January - April 2019
redefining landscape and urban processes in Medellin
INTRODUCTION
Medellín is a city that grew from 10.000 to 4 million inhabitants in 100 years as a result of a variety of factors. These include the industrial development in a topographicaly complex region, nearly a century of civil war and unrest in the countryside and a very strong influence of criminal organisations. The colonisation by informal settlements and the subsequent succession of planned areas has played a key role in the evolution of the city and the development of its fabric
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The neighborhood of La Sierra in the Comuna 8 is an informal settlement that started to develop in the 70s as a result of the migration from rural areas and the lack of housing infrastructure in Medellín. Due to its informal nature, the location of the site on a steep slope and the influence of gangs in the area, the area is very fragile and has a lot of issues regarding unemployement, poverty, gang violence and is very disconnected from the rest of the city.
"GROUNDING"
SITE MATTERS
Exploring below the masterplan
THE OPEN VEINS OF LATIN AMERICA
The book that changed a continent
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THE PRACTICE OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Understanding people and why do people do things
The relationship between two skins of the earth
FIRST PHASE OF RESEARCH
Exploring the relationship between the skin of the Earth and the Urban skin in Medellin.
Factors influencing changes in urban fabric
SECOND PHASE OF RESEARCH
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Exploring how the city has changed through time and what factors influenced it these changes.
Understanding the dynamics of informality
THIRD PHASE OF RESEARCH
Exploring the behaviour of informal settlements in the slopes of Medellin.
Revealing the hidden landscape
CONCEPTUAL STAGE
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Challenging current ways of thinking and approaching the design of the city
Embodying the inbetween spaces
FRAMEWORK
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Transforming inconvenient spaces into a framework to develop a more resilient city and encourage economic development
Integrating urban and landscape dynamics
FRAMEWORK
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Zooming in into the transformations along the vein of Santa Elena
Stewardship for public space
NODE
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Designing of a new public space in La Sierra. Finding strategies to bring value into public space for informal settlements
Vulgar materiality
DETAILING
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Reflecting on processes and layers that define the site and will define the materials of the site
Designing an informal landscape
OBJECT
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Strategies for encouraging further public involvement through flexible objects that transform the space
Conclusion
Throughout the design process of my project and the process of creating the manifesto below I have been exploring contemporary landscape theory, widely used and accepted in designing cities in developing countries. Due to the complexity of informal settlements and difference from formal cities, I initially thought I was going to struggle to apply standard landscape theory to my design but I found that a lot of aspects of these theories can be easely applied. This made me wonder why landscape architecture does not have a presence in the design of informal settlements.
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As a profession we need to change how we think of our role in designing the built environment. There are a lot of strong and very much heard arguments on how landscape indirectly contributes to economic growth. However, we are currently too dependant on supporting elements that bring direct economic growth. Landscape and public space design can have a directly impact on economic growth and development, both in urban and rural environments. This is one of the main things I have tried to showcase with my project.
BOSTON PARK SYSTEM
Back to the beginnings of landscape architecture
Applying Lynch city theories to informal areas
