum amount of services that within our own local environment, we have only hints creates a place they feel comfortable to call home. that there are people around us who are entirely different from ourselves. The paradox is that although In order to get a better understanding of we know they are there, we have been taught that they poverty, the scope of research must be broadened do not exist. The only ones who do exist are those who and take into account people living in poverty trade with labor force of the ‘Other’” in the midst of opulence in so-called First World countries. This part of the research is done in an – Alejandra Padrón Informal City: Caracas Case elective class at Ball State University, Foruth World Theory. Through a series of documentaries such This project consists of sociological research as Ghetto Life 101, The Pruitt-Igoe Myth, Sidewalk, combined with participant observation which will the film The Quiet One in combination with the help form a basis for architectural exploration. The books When Work Disapperas and There Goes research is sociological since it is based on people the Neighborhood by William Julius Wilson, the who experience poverty conditions in Caracas and meaning of poverty and what it really means to all over the world. In order to understand poverty and live in these conditions finally started to become why people live this way it is imperative to understand clear. The patterns are repeated all over the globe. it in a global scope. Part of the research involves an People who struggle to get decent jobs, who have examination of documents such as Shadow Cities by weak family structures, who are surrounded by Robert Newirth, who traveled to the slums in Rio de violence. This way of living cannot be understood Janeiro, Mumbai, Nairobi and Istanbul. Through his simply by reading and watching videos about it. experience the relationship between slums all over the The sociological research serves as a base before world becomes eminent, these are people who cannot practicing participant observation in the barrios of afford to live any other way and figure out with inventive Caracas. solutions how to live. They find ways for the government to either approve their squatters or legalize them, but most importantly, they figure out a way to build a shelter

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil Nairobi - Kenya Mumbai - India Istanbul - Turkey Methodologies 11 The participant observation section of the research will If the conversation allows and they feel take place in Caracas, in December and January of comfortable talking to me I would inquire about 2011. Growing up in Caracas as a middle-class girl, I more personal matters: was taught never to go to the barrios, and never even -How much money do you ear approximately? And thought about visiting those places. Since I am not a what can you buy monthly with that? part of the daily life of any barrio in Caracas, it is crucial to go with someone that has been involved with the The conversation to be had will depend on the barrios. My father’s friend, Roberto Smith has worked person being interviewed and their perception of me in the barrios of La Guayra, a small city in the State rather than my preconceptions of them. Going with Vargas North-East of Caracas, about thirty minutes someone who already knows them will be beneficial away by car, where the International Airport is located. since they will know I can be trusted, however they A new organization called “Fundación La Guayra have the last word and will chose what to tell me. Ciudad Histórica” (Fundation La Guayra Historic City) My job will be to be as trustworthy as possible. is currently working in the Historic Center of La Guayra. To accomplish this it might be helpful to let them Roberto Smith is part of this organization. The goal of know that I find their way of living and construction Fundación La Guayra is to revitalize the historic center of techniques fascinating, that they are considered La Guayra with a series of commercial projects. Besides to be very sustainable, and that I understand the this organization, Roberto Smith has collaborated with convenience of living in a barrio versus living in the the barrios many times, since he has attempted to formal city. become the governor of the state Vargas twice. His wife Marina Pocaterra and he will be taking me to the The project may evolve into an intervention barrios. Once there, the plan is to interview the people for the kids growing up in these conditions. Another in a way that they feel comfortable talking to me. We part of the research will involve talking to them as will probably start by introducing me as an architecture well. The process will be the same, I will have a student; I will explain the intentions of the project and friendly conversation with the children and ask them during a casual conversation ask them questions such questions such as the following: as the following: -Do you go to school? What grade are you in? -Does your barrio have a neighbors association? What -Do you have friends in your neighborhood? Where do they do? do you play with them? -How have you acquired the construction materials and -What do you do for fun? services for your home? -What do you want to do when you grow up? -Would you rather live somewhere else? -If you could add anything to your neighborhood, -Do you feel safe living in the barrio? what would it be? -What would you want to see in your barrio? -What are the benefits of living in a barrio? Methodologies 12 Talking to the children might be very eye-opening and emotional. I’m hoping that this will become the pivotal part of the research when the project will unveil itself and the children can help me understand exactly what they need in architecture terms. This is why it is important to know their daily life and their hopes and dreams. Thirdly I would like to talk to a person who has construction knowledge, possibly a construction worker who works in the formal city and is responsible for a percentage of the construction in the barrio. This interview doesn’t have to feel as informal as the last two; it could be more professional and technical. The questions that could be asked for this part of the research include: -What is the biggest difference between building in Lastly while in Caracas it is important to meet the formal city versus the barrios? Which one do you with professionals who have already worked in the prefer? barrios and can share their knowledge and point -What is the biggest obstacle of building in the barrios? of view. Since Urban Think Tank’s initiative was an -Where do you obtain building materials for the barrios? inspiration for this thesis, a meeting with someone -Have you installed services to some of the houses? from that office will be very beneficial in terms of How did you do it? learning from their experience, whatever obstacles -What are some of the tools you most commonly use? they may have had, and understanding their The result of this interview should be a clear understanding approach towards these types of interventions. of the construction scheme that the people in the barrio That meeting has yet to be confirmed but I have use to create their intricate communities. been in contact with Marielly Casanova, the In order to properly illustrate everything that is to assistant of Alfredo Brillembourg founder of Urban be learned during the visit to the barrio the information Think Tank, who has helped me to schedule such must be well documented. The interviews will not appointments. Another person who would be useful be recorded with the purpose of causing the least to talk to would be Ruben Contreras, an architect disturbance to the barrio inhabitants as possible. and friend of Roberto Smith who is currently working Knowing that they are being recorded might make them in the Historic Center of La Guayra. feel uncomfortable. As I leave the barrios I will write The combination of previous sociological research, down as much as possible about my conversations with visiting the barrios of Caracas and talking to whoever I meet. Another critical part of the research is professionals who have been involved with these my experience of the barrio. This will be recorded with a projects will give way for the design project to combination of photographs and maybe sketches and present itself. Avoiding any of the two parts of the diagrams that will be taken and done during the visit. research would make the project weak.

Methodologies 13 Site Concept:

The site for the project has yet to be established. However depending on the direction the design project is geared towards, there might be some physical constraints that will help to select the best place to intervene. If the design project calls for a large area, due to the intricacy and density of the barrios, this particular project would not be able to fit within the community itself, the solution would be to find a site as close as possible to its users. In the other hand, if the project becomes a series of small architectural interventions then those could be located within the barrio. At this point in the research is not possible to choose a site since the project itself is unknown as well. Site Research 14 15 Case Studies done byprofessionals from19countries(Austria, is amongotherthings, acompilationoftheresearch into a book called Informal City: Caracas Case, which result was put in thissituation.The be should architect was to get a better understandingofwhat the role of the these conferencesthegoal During city Government. community groupsfromthebarrios, and theCaracas as theUniversidadCentraldeVenezuela, GSD, Harvard the UrbanThinkTank andotherimportantentitiessuch a series of forums,discussions and outreach between problems thatarefacedinthebarrios ofCaracas. solutions tosomeofthemultiple up withmanydifferent TankUrban Think of thinkingthat able tocome hasbeen combination ofprofessionsandbackgroundsways own researchinCaracas. It isbecauseofthatinteresting nationalities, backgrounds,andprofessions to dotheir their research wastoinviteresearchers from different However themostsuccessfulpartof barrio occupants. the barrioPetare offeringarchitectureideastothe methods even involved sittingata table intheskirts want tohelpandtheirwayofliving.Some they the peoplethat their researchtocomprehend in Hubert andBrillembourghavegoneabovebeyond with thehelpofprofessionalsfromotherdisciplines. and createinnovativepracticaldesignsolutions understand thewayoflivinginbarriosCaracas Klumpner in1998.Together theirgoalhasbeento by AlfredoBrillembourgwhowasjoinedHubert practice andresearch center thatwas founded in1993 Urban ThinkTank, Caracas-Venezuela The research was a 10-year effort thatinvolved also Urban ThinkTankdesign isanindependent summary ofalltheresearchdonebythisgroup United States,andVenezuela). Thefollowingisa the Kingdom, United Ukraine, The Slovenia, Spain, Israel, Italy, Japan,Korea,Mexico, TheNetherlands, Brazil, Canada, Chile,Colombia,France,Germany, simply by surviving anaggressiverainfall. simply bysurviving evictions or removal or either avoidinggovernment the complicatedpartis being ableto stay there by construction ofthesehouses is asimpleprocess, the is locallyknownasrancho.Although of housing like water or electricity,access to services thistype house withfoundmaterials, usually without official until itisleveledandbuildable,createsa “invasions”; whichinvolves cutting intothehillside first settle in thecitybyperformingso-called outer edgeofCaracaswherealotnewcomers and 23deEnero.LaVega isabarriolocatedinthe investigated in greater detail the barrios La Vega Venezuelaorganized. They were formedand were intrigued intheway some of thebarrios of intellectuals. Sabine Bitter and HelmutWeber fromAustria

16 Case Studies of theiroccupants,creatingaveryunusualvision. individual apartmenthasbeenindividualizedbyeach now the towers sit among a sea of ranchos and each this barriohaveaninterestingbeginning, Not onlydid rent. who haveneverpaid project in1958and housing this daytherearestillpeoplewhooriginallyinvadedthe Enero weretaken bythepoorandruralimmigrants.To against Perez Jimenez and 44% of theunitsin23de one.Howeverin1958thecityrebelled a moremodern time Caracas was transformingfromaColonialcityinto United’Habitation,becauseatthis to LeCorbusier’s consisted ofaseries of towers very aesthetically similar located inwhatis now called23deEnero,which barrios from thecity. 9,000of theseapartmentswere had upto33,462housingunitsbuilteradicatethe visible inthecity, thereforethedictatorPerez Jimenez 1950s thebarriosstartedtobecomemoreand a veryinterestinghistory of howitcametobe.Inthe The barriostudiedwas23deEnero,whichactuallyhas 17 Case Studies diagrams thatexplain thesephenomena. to solvedailyproblems.Theirinvestigationisaseriesof were mystified bytheingenuityofbarrio occupants (pg.139Caracas Case). Endo andFukuma behavior” creative dynamismthankstovariousformsofinformal at the same time it is full ofenergetic,complex and political, economical and security problems, but to them“Caracas According hasmany Mapping”. investigated somethingtheynamed“Phenomenon Curtain Wall -arecentlydevelopedranchoutilizedpinkfabricto Shushei EndoandKeisuke Fukuma fromJapan Flying Market - A basket is used as an “elevator” asa Flying Market -Abasket isused asan“elevator” solve theventilationissue. dumbwaiter. issues as problemsorimportant tostudy. Caraquenian that one doesn’t think aboutsuch that havebecome sonormalinthedailylifeof by things They wereintrigued it itsowndefinition. attracted byadifferent aspectofthecityandgave of Caracas. Eachindividualwas phenomenon foreign professional that cameto analyze the derived fromevery of interpretationsthatcan of diversity that exists in thecity and the array amount of the These littlevignettesarealsoproof accurate descriptionofthechaoticcity of Caracas. All the above mentioned examples are a very Gap Shop-Residual spaceisclaimedforinformal Wire TreeWire -Typical ElectricalInstallation. commercial purposes. 18 Case Studies in an elegant and simple intervention. in anelegantandsimple intervention. of LaVegaingeniously providesmanyamenities tothecommunity This project neighbors. electricity,that encourageinteractionbetween the drainage,aswellaseriesoflandings such aswater, that arescarceinthiscommunity stairs alsointegratesomeoftheservices the barrio.Thesenew network ofstairsthatwouldprovide betterconnectivitythroughout circulationaroundtheneighborhoodArqui5designeda handrails. Asaway to simplify slope higherthan50%.Thestairs were built bytheresidents, irregular andunsafe,without steep slopesinwhichtheirhomes are placed.ThebarrioofLaVega inCaracashasa -Integral UrbanProjectbyArqui5Caracas: Caracas Interventions One ofthemainproblemsthatbarrio residents struggle withintheirdailylifeis the 19 Case Studies these neighborhoodsnaturallygrow. vertically, insteadofhorizontally,is how becausethat for thebarriostothink when designing is important It it). general idea (a giantbox with different activities within to recreate the gymindifferentlocations with the same architects wasalso of the intent violence. The mitigate with andasaresult from thebarriostobeoccupied Their motivationwastoprovidesomethingforthekids perforated metalpieces. with thehelpofprefabricated possible in a“giantbox” thatwill be easily assembled amount ofspaceandintegrateasmanyactivities Vertical-Gimnasio byUrbanThinkTank: The ideabehindthegymistobuildupinalimited upgrading (pg.184 CaracasCase)”. they grow, by“individualinitiative andcontinual into accountthelogicofbarrios and theway project wassuccessfulinthesense thatittook the majorityofwaterinahousehold. Their toilets require down theneedofwatersignificantly; dry toilet thatwouldcut solution wasadesign-built supplied tothemtwodaysaweek, if lucky. Their residents havetolivewith.Somebarrios havewater withthelack of water the barrio were concerned took placeinCaracasforaspanofsix months.They TankThink the Urban were partof (Israel) that effort -Dry Toilet byMarjetica Potrc: Marjetica PotrcLiyat Esakovand (Slovenia)

20 Case Studies Urban Revival:

-From Urban to Rural: Studying Informal Settlements -Medellín Metrocable and Northeast Integral Urban in Panama by Gabriela Valencia: Project by Proyectos Urbanos Integrales:

Gabriela Valencia was a graduate student at The city of Medellín-Colombia was ranked the Ball State University, native from Panama City. She most dangerous city in the world in 1991. The Medellín was, as me, interested in the informal settlements. government performed a series of social and physical Gabriela grew up thinking that she knew everything interventions that have reduced the violence in this about Mrs. Emilia, her house maid, but realized important city. One of the most successful projects during her research just how little she knew about involves the Metrocable, which help form a physical informal settlements and Mrs. Emilia, she did not connection from the informal settlements to the metro even know her last name. Gabriela’s thesis brings system of the formal city. What is even more innovative up many questions about the social relationship about this solution is that it involves more than just a that exists between the lower class and the metrocable. Each cable car was strategically placed upper class; we live in two different worlds and according to the necessities of the settlements and her relationship with Mrs. Emilia is proof of it. As incorporates public buildings such as libraries, schools, an architectural solution, Gabriela suggested a parks, etc. Additionally the informal neighborhoods are few small interventions that would seek to make connected by pedestrian walkways which also improve a connection between the two social classes. Her the safety of the residents. These interventions are proposals vary from Bus shelters with recycling costly and ambitious, but it has worked for the city of bins incorporated, to public recreational areas for Medellín greatly. kids and even a few improvements to Mrs. Emilia’s home. Gabriela’s work is inspiring; it clearly explains the relationship that exists between house workers and middle-class citizens. Case Studies 21 foods butagreatgatheringspacetoencouragecommunityinvolvement. this ingenioussolutionprovidesresidentswithnotonlyasaferwayto cooktheir but shower stalls withhotwater. Combiningtrash andfoodmayappearunthinkable, box thatheatsthecookers.utilized tofiretheburning Anotheramenityincludesfive The recyclablegatheringsare set aside tobesoldandthebiodegradable trashis non-recyclables, orpayasmallmonetary charge. sorted intorecyclablesand is then into one.Whoeverwantstousethecookerof trashthat a certainamount mustbring cookercommunity cooking needs.The solution totheir systems integratesmany designed acommunitycooker thatwouldprovideasaferandmoresustainable charcoal forcookingtheirmeals.ThearchitectJimArcher, whoresidesinNairobi, Cooker-Community (Jiko yajamii)byJimArcherinNairobiKenya: The residents of in Nairobi, Kenya typically rely on burning wood or residents ofKiberainNairobi,Kenyatypicallyrelyonburning The 22 Case Studies and abetter community. for theresidents of Yoff tolive in ahealthier environment allows systems, or urban agriculture. Thisintervention help ofseaplants and thenreusedforirrigation,toilet to acollectionbasin orlagoonwhereistreatedwiththe transferred bygravity collection tanks.This wateristhen Yofftheir greywaterintoa areinchargeofdumping fed waste water system plan, inwhichthe residents of and DevelopmentActioninSenegal: -Yoff SustainableWaste Water system by Environment Water Conservation: The international The international water in thisclimate. resource suchas waste ofavaluable conditions anda pollution, unsanitary in thesea,causing it water bydumping dealt withtheirwaste and itsresidents to theAtlantic Ocean Yoff islocatedclose implemented a gravity implemented Development Action Environment and organization called development The communityof residents tohavesafeandsanitary restrooms. products can besold.These centersallowfor the or methane gas for cooking purposes. These two that converts human waste into either a fertilizer communities. They usesimpleanaerobicsystem construction technologies bytheresidentsofthese built witheasily found materials and locally used design andbuildBioCenters. These structures are worked withtheresidents of Nairobi and Kisumuto ends upinapileoftrash).Therefore Umande Trust “flying toilets” (human waste in a plastic bag that Cities” somepeopleresult totheuseof “Shadow residents. AsRobertNewirthdescribed inhisbook Nairobi is the lack of safe and sanitary toilets for the -BioCenter byUmandeTrust inNairobi,Kenya: One of the biggest problems inthe slumsof One ofthebiggest 23 Case Studies conditions. their ownisagreatideatoimprove their living to makeat thesametimeallowingthem and it opportunity tohaveastructurallysafe shelter personal touches.Givingthemthe and adding their ownhomes units areusedtobuilding León, Mexico.of thesehousing Theoccupants and ithas also been implementedinNuevo This designwontheCurryStonepriceof2011 house isinthehandsofresidentstofinish. bathroom andthekitchen.Theother half ofthe to build,meaningthestructure,roof, the unit thattheoccupantsstrugglemostwith was to designandbuildthe50%ofhousing Their solution unit. provide anewsocialhousing to commissioned bytheChileangovernment Iquique, Chile: Construction Systems: The architecturefirmElementalwas -Incremental HousingbyElemental in 24 Case Studies that aresimple,inexpensive andmostofalldurable. communities like thisoneinCape Town need is solutions to buildthis ecofriendly costefficienthomes.What resistant. Little construction knowledge is required for thesehomestobeinsulated,windandmoisture of thesandbagswithEcoBeamsystems allows coated withaplasterortimberfinish.Thecombination reinforced withchicken wire,thefullstructureisthen EcoBeam timber framefilledwith sandbangs thatare system consistsofa This simpleconstruction building. from theindigenoustechniqueofmud-and-wattle that takesmethod construction a different designed metal andscrapmaterialarchitectLuyandaMpahlwa Town SouthAfrica: -10x10 HousebyLuyandaMpahlwainCape Sandbag As an alternative to building with corrugated- tobuilding As analternative is thefunctionality ofabeautiful space. of thedesign mustsuffer, butwhat makes itgreat architecture, itdoes not meanthattheaesthetics ventilation canbecomegreat and natural lighting allowing regional materialsand as utilizing such 93 mphwinds.Sometimes anelementarysolution to withstand be usedasashelter sinceitisdesigned conditions. Incase of emergencies the school can rainy platform maintainsthefloorsdry during A raised concrete ventilation andnaturallighting. available materialinthisregionthatallows forcross solution was a schoolbuiltwithbamboo, areadily design competitiontoresolve this problem. The organized a Diaz fromMyShelterFoundation face every year,the islandsofPhilippines Iliac Foundation inthePhilippines: -Millennium SchoolBambooProject by MyShelter Due totheconstantthreatofTiphoons that

25 Case Studies -Ghonsla Insulation Panels in Lahora Pakistan: Most of the informal dwellings consist of corrugated metal roofs. This material, although it provides a shelter, is not insulating and is highly unstable and loud during rainfalls. The Ghonsla insulating panels are designed to be easily installed over the corrugated metal roofs and improve the indoor temperatures of these homes. The panels are insulating due to its readily available components (sludge from paper and straw), which are mixed with water, molded into a panel and dried in the sun. This simple manufactured solution allows the informal settlements to become safer against natural threats such as heat and rain.

-Bamboo (Tacuara) Loofah Panels by Elsa María Zaldívar Rolón in Paraguay: Elsa María Zaldívar Rolón developed a building material that can be easily handmade. It consists of mixing loofah, a local vegetable, with sand, water, castor oil and cassava starch waste, and applying it to bamboo panels. These panels are thermal and acoustic insulating and provide a better shelter than the dwellings built with scrap materials. The outer skin of the panels is coated with “baba de tuna”, the fat resulting from soaking tuna in water for three days. Using native materials are a better solution than bringing fancy new products to these communities. Natural simple materials are just as efficient or more than mass produced plastic. Case Studies 26 Urban food production:

-Garden-in-a-Sack by Solidarités International in Nairobi Kenya:

As a result of political protests in 2008 in Kenya, many food markets were destroyed leaving people without the bare necessity of food. The French NGO Solodarités International aided over 20,000 people with the simple idea of garden-in-a-sack. With three simple steps and readily available materials the community occupants can grow their own food that would last for at least four meals a week. Growing their own food is something that most of the slum occupants in Nairobi are familiar with, however growing food within a small square footage brings a whole new meeting to agriculture.

-Rooftop Rice Field by Marjetica Potrc in Anyang, South Korea:

An alternative school in Anyang, South Korea has a rice field on its rooftop which is irrigated with natural rainfall. Said rainfall in utilized for the gray water system of the school. The rice is cultivated by the students and then used for their meals. This could be another possible solution to providing food to squatter communities in other countries. Case Studies 27 Ghetto Life 101. (1993). Chicago, Illinois, USA. City-Data. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Chicago-Illinois.html HuffingtonPost. (2010, June 21). Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/21/chicago-violence- at-least_n_619259.html 10 Most Dangerous Cities in the World in 2011. (2011, January 10). Retrieved from Urban Titan: http:// urbantitan.com/10-most-dangerous-cities-in-the-world-in-2011/ CBS Chicago. (2011, February 16th). Retrieved from http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/02/15/census-shows- chicago-population-down-7-percent/ Chavez: Hoy Lanzamos la Gran Misión Vivienda Venezuela. (2011, April 30). Retrieved from El Universal: http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/04/30/chavez-hoy-lanzamos-la-gran-mision-vivienda-venezuela.shtml Design With The Other 90% Cities. (2011). New York : Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Ahmed-Ullah, N. S. (2011, November 23). Community Groups Unite agains coming School Closings. Retrieved from Chicago Tribune: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-cps-neighborhood-school- closing-fight-20111123,0,5968155.story Brillembourg, A., Feireiss, K., & Klumpner, H. (2005). Informal City Caracas Case. New York: Prestel. Bristol, k. G. (1991). The Pruitt-Igoe Myth. Berkley CA: JAE. Davis, M. (2004). Planet of Slums. New Left Review 26. León, L. V. (2011, May 31). Afirman que Misión Vivienda centra estrategia política oficial. Retrieved from El Universal: http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/05/31/afirman-que-mision-vivienda-centra-estrategia-politica- oficial.shtml León, L. V. (2011, May 31). Afirman que Misión Vivienda Centra Estrategia Política Oficial. Retrieved from El Universal: http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/05/31/afirman-que-mision-vivienda-centra-estrategia-politica- oficial.shtml León, M. (2011, June 22). Garantizan Servicio Eléctrico para la Gran Misión Vivienda. Retrieved from El Universal : http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/06/22/garantizan-servicio-electrico-para-la-gran-mision-vivienda.shtml Miranda, D. R. (2011, October 10). 33 Cadáveres Ingresaron a Bellomonte el Fin de Semana. Retrieved from El Universal : http://www.eluniversal.com/caracas/sucesos/111010/33-cadaveres-ingresaron-a-bello-monte- el-fin-de-semana Nataly. (2011, January 10). Urban Titan. Retrieved from http://urbantitan.com/10-most-dangerous-cities-in- the-world-in-2011/ Newirth, R. (2005). Shadow Cities: A billion squatters. A new urban world. New York: Routledge. Rosa, A. d. (2011, September 20). Antonio Ecarri Exige Declarar en Emergencia la Educación . Retrieved from El Universal: http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/09/20/antonio-ecarri-exige-declarar-en-emergencia-la- educacion.shtml Universal, E. (2011, April 30). Chavez: Hoy lanzamos la gran Misión Vivienda Venezuela. Retrieved from El Universal: http://www.eluniversal.com/2011/04/30/chavez-hoy-lanzamos-la-gran-mision-vivienda-venezuela. shtml

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