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capital is back
Set of illustrations for the philosophical economics German magazine agora42, regarding the article "Capital is back", about Thomas Piketty and Grabiel Zucman's research on wealth distribution from 1700 to 2010.
The article is included in the third issue of 2014, "das Unsichtbare" (in German).
change economics
Set of illustrations for the philosophical economics German magazine agora42, regarding an article about the "Pluralist Economic Reader", a compilation of texts put together by members of the International Students Initiative for Pluralist in Economics.
The article is included in the fourth issue of 2014, "das Neue" (preview in German).
bordeaux report
Urban research carried out by Cohabitation Strategies in the frame of the Évento 2011 art biennale in Bordeaux, France, with Michelangelo Pistoletto as the art director. The aim was the creation of a publication that would guide and inform the artists invited to the biennale, come together under the motto 'L'art pour une re-évolution urbaine' ('Art towards a urban revolution'). Some of the main topics adressed were the status and future of social housing in France, gentrification processes triggered by urban renewal projects and the climate of competition between cities in the logic of neoliberal urbanization.
invasive densities
Final graduation project at the Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, as part of the Urban Asymmetries Master Program, July 2009. This individual architecture project worked together as part of a bigger urban strategy, a communal project led by a group of ten Architecture and Urbanism students: Levan Asabashvili [GE], Bai Yan [CN], Silvia Bizzarri [IT], Carlos García-Sancho [ES], Tania Guerrero [MX], Tomi Jaskari [FI], Tom Kolnaar [NL], Phillip Lühl [NA], Willem van de Ven [NL], Siebe M Voogt [NL], Taufan ter Weel [NL] and Idan Zveibil [IS].
All these projects were published in the book "Urban Asymmetries. Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization", Ed. Tahl Kaminer, Miguel Robles-Dúran, Heidi Sohn, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2011.
The project is set in Ecatepec de Morelos, which is the largest peripheral municipality of Mexico City’s metropolitan area, located within the Estado de Mexico. It represents roughly 3 million inhabitants (only 1.6 million officially) in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM), which is estimated around 28 million inhabitants.
Project site in the context of the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM) Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2009. CAD drawing. Various sizes.
"Invasive densities" is part of a group of architectural proposals, under the common title of "Proposing alternative urbanities", which aimed to propose a new model of urbanization in the periphery of Mexico City, exemplifying it in a strip of vacant land which runs between the recent low-rise development of 'Las Américas', and 'El Caracol', an old abandoned evaporation land.
General strategy of the urban plan and tentative plan of the first proposed development of the urban strip (bottom). Three projects constitute the seed of the new alternative urban plan. From bottom to top, a dwelling complex + agricultural facilities (Phillip Lühl), a market facility + housing (Siebe Voogt) and infiltrating Las Américas fabric, the “Invasive Densities” housing project (Carlos García-Sancho). by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes
Density of this new strip of land becomes a relevant topic: fabrics with higher densities were proposed, as an attempt to create a more sustainable type of urbanism, and defy the surrounding mono-functionalism. More density is not only more square meters built per area, but, as Teddy Cruz’s puts it, it is an amount of ‘social exchanges per acre’ [1].
"The lack of groundfloor space that the municipality of Ecatepec faces makes it imperative to search for ways to introduce higher densities, also ensuring a more sustainable use of public space per inhabitant, in which maintenance costs are reduced. In the bigger scale, to aim for denser fabrics means to try to stop Mexico City’s sprawl and reduce the problem of car pollution proposing a more pedestrian-friendly environment and scale." Excerpt from the Urban Asymmetries research draft.
Compared density studies of Las Americas', Jardín de Morelos' and the new proposed fabric. Developed for publication in Atlantis Magazine. Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2009. CAD drawing. Various sizes.
"The production of 'social interest housing' (vivienda de interés social) in large parts of the peripheral municipalities of the Metropolitan Zone of the City of Mexico (ZMCM) creates extensive patches of low rise fabric financed with the help of the governmental housing structures (INFONAVIT and FOVISSTE). The speed at which these developments are planned and built is amazing: by 2005, 384561 dwellings were produced in 6383 hectares of these types of fabric [2] in the whole ZMCM. These developments provide individual houses with virtually no other functions, that lack a cohesive urban plan. Furthermore, the centralized clusters of commercial use that usually come together with them create serious social problems in a population that is used to other patterns of consumption [2]. Ecatepec de Morelos is one of the municipalities that faces the problem of managing and sustaining these fabrics, which have been built by previous governments, even though the official position of the government is to not authorize any more of these developments. Other aims of the municipality in urban planning include the implementation of higher densities, due to the scarcity of non-built land in Ecatepec." Excerpt from the "Invasive densities" project's memory.
“Invasive densities": base CAD axonometry and detail (bottom). by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, November 2009 CAD 2D drawing A1
“Invasive densities": early drawings (details). by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, July 2009 Transfered prints and hand drawing on cotton paper. A1 panel.
The "Invasive densities" project proposes to infiltrate the existing open spaces of 'Las Américas' low-rise development with punctual developments of higher densities, which would also introduce other uses into the mono-functional existing fabric. Even though here proposed in a particular setting, this strategy could be carried on further in other parts of 'Las Américas', and in other similar developments in Mexico City's urban sprawl.
Tentative study of how the "Invasive densities" strategy could spread. by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, July 2009 CAD drawing A1
General groundfloor plan, and detail. An emphasis was made in the drawings to try to show the different uses these "open structures" could host. by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, July 2009 CAD drawing A1
"The land left unbuilt in Las Américas development becomes public (municipal) after it’s finished. Thus, the municipality cedes some of this excesive non-built areas to grant the availability of housing, at the same time densifying existing fabrics. The municipality hires a constructor to develop this land, and through VISOMEX mediates between individuals who need a house but don’t own a plot of land. In exchange for ceding this land, VISOMEX can push for certain design features (higher densities, mixed use, introduction of public functions), This will be the framework in which the housing cooperative formed by applicants to the program will reach an agreement on the final configuration of the building. The construction of the houses will be financed through federal funds, administrated through non-profit credits withou interest. The Municipality is thus ‘privatizing’ some public land in order to provide housing, but at the same time holds control over part of the groundfloor areas, supervising their use and funding it through the local budget for promoting small businesses. At the same time, this productive and commercial activities in the groundfloor are aimed at providing facilities to the inhabitants of Las Américas at a local scale." Excerpt from the Urban Asymmetries research draft. The economic model of the proposal was further developed, some of the documents produced can be seen here.
Upper floorplans and elevation, and details. by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, July 2009 CAD drawing A1
The upper floorplans tried to combine different modes of home ownership and typologies, while introducing collective shared spaces and facilities which aimed to provide extra communal space for the smaller rental dwellings.
"How can we operate in the already built fabrics of Las Americas, taking into account that the streets and roads are responsibility of the Municipality once these kind of developments are finished?
The aim of these (local) interventions in the Las Americas fabric (whenever possible) would be:
a) to provide housing through collective credential structures, that operate in a similar way to the Instituto de la Vivienda in the Federal District (State credit with no interests) in which the Municipality leases the public space in order to provide buildable land, but has a say in the design and planning of the units.
b) to sustain that housing in the future through a cooperative structure that limits the open trade of the units, and that creates a social bond between dwellers.
c) to ensure local densities above one square meter of celing per square meter of land, which is roughly the density of the existing city in the surroundings (the density of the Las Américas housing is of 0.6).
d) to provide spaces for local commerce to appear, controlled by the Municipality, that would try to cope with the problems that takes place now in Las Américas: dwellers giving up their living rooms in order to have a business. Shared property and rental facilities would be an option, through the local budget for promoting small businesses.
e) to provide, along with regular houses, other modes of living based in cooperative services (kitchen, bathrooms, laundry), which would be managed by the municipality and aimed at migrant workers of El Caracol, other migrants passing through Ecatepec, and families in situation of risk.
f) through this changes, provide a livable urban space, in which the street is no longer a road that only serves as connection an access, but really a public space with services and suitable environmental conditions. This could also alter, with time, the relation of the Las Américas units to their surroundings.
e) to oppose a different kind of living to that of Las Américas, in a municipal effort to make the fabric more sustainable, at the same time exposing “the appalling contrast between possible constructions of life and its current poverty.” [3]" Excerpt from the project's problem statement.
Project transversal sections (detail). The project tried to use the local building techniques and materials, while implementing higher densities (up to five floors). Possible future additions with light materials are shown represented in red. by Carlos García-Sancho in collaboration with the Urban Asymmetries group, July 2009 CAD drawing A1
"The buildings will have, when possible, an average height of four to five layers, which provide space for two cuplex) with independent accesses to appear. The size of the units will be of around 65 square metes (the maximum size for social interest housing in Mexico) but will provide double spaces that can, in a future, and only if desired, be re-gained as an extra 15 square metes, which would then provide dwellings of 80 square meters (not including outdoor spaces)." Excerpt from the project's problem statement.
Model of the project site, before and after (right). Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2009. Digital image. Various sizes.
The project, in the end, tries to redefine public space in conditions of urban sprawl. By adding new uses and facilities, shadowed areas and a rain water reservoir ('rebosadero') to provide temporary climate regulation when possible, a more livable public space is proposed. The luxury is not having an extensive open space, but having one with the qualities which can ensure a certain urbanity.
[1] Cruz, T., "Levittown Retrofitted: An urbanism beyond the property line", Doug- las Kelbaugh and Kit Krankel McCullough (eds), Writing Urbanism (Florence, Kentucky and Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2008)
[2] Emilio Duhau, “Los nuevos productores del espacio habitable.” Ciudades: Revista Trimestral de la Red Internacional de Investigación Urbana, no. 79, Jul-Sept 2008, p 22.
[3] “Instructions for an insurrection”, SI, 1960. http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/display/321 (Retrieved, April 17th 2009)
ecatepec: media maps
Part of the research carried by the Urban Asymmetries group in Ecatepec, Mexico City as part of the graduation project was a series of interviews and video shots of the conditions present in the site. This media showed as a perfect tool to show the views and standpoints of the different players, and the conflicts that were generated. Five clips of about five minutes each have been created and used for several presentations (including the graduation). There is a project to create a 30 min documentary about the work carried out by the Urban Asymmetries group in Ecatepec.
The architectural and urban projects were published in the book "Urban Asymmetries. Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization", Ed. Tahl Kaminer, Miguel Robles-Dúran, Heidi Sohn, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2011.
alternative urbanities
Final graduation project at the Faculty of Architecture, Delft University of Technology, as part of the Urban Asymmetries Master Program, July 2009. This architecture proposal worked as part of a bigger urban strategy, a communal project led by a group of ten Architecture and Urbanism students: Levan Asabashvili [GE], Bai Yan [CN], Silvia Bizzarri [IT], Carlos García-Sancho [ES], Tania Guerrero [MX], Tomi Jaskari [FI], Tom Kolnaar [NL], Phillip Lühl [NA], Willem van de Ven [NL], Siebe M Voogt [NL], Taufan ter Weel [NL] and Idan Zveibil [IS].
All these projects were published in the book "Urban Asymmetries. Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization", Ed. Tahl Kaminer, Miguel Robles-Dúran, Heidi Sohn, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2011.
Urban asymmetries: The consequences of 'uneven geographical development'. Urban Asymmetries collective work, drawing by Taufan ter Weel July 2008. Transfered prints and hand drawing on cotton paper. Detail.
"The URBAN ASYMMETRIES studio is an intensive theoretically and empirically driven research and design studio that aims at the understanding of the processes and conditions that produce uneven - or asymmetrical - development in contemporary urban environments. For our collective graduation project we have analyzed the social and material consequences of the advancement of neoliberal policies and practices in Mexico City." Excerpt from the Urban Asymmetries research draft.
Mexico city's growth 1521-2009 The growth of Mexico City from a small colonial grid to nowadays' megalopolis (represented in shades of red) relied historically on the shrinking of surrounding natural resources, specially water surfaces (represented in shades of grey). Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2008. CAD drawing. Various sizes.
Project site in the context of the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM) Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2009. CAD drawing. Various sizes.
Analysis of the political and economical processes present in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico from 1985 to 2005: Neoliberal city. Transfered prints and hand drawing on cotton paper, January 2009. 200x100 cm panels.
The project lies in Ecatepec de Morelos, which is the largest peripheral municipality of Mexico City’s metropolitan area, located within the Estado de Mexico. It represents roughly 3 million inhabitants (only 1.6 million officially) in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Mexico (ZMVM), which is estimated around 28 million inhabitants. During the last decade several private developments has appeared in Ecatepec as new way of urbanization. A handful of large-scale private development companies in Mexico have the de-facto monopoly on planning and construction of the formal city, geared solely towards short-term profit maximization, while leaving the public (Municipality) with the long-term consequences of their socially and materially unsustainable developments. The project tries to address the condition created by the construction of 'Las Américas' development, a housing complex built by a private developer, but sold (at least partly) as social housing ('vivienda de interés social'). The landmark that defines the site is 'El Caracol' ("the Snail"), an abandoned man-made evaporation plant in the shape of a circle with an aprox. 3 km. diameter. Since it was closed in the 90s it is completely dry and regularly pollutes the air with soda dust, which is blown away by the wind.
Early proposals for the urban intervention: Jun 2008 and Apr 2035 (right). Transfered prints, hand drawing, gouache and collage on cotton paper, July 2008. 200x100 cm.
Closeup of the Apr 2035 pannel. Transfered prints, hand drawing, gouache and collage on cotton paper, July 2008. 200x100 cm.
"The development of ‘Las Américas’ consists of 14 000 single housing units in gated condominiums, arranged in a simple square grid that sprawls over the territory. The whole development (fraccionamiento) was built in little less than three years on a land that was previously empty. It is an urban fabric planned, built and managed by the private developer CASAS ARA, which has a de facto monopoly over the land, planning, construction and urbanization). This condition enhances the idea of an island detached from the surrounding city, that is visible in the difference of construction and housing models, but also materialized in a wall that segregates the two fabrics. The carelessness of the new development towards the existing city is complete: not even the city grid is respected, with street disruptions appearing. Las Américas sets its own rules; the outer world does not exercise any power in them." Excerpt from the Urban Asymmetries research draft.
Index of the Architecture proposals. Urban Asymmetries collective work, July 2009. Digital image. Various sizes.
The project "Proposing alternative urbanities" was one of the three strategies proposed, which aimed to propose a different model of urbanization in the strip of land above El Caracol, which is currently owned by the same developer (Casas ARA), but which with a license to build only storage facilities (strictly no dwellings). The aim is to create a strategy to allow a negotiated urban plan for that strip of land. By providing the conditions suitable for the construction of housing, the Municipality (together with other public bodies) re-gains the possibility of having a say in how the city they govern is actually being built.
"Our proposal is to make El Caracol productive again by means of water-based agriculture with related processing and trading facilities along its border. There are three arguments for this strategy. First of all, by making El Caracol productive, the environmental conditions are improved. This will allow to urbanize the wasteland in order to propose an alternative model for urbanization with 14 000 housing units, approximately the same as Las Américas, as well as mixed use facilities. Secondly, the revenues generated by the production and secondary economies that are enabled within the housing projects form the economic base for development of the rest of the area as well as a sustainable source of income for the inhabitants. Ultimately, the introduction of local means of production decreases the parasitic relation between the periphery and the central parts of Mexico City." Excerpt from the Urban Asymmetries research draft.
General urban plan for the strip and economic/ organizational model (below) The diagrams show the aim to connect to both the existing fabric of Las Américas and the new productive land of "El Caracol". The cooperative and economical models were developed further. by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes.
“Proposing aternative urbanities” by Carlos García-Sancho and Tom Kolnaar, June 2008 Digital video, 5:52 min. Under supervision of the Urban Asymmetries group.
Tentative plan of the first proposed development of the urban strip. Three projects constitute the seed of the new alternative urban plan. From bottom to top, a dwelling complex + agricultural facilities (Phillip Lühl), a market facility + housing (Siebe Voogt) and infiltrating Las Américas fabric, the "Invasive Densities" housing project (Carlos García-Sancho). by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes
Model photos of the first proposed development of the urban strip. by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 Digital image. Various sizes
"The aim of the architectural design proposal is to develop a new model for urbanization that will counter previously mentioned urban problematic, based on higher urban density, meaning not only volumetric built density, but also mixed functions, less open space and rather more usable public space which will ultimately lead to an increase in density of social relations. Specifically, housing typologies will be developed that relate closely to the production and processing project mentioned above as well as other small-scale commercial activities. All this architectural projects are threaded by a street that runs from Las Américas to El Caracol. This becomes the real hinge of the project, a strip of public land that combines pedestrian and vehicle traffic [...]. These streets are repeated in all of the urban units, serving as real backbones for their organization, and linking it to existing streets of Las Américas’ fabric, trying to effectively stitch the two fabrics together." Excerpt from the "Proposing alternative urbanities" project memory.
More information on the "Invasive densities" project can be found here.
mapping economies
Various diagrams produced for the Urban Asymmetries graduation project, used in the project research draft and the oral presentations. The challenge was to represent graphically a series of economical processes present in the site in Ecatepec, Mexico City.
This project, among others, was published in the book "Urban Asymmetries. Studies and Projects on Neoliberal Urbanization", Ed. Tahl Kaminer, Miguel Robles-Dúran, Heidi Sohn, 010 Publishers, Rotterdam, 2011.
“Economic models: Existing model for "vivienda de interés social" before and after (bottom).” by Carlos García-Sancho, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes. With the collaboration of the Urban Asymmetries group.
“Economic models: Proposal for a new model of social housing before and after (bottom).” by Carlos García-Sancho, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes. With the collaboration of the Urban Asymmetries group.
"A handful of large-scale private development companies in Mexico have the de-facto monopoly on planning and construction of the formal city, geared solely towards short-term profit maximization, while leaving the public (Municipality) with the long-term consequences of their socially and materially unsustainable developments. As only private (profit) interests are at play the result is a disregard for the ‘outside’, the rest of the city. This ready-made urbanism is repeated all over the metropolitan region, in a volume of 400 000 units each year. Ultimately, this type of build environment is parasitic on the city’s infrastructure and employment opportunities as it provides only housing and the minimum required elementary schools." Text from the Urban Asymmetries research draft, by Phillip Lühl.
“Economic framework: proposal for a cooperative model” (and close-up) by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes. With the collaboration of the Urban Asymmetries group.
"A cooperative structure strengthens the position of the dwellers in relation to the government and functions as a platform for debate amongst different users of a neighbourhood. Profit and knowledge is recycled back into the community. The cooperative structure needs to be based on direct democracy, whereby the members have control over decision-making concerning their community" Text from the Urban Asymmetries research draft, by Phillip Lühl.
“Project proposal: economical relations” by Carlos García-Sancho, Phillip Lühl, Siebe Voogt, July 2009 CAD drawing. Various sizes. With the collaboration of the Urban Asymmetries group.
camp metropolità
Urban project to try to foresee and analyze the development that the Spanish high speed train (AVE) will bring when it builds a train station in La Secuita, Tarragona, a village of around 1 500 inhabitants between the rivaling cities of Tarragona and Reus. This station will serve as a local hub for a population of over 400 000. The project was developed together with Adrià Escolano at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) with Jorge Perea and Carles Crosses.
Current mobility diagrams Camp de Tarragona Final version (top) and early sketches (bottom) by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing, Hand drawing. A2.
The aim was to analyze the impact of the recently implemented high speed train in mobility, but also in urbanization, and try to lead to solutions of higher density, avoiding urban sprawl. The territory is represented as a metropolitan mobility map, differentiating different networks (train, bus, airport).The final proposal was to create a tram ring that together with a bike path brings together the different elements of the territory: the two cities (Reus and Tarragona), the airport and the high-speed train. Each of the tram stations would be an urban "corner", a place for crossing and meeting, trying to ensure the urbanity through the creation different specialized programs that would trigger denser urban models and favor transport intermodality. The Camp of Tarragona can then become a Camp Metropolità (Catalan for 'metropolitan field').
Tram proposal Phasing (top) and representation of the different urban 'corners' (bottom) by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. Various sizes.
Text of the proposal (Spanish): "Intentar entender el Camp de Tarragona como metrópolis nos dejaría ante un fenómeno urbano un tanto extraño: una ciudad bipolar, con dos grandes barrios (Reus y Tarragona) y unos crecimientos tentaculares residenciales; unas "paradas de metro" que desembocan en la periferia, y unos crecimientos turísticos hacia el sur. El centro está deshabitado, ocupado por un polígono industrial, con unos potentes nodos de comunicación (aeropueto + estación intermodal). Un tercer vértice (la estación AVE) aparece en el norte, algo descolgado del resto. Nuestra propuesta se basa en crear unas nuevas paradas de metro que permitan una nueva movilidad transversal e intermodal. Estos nodos van adaptándose y apoyándose en lo que les rodea para potenciar sus posibilidades y crear unas nuevas zonas de actividad, asociada a ciertos objetivos: (cultura, turismo rural, negocios, etc). Estos se articulan en una nueva línea circular. En esta nueva red se integrará un tranvía ligero con un carril bici, y unas rutas de senderismo. Las paradas de metro de las ciudades funcionan como imágenes mentales de las zonas que abastecen, representándolas: Sagrada Família, Bastille, Picadilly... En este Camp Metropolità, nuevos nombres, todavía remotos, desconocidos, sirven como puntos de partidas para imaginar las cruïllas [cruces] que se podrían generar en ellas." Text of the proposal, by Adrià Escolano and Carlos García-Sancho.
Final territorial plan (top) and detail (bottom) by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. A0.
Proposed development of the tram station of La Canonja, plan and sections by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. Various sizes.
representing utopia
The project attempts to represent the spaces of Thomas MORE’s 'Utopia'. Each the four pannels represents a different scale: the country (the island), the city, the street and the human scale. The island of Utopia is here represented with the imagery of the 20th century modernism,deliberately mixing different representation techniques in oder to create a temporally confuse setting. This might also refer to the idea of the time-travel, a device used as a excuse to think about utopias throughout time. There is a feeling of despair, a certain sense of lost future evoked by the images. It reminds us that built utopias tend to enter the realm of the dystopian.
homopatik
Promotional videos for the homopatik party in about:blank, Berlin. Each of the parties has a different topic and the videos try to explain and develop them. Videos posted and linked on the web are seen as a cheap and sustainable alternative to printing flyers, a kind of flyer 2.0.
Some of these videos were part of the reSource event 001: Trial Crack - Queer Shifts panel, organized by transmediale, Berlin (DE).
process-based architecture
Pannels for the ARCHIPRIX prize 2009, appointed by the Technical University of Delft. Exhibited in the Faculty of Architecture, Delft. Collective work of the Urban Asymmetries group. The challenge was to create pannels which could represent the graduation projects as a whole with a common language. The projects were portrayed through axonometries in which the strategies and different phases of the project could be inserted. An attempt to represent what the Urban Asymmetries group defended: the generation of a 'process-based architecture'.
baladona tetris
Final project for the Urbanism course ("Urbanística VI") at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) under the supervision of professors Manuel Bailo and Francesc Bacardit. The task proposed was converting the Badalona Sud industrial complex near Barcelona, Spain, to a residential area, imagining the existing industrial warehouses were to be dismantled. The project proposed a general urban plan together with some housing typologies to "assemble" this new urban fabric, in the fashion of a Tetris game. The main two goals directing the project were the introduction of dwelling typologies with accessible roof terraces and the recuperation of a lost visual relation with the sea.
Aerial image and general proposal (bottom) The proposed preserved urban blocks are highlighted in the aerial image. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
General image: existing and early proposed concept (bottom). Extensive green roofs were proposed to preserve the horizontal, flat, urban void of the existing industrial fabric. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Digital image. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
Early sketch with general section (current state). by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Hand drawing, CAD drawing. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
The floorplan scheme follows the logic of an existing group of housing, which constitutes a remarkable exception in the middle of the industrial complex. This strip of housing, which crosses the site from the city to the sea, is mimicked and "replicated" when proposing the new street system. This creates strips of urbanization which always have a "wide" and a "narrow" end, facing alternatively city and sea. The existing landscape is understood as a tension between the rooftops of the low rise industrial fabric and the façades of the surrounding high-rise housing blocks, under the overwhelming presence of the now obsolete FECSA industrial chimneys. It was proposed to try to maintain this "flatness" by proposing housing and public buildings whose roofs can be used, which allow a new perspective for citizens and dwellers and therefore a visual relation with the sea, which is now cut by the existing railway tracks.
Proposed section with the visual relation to the sea, over the railway tracks, and concept images, before and after. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing, digital image. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
Concept image: dwelling the roofs. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing, digital image. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
To fill in those urban blocks, a set of typologies were created, which adapted to the different available widths, changing again when going from the "wide" to the "narrow" end of the projected strips. A set of higher blocks to provide greater dwelling density was proposed, always perpendicular to the sea to enhance again the permeability of the city towards the sea.
Model images. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Digital images. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
Different typologies in section, and assembly instructions. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
Axonometries of some of the typologies. The different housing units were described through "testimonies" of the possible future dwellers. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
Concept image: "How much do you want, hun?" by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 CAD drawing, digital image. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
"Let's take the term "urban fabric" to the limit: devise a system of combining housing units which is methodical, exhaustive, which can fill up the whole facade of an urban block, so we can achieve a city with different "fabrics" that can adapt to each situation, interweaving one another." Excerpt from the proposal text.
Images of the different working models. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Digital images. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
"To bring back the visual relation to the sea into the city, we need to raise public space to a certain height. We're talking about public spaces in the roof of your house. We're talking about ramps which lead to them, perhaps lifted by the sea breeze..." Excerpt from the proposal text.
Digital renders. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Digital images. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
General plan and section of the proposal. The project drawings aimed to express the systematical qualities of the project: housing units were coded and referenced in the floorplans, almost like assembly instructions. CAD drawing. Extracted from the final panel, A0.
Close-ups of the general plan and section. CAD drawing. Extracted from the final panel, A0.
Final spread of the dossier. by Carlos García-Sancho and Adrià Escolano, July 2007 Digital image. Extracted from the final dossier, A3.
keyword: space
Video piece trying to map a given space according to the three notions of space given by David Harvey in his text "Space as a keyword". Under the supervision of Tahl Kaminer (TU Delft).
"Absolute space is fixed and we record or plan events within its frame. This is the space of Newton and Descartes (…). Space is relative in a double sense: that there are multiple geometries from which to choose and that the spatial frame depends crucially upon what it is being relativized and by whom. (…) It is impossible to understand space independent from time under this formulation and this mandates an important shift of language from space and time to space-time or space-temporality. The relational notion of space-time implies the idea of internal relations; external influences get internalized in specific processes or things through time (…). In a way, relational conceptions of space-time brings us to the point where mathematics, poetry and music converge if not merge." [1]
[1] David Harvey, 'Space as a key word', "Spaces of global capitalism", Verso, London New York, 2006, p 119-125.
The space given to represent was defined by a randomly traced line in a city map across the Delfshaven district, in the city of Rotterdam (NL).
The screen is divided in four captions. The top windows represent the absolute space of maps (left) and the relative space that generates ; the walking of the line. To represent the relational space, two captions are needed: inputs (left) and outputs (right). A series of voices react on the inputs (in Spanish), which show close-ups of the spaces surrounding the line. All this relational thoughts are represented and somehow combined in the output window.
"Keyword: space" by Carlos García-Sancho, May 2008 Digital video, 3:50 min. Audio in Spanish. Under supervision of Tahl Kaminer (TU DELFT).
Original text of the proposal: "Following the different notions of space suggested by Harvey, I aim to represent the space of my urban line from these three different perspectives, pointing towards a more complete and complex cartography of space. I found video as the most suitable medium to do so.
Absolute space is represented by a moving Google Earth image. The photographic quality links it to the real word, but at the same time stresses the idea of a fake reality, absolute space as an imaginary space of convention, the 'illusion of the continuous zoom', quoting Latour. Relative space is embodied by the walked line per se, and the individual experience of walking it, relating time with space. The gaps of this line (the untrespassable zones) are crossed with the illusion of 'montage', the same way we imagine and re-create interiors and city places we cannot see.
Relational space is represented by an input and an output window that try to map a confluence of different relational spaces. Several voices comment close-ups from the line making different relations. These relations are later searched in the global networks of Google Image and Youtube to be shown in the output window, creating a cacophony of relations that point towards a collective definition of relational space."
More videos produced at the Urban Asymmetries workshop at: www.youtube.com/urbanasymmetries
cooljas
"Cooljas" was the title of a booklet presented as a final project for the "Art and Architecture Theory" course (Composició III) in June 2007, under the supervision of Josep Maria Montaner at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB). Project carried out together with Adrià Escolano, Xavier Pagès and Pavel Cueto.
ménage à moi
*ménage à moi* is a small brand of hand-made t-shirts done with stencils, trying to offer unique garments at low prices, which are currently sold in Berlin:
Kaufhaus der Berliner Krossenerst 18, BERLIN
*ménage à moi* has been sold also in Barcelona, Rotterdam and Valladolid.
EN: m_M* ménage à moi is a very small t-shirts&more brand. they are stencilled, hand-made cotton printing which makes each clothing unique. we also see it as a way of recycling t-shirts that are blank or have very small prints or stains, making them cooler to wear, keeping the price somewhat low. they have messages or images which will probably make you the center of attention, which we all secretly love; some of them even make the watcher actively envolved in the message. *ménage à moi* is a cult&trash t-shirt collection for egocentric urbans who are not afraid to put art pieces on.
ES: m_M* ménage à moi es una pequeña marca de camis&más. su estampado a plantillaza 100% artesanal hace cada prenda única. también lo vemos como un reciclaje de camis con taras, pequeñas manchas de fabricación, o simplemente imponibles, que hacemos más estilosas, intentando mantener el precio tan bajo como podamos. todas tienen mensajes ácidos que te harán ser siempre el centro de atención, cosa que en realidad nos gusta a todos, bonita. *ménage à moi* son cult&trash t-shirts para urbanitas egocéntricos que no tienen miedo de vestir arte arte arte.
an archive of photos can be found at: www.fotolog.com/menage_a_moi
if you want to have one, or own a shop and want to sell them, you can contact me at [email protected]
recycled architectures
Design project which tried to re-address some of the leftover spaces created at the crossing of two major roads in northern Barcelona: Via Augusta and Ronda de Dalt. This was an academic design project carried out together with Adrià Escolano and Pavel Cueto in the course "Arquitectures reciclades" under the supervision of Pilar Cos at the School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB).
Project Site (Google Earth)
Photographs of the site. Via Augusta. (Photos by Adrià Escolano)
The ambition of the course was to regain those 'terrain vagues' through pragmatic, concrete interventions, which would ideally involve the neighbors. The southern bank of Via Augusta was the place chosen to carry out an intervention, wanting to create a filter of activity between the high way and the remaining residential fabric.
Filter separating the highway from the leftover space. by Pavel Cueto, Adrià Escolano, Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Digital image. Various sizes.
Brainstorm ideas. by Pavel Cueto, Adrià Escolano, Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Spread of the course catalogue. Print. 20x20 cm.
The project explored various elements that were somehow embedded in the site: leftover objects which showed traces of different lives, with a ghostly presence, the idea of the no-place as a chroma, an any-place where you could be "wherever you want to be" and the ominous presence of advertisement in these terrain vagues, which could in turn be used to promote the work of local artists. The proposal tried to put all this inputs together in vertical in an scaffolding structure, searching for a lost density and trying again to set a filter towards the heavy traffic and re-gain the spaces behing as 'domestic'. These scaffolding could have different typologies and uses: vertical gardens, house outdoor extensions, a vertical surface for graffiti artists and a projection screen for an outdoor cinema.
Scaffoldings as domestic extensions. by Pavel Cueto, Adrià Escolano, Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Digital image. Various sizes.
Scaffolding sketches. by Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Hand-made sketches. A5.
Proposal plan and section. by Pavel Cueto, Adrià Escolano, Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Spread of the course catalogue. Print. 20x20 cm.
This scaffolding barrier would have an inside full of activity, but an outer facade towards the highway which would serve as a giant billboard. This advertisement space would enable the financing of the activities behind. The text of the proposal reads: "The revenge of the pedestrian is, at the end, that the cars that made living these spaces difficult will end up involuntary contributing in the healing of this open wound."
In a second stance a reduced version was developed. This second proposal should be buildable by the students with the help of the neighbors, with the use of the tools available at the school of Architecture. It should be ephemeral and have a budget of no more than 200 €, using recycled or lent materials and a rented scaffolding. In it, four "levels" where built, an underground level where the leftover objects and traces were sorted out, recycled and exchanged, serving as a "waste museum", a chroma level connected to the street, a level for cultural activities such as exhibitions or concerts, and a garden in the top floot. The project was, however, never realized due to scheduling problems.
Reduced proposal plan, section, images. by Pavel Cueto, Adrià Escolano, Carlos García-Sancho, June 2007. Print. A3.
Text of the proposal: "Scars are probably one of the body parts where more simultaneous processes take place at the same time: scars remind us that we are alive, scars stand as a reminder for the accidents that caused them. Scars are necessary. We want to produce an ephemeral setting that will bring activity to this scar, produced by the highway crossing through northern Barcelona, in order to begin a healing process. It is a literal stacking of all the impressions and different ideas we had when facing the site. Our aim is to bring density and diversity to bring the city back to life."
el dibujador
Personal illustration blog. Watercolor drawings depicting everyday life events, and what is not so everyday about them. eldibujador.tumblr.com
El dibujador is currently not drawing anymore, but he will hopefully be back soon when he takes some time to sort out all the drawings piled up inside his head.