Architecture as Ethnography

Enshrining culture within the built environment

Daniel miko mikolaschek

uf|gsoa Spring 2014 mrp
citylab orlando

Architecture as Ethnography

Enshrining culture within the built environment

Daniel miko mikolaschek

uf|gsoa spring 2014 mrp
citylab orlando
mrp committee chair:
professor hui zou
mrp committee co-chair:
professor donna cohen

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Site Analysis 4
Development Process 15
Understanding Barriers 16
Precedents Studies 26
Related Works 52
Creating a Connection 56
Creating a System 62
A Public Backdrop 64
Central Intervention 70
Intervention I 76
Intervention II 80
References 85

Introduction

Redeveloping the Favela

The main concept driving this proposal is the need to establish
a new way of redeveloping the favelas of South and Central
America. These communities are typically made up of poor or
impoverished people who group together and build dwellings
of cheap and recycled materials, often materials that are
thrown away or gathered from the demolition of other buildings.
These communities are often rich in culture, talent, skill, and
craftsmanship.
However, people of these communities often work for minimal
income or have no income at all. It is for this reason that
redeveloping these communities requires a very broad approach
that touches on many types of concentrations. These include
economics, sociology, anthropology, city planning, engineering,
and architecture.
The scope of such a redevelopment project would also need to
include infrastructure, civic space, communal space, and public
and private housing, as an alternative to many current methods
that simply seek to sweep away the existing buildings and
replace them with block style housing structures.
However, the wall at the core of this broad concept is merely a
beginning point that is a very small portion of the overall scope. It
is intended to serve as an infrastructural spine, a marker of place
that belongs to the community, a public system for preserving
the culture and history of the community, and most importantly, a
catalyst to spawn redevelopment on a large scale and scope.
Most importantly, redevelopment of such neighborhoods needs
to remain an emotional, financial, and cultural investment of the
inhabitants of the community. Most work being done in favelas is
driven by local, state, and federal initiatives. While such projects
would not be feasible without the help of the government, it is
vital that the sense of pride and ownership of these communities
remain with the people who will continue to inhabit these
neighborhoods. This will be the key to incremental, sustainable,
and lasting redevelopment.

Do architects and designers have a responsibility to use

their skills to enhance the lives of less fortunate people? Can
architecture and design be used to encourage redevelopment
and growth in low-income areas? Can a symbolic edifice serve
as the spine of future redevelopment while acting as a source
of community and cultural pride and unification? This proposal
seeks to answer these questions.

Purpose

Enhance the design process by understanding the culture

of the end-user.

Establish a precedent for community driven need based
architecture.

Explore community pride and experiences through

archival architecture.

Understand the meaning of edges, paths, and nodes

within densely constructed and unplanned communities.

Action Plan

Understand the culture of the neighborhood through

research and documentation.

Small scale intervention and community driven design.

Development of an appropriate site.

Development of an environmental plan.

Establishment of new cultural amenities.

1.

inhabitants of the favela, as well as establishing a system of

cultural sensitivity when working with different communities.

Y SHA
ET

PUBLIC
SPACE

RE OF
TU

CE

TE
N

IO

SU
BS
IS

Anthropological analysis of a favela will play heavily into the

proposed intervention. Understanding the ways of life, the
cultural moral beliefs, the existing system of economy, language,
family structures, and skills and strengths will assist in developing
a language of design that fits well into the favela. However, such
analysis can also help to engage other areas of redevelopment,
such as economy, sustainability, societal unrest, and community
cohesion. Furthermore, such analysis will ensure a level of
acceptance, engagement, and sense of ownership among the
2.

LIG

Cultural Anthropology and Architecture

ECONOMY

RE

Public Space it the cultivator and incubator for enculturation and

cultural evolution. It is the place where the three basic tenants of
any culture (economy, subsistence, and religion)intersect through
social interactions. Within this realm, members of a society
exchange ideas, learn behaviors, and become familiar with the
way their societies operate. Public spaces come in all shapes,
sizes and functions. However, to be an effective incubator for
cultural education, the space is better served if it is traversed by
a wide variety within the culture, rather than a space that caters
to a small mono-culture.

A SOCI

Public Space

Within the span of Americas history as a world super power,

there have been countless interventions from Western cultures
in areas of economic poverty or deficiency of natural resources.
These interventions have usually been targeted aid packages
but have also included attempts at social engineering or even
planning and executing built environments, and have been either
publicly funded projects or privately funded interventions. It
goes without saying that these attempts have highlighted two
major concerns in the field of architectural intervention. First and
foremost is ` apparent lack of affective solutions that the built
environment and planning can provide in terms of revitalizing
economically depressed zones, areas lacking natural resources,
or areas torn by cultural imbalance. Second is the lack of cultural
and societal sensitivity that has accompanied many of these
attempts. It is the hypothesis of this research that one is the
direct cause of the other. Specifically, that an intervention into the
lives of a society requiring aid (especially one that does not share
cultural values with Western societies) can only succeed if great
care is taken to
study, experience,
and incorporate
that societys
values into such
an intervention.
When a designer
D CUL
E
begins his or
R
her work they
must first apply
themselves as an
anthropologist.
The initial analysis
performed for
any good design
intervention
should always

start with a detailed ethnography of the users of the intervention.

In this way an intervention becomes an application of observation
rather than a predetermined prescription.
Societies that possess great wealth, resources, and shared
human intellect and knowledge, have a moral responsibility to
help other societies that are in need. Furthermore, Architectural
design and planning has the capability to reinvigorate areas that
suffer from economic depression, lack of natural resources,
environmental degradation, and cultural unrest. However,
this can only be true if designers are sensitive to the culture
of their users. Great care must be taken to understand the
social, spiritual, and economic workings of a society, before an
intervention can be implemented. Every culture is different in the
way it operates. While most western cultures are more similar
then they are different, many other cultures throughout the world
do not conform to this way of life. Therefore, it is important that
designers not impose their cultural or moral biases on a society
where he or she is attempting to intervene. In anthropology, this
is referred to as cultural relativity, and allows the application of
observation to cater to the culture in question. This idea has
relevance in architectural practice as well. Designers must truly
understand the client in order to create the environment that best
suits their needs, and not that of the designer.
However, when dealing with interventions that pertain to a
society in need and with a very different culture than our own,
the application of anthropological interests become of upmost
importance. At its most basic level, the use of anthropological
evaluation and ethnography can provide designers and
planners with an understanding of the way a culture operates.
If, for example, an intervention is intended to strengthen the
economic well being of a society then it becomes important to
fully understand the economic system employed by that society
and not to impose a system that has no relevance to the culture
in question. The same is true of the societys spirituality, family
composition, political systems, subsistence patterns, or other
cultural components. Ignoring these issues can be damaging to
a society. Where culturally insensitive interventions have been

attempted in impoverished favelas in Brazil, these efforts have

been ignored by the society in question. In areas of Africa where
efforts were taken with little forethought of existing culture,
societies have been robbed of their ability to subsist and have
suffered real harm. There are many opportunities to research
the history of Western aid-based intervention. The unfortunate
commonality that most share is their inability to be effective or
maintain long-term sustainability.
However, observation and understanding are only a part of any
good intervention. The true synthesis between anthropology and
architecture will come in the application of the relevant research
and observation. Factors such as need, scale, materials, mobility,
and reproduction will all play key rolls in determining the type of
intervention that is necessary and appropriate for any society
that is in need. Where shelter is needed, the intervention must
address the most essential requirements of a society (that of safe
and comfortable shelter), but these dwellings must conform to
the culture of the society. That is to say, if the society is seminomadic, it does little good to design and build shelters that
cannot be easily moved or reproduced elsewhere. Furthermore,
if a dwelling is required, then it becomes vital to understand the
family structure of the society. As a western society, we have
long been used to the idea of a simple nuclear family unit, but
a home that suits our needs would far from suit the needs of
a society that is based on maternal family structures. This is
where a keen design sense and careful cultural observation and
understanding will come together to create a workable solution
for a society in need.

3.

Site Analysis
Residencial Cantareira

This study looks at the resources that most communities

provide and how a place of interaction can lend power to these
resources in strengthening the community as a whole. Not
only does a common public place (a square or plaza) create a
stronger sense of identity with-in a community, but it is the place
where that community is able to share its culture.
Economy
Religion

Path of Public Interaction

Subsistence

Center of Cultural
Growth

4.

The neighborhood of Residencial Cantareira was chosen for

this exercise because it possesses many of the traits of a larger
favela, yet is small enough to serve as a test study. In studying
the resources of the site, it is clear that there are many cultural
points that knit the community together. However, what is lacking
is a center of exchange where these resources can be linked.
The diagrams at the right show the position of these resources,
while those on the following pages discuss their connection
through a public intervention. The result is three public spaces
linked by an architectural edifice in keeping with the concept of
this research project.

Topography

Tree Line

Water

Economy

Subsistence

Religion

5.

Public Space

6.

Creating Connections

7.

Site Analysis
Paraisopolis

While this research project is intended to be a framework for

many types of projects in many types of non-traditional urban
places, the specific site of this project will be in the neighborhood
of Paraisopolis in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is one of the largest of Sao
Paulos 400 favelas. The Favela consists of 15,843 households
and was first occupied in 1972. The neighborhood occupies
1 square kilometer with roughly 195,000 inhabitants and 3000
businesses. [2,3] This site has been chosen for several reasons.
Sao Paulo has developed a rich base of research and projects
on the topic of favela redevelopment. This will provide ample
data pertaining to the community and site as well as a basis on
which to test the ideas of this proposal. Furthermore, because
the area chosen as the site for this project creates considerable
issues regarding water runoff, pollution, and erosion due to its
topography, it is a prime candidate for the ground stability and
water filtration that the proposed wall in this project can provide.

8.

The image above clearly shows the density and breadth of the
favela. While this research project only looks at a small area of
the neighborhood, its intention is to create a framework that
could be carried along the entire length of the water-way shown
above.

9.

10.

These site sections, topography maps, and aerial photos give a

sense of the density and terrain of Paraisopolis. There is a small
river at the basin of the valley shown in the section. It is densely
crowded and highly polluted. A clear goal for this project is to
protect the river from encroachment as well as pollution. In doing
so, it will also become the central feature of the ensuing public
space. The immediate site also shows and un-built space that
could be used for a small development project that could serve
to aid in a displacement plan. The existing buildings have grown
together organically over time. As a result, this project could also
serve to create a clear and linear public space that connects
areas that were previously inaccessible.

11.

building foundations or wash out

hillsides that have been stripped
of their vegetation. Running water
can also pick up harmful pollutants
which end up in water sources. This
is often the case in Paraisopolis.
It is important to maintain water
supplies and these images clearly
depict the results of unsuccessful
water management. While run-off
and flooding do cause considerable
damage, this images show how the
encroachment of buildings can lead
to further pollution or even sever
water damage to buildings that
have been built to close to water
supplies. Many techniques exists
to filter or collect run-off water to
protect water supplies bellow.

Perhaps the most telling view of Paraisopolis. This image depict

the disparity in income that often exists within feet of each other
in So Paulo. Here, the security wall is clearly visible, as is the
separation is creates. Yet, while there are very difficult situations
to deal with in any favela, when asked, most people reply that
they like their neighborhood and wouldnt want to leave. This
speaks to the pride that people feel for their own communities.
The extreme density that often exists in a favela can be seen
here. While urban density can have powerful benefits, there
are some major drawbacks. Code enforcement is difficult to
maintain, which can lead to dangerous overhead conditions or
fires that can spread and cause wide-spread damage.
So Paulo has a very contoured terrain, which causes issues
due to water run-off. Running water can cause damage to
12.

Like many cultures around the

world, those found in Paraisopolis
are very rich and personal.
Playing and family are extremely
important. Safe places for children to play or families to enjoy
are key ingredients to a thriving community. In Brazil, games like
rugby, and basket ball are extremely popular among children
and adults. However, Brazil is definitely a country that views
soccer as not a sport, but a work of art. Even when no space
is provided, children will play soccer in the street with a ball
made of discarded yarn, if nothing better is available. Families
also value social occasions where food and music play are very
important roll. It is always important to provide these spaces
to families. They promote exercise and communication and
camaraderie.

13.

1.

2.

14.

5.

4.

3.

Development Process
The extreme density of the Paraisopolis favela creates many
problems but also exposes possibilities for urban renewal. In
this case, a polluted water source runs through a poorly paved
intersection. This point becomes the central node for inserting
an intervention that provides public space, protects the water
source, defends against future construction encroachment,
provides for public amenities and resources, and creates a visual
identity for the neighborhood.
1. Target Area - The building identified in blue encroach on
the waterway too densely. The result is pollution and a lack of
access to the water as a resource. These buildings are targeted
for removal and displacement. In some cases they will be
completely removed. In others they can be modified to create a
suitable water corridor.
2. Target Zone - This is the area left void after removal of
the encroaching buildings. It will serve as the base of the
intervention. Its shape is defined by the remaining buildings.
3. Identifying Intersections - Two major axis and the water way
form a focal point for the intervention. Transportation, pedestrian
traffic, and commerce will all intersect here to create the main
entrance and exit to the intervention.
4. Identifying anchors - These are areas of interest along the
target zone. They are potentials for micro interventions such as
play zones for children, commerce zones for small shop owners,
and religious buildings that play into the local culture.
5. Creating Connections - The intervention will serve as a public
corridor to connect these micro interventions, the water, and the
public.

15.

Physical Barriers
And Their Cultural Impact

Alphaville

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Alphaville is a walled community in Sao Paulo that has spawned

many off-shoots since its inception in 1978. The compound now
includes 16 gated communities. The walls of the community
ensure little to no interaction with those of lesser means who
live outside of its protection. The walls create a stark illustration
of the division between the rich and the poor, and often allow
those who have not to have the experience the poverty that is
often merely a few feet beyond their protective barrier, when
that experience could serve as the motivator for real and lasting
policy changes.

West Bank Wall

Palestine & Israel

The physical separation of Palestinians and Jews in Israel stems

from a long standing religion claim to land that both heritages
share. Many skirmishes and battles have occurred over the area
in question and in 2002, Israel began building walls for protection
as well as to impose a new border to the area. In many cases,
these barriers create a real difficulty for Palestinians to obtain
food or travel to their jobs. Much more damaging, however, is
the lack of social interaction that could help to slowly heal the
wounds of this of this war-torn land.

38th Parallel

North & South Korea

In most cases, the 38th Parallel is lined by fences, gaurdposts,

and mountains. It is not a wall by traditional definition, however, it
does separate people from each other. Because, North Koreans
are not allowed to leave the country, they have had very little
interaction with foreign people. Coupled with the anxiety and fear
that is synonymous with living in a police state, this gives rises to
a distrust of foreigners, and an isolation that allows North Korea
leaders to spread propaganda and control its people, where an
understanding of other cultures and laws could help to spark and
unstoppable current of change.
16.

17.

Walls
Historically walls have been used to defend an area against
attack or invasion. This is most commonly seen in defensive
walls that surround castles, fortresses, and some old cities,
perhaps the most famous being the Great Wall of China.
However, in contemporary times, such barriers are also used to
imprison or contain. Prison walls and fences are a good example
of such walls. Perhaps the most well known in recent human
history is the Berlin wall, which physically encapsulated half of
a city from the rest. This, of course, was a small part of the Iron
Curtain, which divided East and West Europe, and was often not
a wall at all, but an idea enforced through fear and intimidation.
Within northern America there is also the wall that divides the
United States and Mexico. This boarder wall is intended to keep
illegal aliens from crossing into the United States. The idea of
a wall guarding the boarder has gained popularity since the
terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, but is also fueled by a political
division within the country, as well as the USAs intention to keep
illegal drugs and weapons out of the country. This wall truly
expresses the dichotomy of American ideals, where a country
that prides itself on being home to a mixed immigrant population
must also defend its boarders from those that would inflict harm.
[1]
Countless examples exist in areas where war and civil strife
have grown. Such walls seek to divide people on two sides of
a conflict. Northern Ireland, Syria, Israel, and North and South
Korea have and are still using such mechanisms to ensure
safety. In these cases, the fundamental question of security
directly conflicts with the lasting peace that can come from
common experiences and exchanges brought about through
unity. Here, the very walls that seek to keep the peace are the
very things that fuel division, strife, ignorance, and paranoia. It
is a great irony that not only are these walls insurmountable, but
the divisions they cause are also making the problems they seek
to address more insurmountable. [1]
18.

Contemporary walls are rarely used to provide security in the

historic sense of the word. Individual cities and communities
do not need to protect themselves from marauding bandits or
invading armies. Except for the case of gated communities,
modern walls are primarily meant to provide privacy. While a
fence or a wall surrounding a garden may provide some security
against theft and intrusion, they are typically intended to provide
division between public and private spaces. In this sense,
such walls have begun to take on a symbol of division within a
community. This division is often related to the division of the
wealthy and the poor.
This trend has seen a growing adoption in areas where there is
a great separation between income classes. Sao Paulo, Brazil
has seen the rise of large gated communities in the past several
years. Alphaville is a series of gated communities driven by
private enterprise and supported by government taxation policy.
There are 16 or so such communities with the promise of more
to come, and they are guarded by nearly 40 miles of wall that
separate the haves from the have nots. While the walls provide
a sense of security to the communitys residents, the separation
of the two populations simply acts to further divide them and
drive a larger gap in income inequality. The residents of Alphaville
are no longer required to see or feel the pain of poverty. They
are simply able to retreat behind their wall and ignore the evergrowing problems that face Sao Paulo. Furthermore, these walls
have become a symbol in the minds of the less fortunate people
of Sao Paulo. They symbolize the failings of Brazils economic
policies and the keen sense that Brazil is home to not one unified
citizenry, but two. [1]
A slightly newer phenomenon is that of the sound wall. These
are walls that divide primarily residential spaces from loud public
spaces. For example, highways or railways that run through
residential neighborhoods will often employ such walls to reduce
the noise that enters the private spaces. Such walls are often
even made of clear materials so as not to create a visual division,
merely a physical and audible division.

In all cases, walls are often subject to the cultural phenomenon

of graffiti. Walls of all kinds serve as a backdrop for expressing
the underlying thoughts, hopes, and distresses of the population.
This theme plays heavily into the development of the wall in this
proposal. In this way, the wall becomes a way to record history,
express cultural hopes and concerns, display points of pride,
and unify the community. It is also intended to offer commentary
on other walls that seek to protect through division. Because of
its unique construction, the wall will seem a solid edifice in some
areas (where an edge is required), a porous edifice in others
(where light and shade can mix), a completely permeable faade
where passage is required, and a mere marking of space where
open public space is needed, almost invisible. It will make its
mark in the center of the neighborhood, rather than segregate
the neighborhood from other areas. Its message will be that
while groups of people are different, a closer examination will
show that they are rarely too different to form bonds and find
commonalities.

19.

Physical Barriers
Within the Modern Context

20.

Gaudi uses a very subcultural structural

edge to serve as an overhead canopy as
well as a means of support for the earth
above.

This example uses a very raw natural

material framed by a fabricated material to
create a barrier in a landscape. It serves
as an interesting juxtaposition of materials
and a smart and sustainable cost saving
method.

This barrier gives an example of how

something porous can still serve as a wall
while providing visibility to the other side.
However, from another angle, this wall
would seem continuous.

21.

Physical Barriers
Within the Modern Context

Here the city of Vicenza provides a barrier to the flood prone

river. However, the wall also serves as a structural support for the
building that straddles it. The cantilever of the building can then
provide shade as people pass underneath.

22.

There is a very real consequence to separating people of

different cultures, backgrounds, ethnicities, income levels, or
religions. The separation can create an irreparable rift that will
cause distrust, anger, and non-cooperation. In many cases, it
is only real grass roots communication between people that
brings about shifts and changes in the global society. Walls are
symbol of the failed attempt at physical separation. They often
evoke a sense that if we cant see something, then there isnt
anything wrong. This is easily typified by walls such as the Berlin
wall. During its existence, it symbolized an ugly and dark time
in German history. Yet, the moment it was being torn down, it
instantly became a symbol of unity and joy. The idea was clearly,
nothing can stand in our way... not even walls and guns. This
spirit is the inspiration for a major architectural feature of this
project. Walls can be symbolic and evocative. They can stand
for separation, but they can also serve as a reminder that the
physical boundaries on the path to change will only stand for
so long. In order to achieve this symbolism, the wall at the heart
of this project is a permeable and flexible entity. It is used to
mark the union of spaces. It gives importance and protection to
public space (the space where real and lasting change always
begins). It offers support to nearby structures, whos stability
may be failing. It also is constructed of materials the represent
the neighborhood (going so far as creating a backdrop for art,
performance, and the collection of meaningful artifacts). Walls
can have real benefits in the built environment. In this project,
they are meant as a source of community strength and a display
of hope and pride.

In the forum in Rome, these high arches serve to frame a

path and provide directionality. Even though the arches are
not continuous, they provide a sense of a protective overhead
condition.

This wall provides not only a barrier for protection (a castle in

Belansona, Switzerland), but also a place to walk. In its modern
us, the arrow gaps frame the views of the alps as people pass
by.

23.

24.

Connection to European Walls

Traveling in Europe has played a role in influencing this proposal.
It is common to encounter an old city wall surrounding a
historic city center. While it has been informative to see how
contemporary urban development has incorporated these
walls into the urban fabric, it is also interesting to observe the
redefinition of these walls as well as new wall types that are
used ubiquitously in European residential areas (typically noise
walls, garden walls, and river walls - as well as the graffiti and
other cultural communication that these tend to host). Often,
the old city walls serve to not only protect and segregate the old
city, but to aid in shifting the elevation of the ground. In other
cases, large city gates, that announce the entrance to the city,
allow a wall that serves to separate to briefly serve as a point
of connection. Highway and train route sound walls (although
typically covered in graffiti) are often made of glass, and allow for
a visual connection while segregating only physical and audible
transmission.
Of further interest is the removal of the city wall in Barcelona
and the negative space that resulted, and an old fortress in the
town of Sienna, Italy. This fortress acts as a wall on the outside,
while creating a large plinth on its interior. The old fort is long
since gone, but the city has reinvigorated the space with a park
and an amphitheater. Above all, every vertical surface that was
encountered (whether city wall, sound wall, or envelope to a
building) seems to serve as a cultural sounding board. Some
are host to graffiti, while others host stickers of bands and social
movements and posters for any event imaginable. All of this has
had some interesting impact on this proposal. While Berlin has
provided a sense of how a wall can divide, serve as a symbol,
and in the wake of its removal, as a seam of connection.

25.

Precedents

26.

Existing and Proposed Redevelopment Projects

There are many precedents for this type of work. It will be
important to understand several aspects of these projects.
Success of these projects must be analyzed in terms of cost
effectiveness, financial impact, design success, and resulting
impact on the existing neighborhood.
It is also vital to understand the ways in which previous projects
or interventions have embraced or disregarded the cultural
aspects of the existing ways of life of the favela.
Several resources have been established for researching these
projects. During this semester (Fall 2013) a design charrette was
organized between the UF VIA program, the Matera School of
Architecture, the Pescara School of Architecture, and the Escola
da Cidade/San Paulo. During this charrette, many resources
were presented as a way to research specific neighborhoods,
projects, and master plans. Also, professors from the school
in San Paulo have made their time available to guide future
research for this project.

the city, so we went to him and asked him to figure out how to
make it beautiful, Geronino Barbosa, director of the Heliopolis
community group UNAS, told the design magazine Dwell.[4]
Beautification can play a large roll in encouraging redevelopment.
When driven by the culture and talent of a place, such
beautification can also establish true ownership and pride within
a community. Of course, many issues remain pertaining to
the structural integrity, safety, and health of existing buildings.
However, such beautification measures can serve to display a
sign of improvement until more lasting improvements can be
made. Also, such projects can help to inform the direction of
future interventions by establishing a style and aesthetic that
reflects the needs and wants of the community.

Community Driven Projects and Interventions

In past years many favelas have seen interventions and renewal
projects that have been driven by their own inhabitants. Such
projects include artistic expressions designed to improve a
neighborhoods aesthetic appeal and to create a sense of
pride among its inhabitants. Repainting the structures of a
neighborhood in a colorfully themed pallet or displaying largescale works of art on the faades of buildings has seen an
increase in popularity. Such interventions help to reflect the rich
culture of a place and its people. This can also work to create
unity among a neighborhoods inhabitants by exemplifying the
ideas a community has in common. Well-known Sao Paulobased Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake mobilized the 6,000
residents to use a fixed palette of six colors from bright yellow
to deep purples to create a look described as akin to an Italian
hill town.
Ohtake told a newspaper that Heliopolis was the ugliest part of
27.

28.

Architects: Drucker Arquitetura

Location: So Paulo, Brazil
Rendering: Courtesy of Drucker Arquitetura
Project Strategies
Integration of slum area
Respect to topography and morphology
Improvement of environmental conditions
This perimeter is an extremely vulnerable area from the
environmental point of view. Many houses are implemented in
flooding areas on steep downhill land that compromise stability.
The design is also predicated on the interaction between the
urban edge and the organic natural surroundings.

29.

30.

31.

32.

Project for the favela of Cabuu in San Paulo,

Brazil
Ettore Vadini
This Charrette project is intended to bring much needed
infrastructure into the neighborhood (garbage pickup,
sewage. playgrounds, schools, and services. The focus
of the project became about finding the relationship of
architecture to its landscape. Because of the winding
river in this area, it became necessary to think in terms
of micro-public interventions. Each project would also
provide employment opportunities for the residents of
the area.

33.

34.

35.

Regeneration of the Favela

Jan Kudlicka
Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
This project focuses on alleviating the density of one of
Rios most crowded favelas. This crowded condition can be
problematic in the case of fires and other emergencies. The
concept begins with identifying public space that can be
preserved and expanded. In this case, the target area is an
existing square with very tight access. Through a strategy of
vertical stratification, the space is expanded at the ground level
by elevating certain structures to create ground level entrances
to the space. This space is dedicated to public use, including
commerce, leisure, education, and health care. The upper floors
of the buildings are reserved for private residences, while the
roof tops become a connected network of semi-private outdoor
spaces for the residents.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

PROGETTO URBANO CRREGO DO ANTONICO

Maria Joo Figueiredo (MMBB Arquitetos)
Currently the waters of the Antonico receive much of the sewage
of the favela and, during each summer, are responsible for the
collapse of several buildings. This project seeks to alleviate those
issues with a new infrastructural system to creates volume for the
river to expand. In doing so, the river becomes less volatile and
allows for a safe public environment that can be enjoyed by the
whole neighborhood.

43.

44.

45.

46.

Architects: Elemental Alejandro Aravena, Alfonso

Montero, Toms Cortese, Emilio de la Cerda
Location: Iquique, Chile.
This project deals with low income housing in a budget friendly
and interesting way. The projects yield a fully functioning house.
However, the inhabitant then fills in the remaining volume of
the house over time. This allows for family expansion down
the road. Also, this strategy allows for a unique home that the
owner completes at a later time. The existing architecture is
built extremely strong to give support for the in fill that the owner
provides at a later time.

47.

48.

Architect:
Urban-Think Tank
Alfredo Brillembourg & Hubert
Klumpner
Project Architects:
Michael Contento & Lindsey
Sherman
Project Team:
Maria Augusta Bueno, Carlos
Guimaraes
The priority for this project was equipping
this peripheral neighborhood with
infrastructure, water, sewage networks,
lighting and services in addition to social
infrastructure in the areas of education,
safety, culture, public space, and sports.
The proposed model aims to translate
a societys need for equal access to
housing, employment, technology,
services, education, and resources into
spatial solutions.

49.

50.

51.

Related Works

52.

Nap Ford Charter School

Orlando, FL
UF|GSoA Fall 2012
This project incorporates the idea of a highly textured and
communicative wall. It serves to both protect the children and
create an organizational datum around which public and private
spaces can be oriented. The clients of the school wished to
incorporate public space that could be used by all the residents
of the neighborhood. This called for a unique system that would
create soft and flexible division between spaces.
The wall was also a symbolic reminder of the layers and history
that give the neighborhood its identity.

53.

54.

Florianapolis Favela Redevelopment

Florianapolis, Brazil
UF|GSoA Fall 2013
with Tairis Alvarez UF|GSoA
During this charrette our team was tasked with creating better
connections throughout the favela. This intervention brings
pedestrians through a very steep forest trail by creating a sky
bridge that connects to the southern site. There is an anchor
structure at each end that provides rest rooms as well as viewing
decks and a common room used for education in sustainability
and preservation of the natural resources of the island.

55.

Creating a Connection
Developing a Framework for Intervention

56.

Target Area- Remove

congestion and provide for
smart growth, displacing
density responsibly through
an incremental remove and
replace methodology.

The target area can be

highlighted by higher density
community structures that
connect the development.

Target Area- Care must me

taken so that construction is
not immediately filled in. This is
accomplished by establishing
clear setbacks in the project.
The knot formed by the road,
the river, and the target area
create a likely area for a focal
point to the intervention.
Target Area- Impact on the
river and lack of public space
are the key factors in the
intervention

Target Area- Congestion and

density without planning leave
the area unorganized and
unfriendly
57.

Architecture as Ethnography
The wall in this proposal will run through an area where it will best
serve as a community focal point. As such, it will also serve as
a living ethnographic record of that community. This will occur
through a complex construction method, which will create the
wall out of several layers (each serving a specific function). During
this phase of locating the project, several other issues will need
to be addressed. First, the wall must serve as a focal point, so
some physical proximity to the cultural center of the community
should be considered. Secondly, most favelas or shantytowns
are commonly located along some natural resource such as a
river. Often these water sources have been built over, crowded
around, severely polluted, or some combination of all three. The
construction of the wall should alleviate this condition by opening
up a channel along such a resource. Thirdly, as a result of its
placement in proximity to a natural resource, the wall should also
serve to remediate the area as well. This can be accomplished
by allowing the wall to serve as filtration for downhill water
runoff. Therefore, it would be ideal to site the wall uphill from
a water source. Lastly, because the wall will create a newly
open pathway, it will be important to incorporate public space
into its construction or make site considerations for existing
public spaces. In the case where the wall would serve as uphill
water filtration for a downhill source, one side would serve as
bio filtration space while the other could serve as a new public
path with a series of green spaces to help raise awareness for
the natural concerns of the neighborhood. Once the location
of the wall has been decided, the next step in the design of
the wall will be in researching what other functions the wall can
serve (besides its purpose as an ethnographic record of the
neighborhood).
In many cases, favelas and shantytowns are lacking in
basic infrastructure. This can be as basic as electricity,
water distribution, or proper site drainage. However, other
considerations might include information distribution (such as
high-speed Internet), or local access to public transportation.
58.

These are all functions that such a wall could serve. This is due
to the multi layered construction of the wall. At its core, the wall
will need a structural frame to maintain its strength and longevity.
This frame could serve as thoroughfare for electrical cables,
water lines, drainage pipes, or high-speed fiber optic cables for
Internet and data. This inner frame will also serve to house any
filtration equipment necessary for site remediation as well.
The walls outer layers will be built upon the inner frame. The next
layer will consist of materials that will give the wall its character
as a spine, wall, and backdrop. These will be identified based
on their availability within the neighborhood. This could include
recycled building materials from demolished buildings, abundant
stone or timber, or other prevalent materials that have been
discarded (tires would be an example of this). This layer of
material will serve multiple purposes as well. First, it will serve to
give the wall its basic form. Because of this, it will be important
to consider the effect of the form of the wall at certain sections
on its immediate proximity. At this point it is important to explain
that the wall will not always be just a wall. It may become more
porous at certain places to allow passage, light filtration, or even
occupancy. In some areas the wall may become so porous that
its function as a wall is almost imperceptible. Rather, at these
points, the wall may be more of a registration in the landscape.
Lastly, this layer of the wall will need to accommodate the final
layer of the wall. This layer will act as the record keeper of the
ethnography of the community.
The final layer of the wall will be a series of display cases
that will be built into the outer layer of the wall. These will be
simple boxes that allow their contents to be viewed by the
community. Their design will be easily replicated so that the wall
can constantly be added upon. Their contents could include
historic artifacts from the community, art and craft pieces,
writings, drawings, photographs, or any item that represents
the community. These display boxes will be added to the wall
as new content is identified. In this way, the ethnography of the
neighborhood will be living and never complete.

The wall is itself a simple idea. And while its construction may
be complex, it is the idea of a wall that is meant to challenge the
existence of a poor favela in the midst of a thriving city. Walls
are generally intended to separate its two sides. In this way, the
wall at the center of this project will be symbolic of the perceived
separation between the favela and its outlying city. In some way,
the contents of the walls ethnographic record will also represent
this separation. However, this wall will work to redefine the idea
of the separation in these areas. This will be accomplished
through its construction. As previously stated, the wall will be
porous in places, and in others it will even be occupiable. This
will create a form that seems impenetrable and ominous, but
upon further interaction, it will become an indicator of inclusion
and community. This will be further accomplished through its
function as a record keeper. Once completed, the wall will serve
as a reminder to the community of its heritage and culture, as
a representation of the community to the outlying city, and as a
reminder to the city that this neighborhood is part of its texture
and culture and should be embraced rather than shunned.
Such an intervention could serve as the beginning of further
redevelopment in the area and that such redevelopment would
be inclusive of the skills, culture, and character of the existing
community. This can only be done by first truly understanding the
needs, hopes, and culture of the people in these neighborhoods.

Infrastructure
The wall in this proposal is a very fluid idea, capable of housing
infrastructure, remediating runoff water, and creating new public
spaces. Infrastructure can include high-speed internet, Wi-Fi
hotspots, clean water, water filtration, waste disposal, and even
a structural support mechanism for future buildings. Because it
is a protected above ground thoroughfare, it can accept these
functions at a significantly lower cost than conventional means
of digging trenches under existing buildings and roads. These
functions are intended to close the gap between the services
provided in more well-to-do neighborhoods and favelas.
The spaces that the wall creates are based on the thickness

of the wall. Because the wall is made up of a multiplicity of

materials, infrastructure, structural members, and display spaces,
the wall can range greatly in thickness. This allows for the wall to
serve as a simple barrier, an occupiable space, a surmountable
space, transactional spaces, and permeable spaces. The wall
will also work to create a new public corridor by alleviating some
dense construction along the length of the wall.

In, On and Around the Wall

Occupation of this wall is a subject that requires some careful
thought. Typically, a wall is intended to be a barrier between its
two sides. However, if a wall were to be thick enough, it could
also house programming. Such cases can be found in large
defensive walls, where the space inside provides a protected
means of circulation, storage, and even living quarters. Vitruvius
details this type of construction in Book 1 Chapter V of the Ten
Book of Architecture, as he discusses the building of a city wall. If
the space at the top of such a thick wall were wide enough, this
could also serve as an elevated green space or public gathering
space or park. At certain points along its length, the wall could
provide alcoves for small commercial stands such as bicycle
rentals, farmers booths, craft shops, etc. These alcoves could
also serve as bus stops or light rail stops, while the wall could
provide its own infrastructure for timetable information for these
modes of transportation. Storage spaces within the wall could
provide a magazine of future building materials for the expansion
of the wall or other projects in the neighborhood. Passageways
could connect vital transportation routes, waterways, or vital
parts of the neighborhood. Shelters designed to protect
passersby from the rain could serve as gathering points for
people to interact on their way home from work. Traveling along
the wall would provide complete shade from the warm sun in
places where it is needed, while a more porous section can
provide cool filtered light to enliven a space or add drama.
However, the wall is intended to be a display of the culture
and richness of the area. Its multiple layers, diverse materiality,
and display spaces are intended to remind the inhabitants
59.

of the favela (and all those who visit) of the complexity and
richness of their heritage, and how all of these small pieces
fit together to create a whole. Its constant growth is a symbol
of the ever changing and growing and evolving experienced
by any community. It is intended to be interactive and to
provide an experience reflective of the diverse life of living in a
favela. Juxtapositions of materiality and textures highlight the
composition of old and new, expensive and economic, local and
nonnative. It is a reminder of how life must retain balanced if it is
to be structurally sound, of how one piece cannot stand on its
own. It is an expression of the fact that each person has a role
to play in the world. In this way, the wall not only serves as a
symbol, but also as an experience for those who interact with it.
Therefore careful consideration must be made when planning
the wall. In some cases it will run along open public space.
In other cases, it will serve as the back of something else. It
can provide structural integrity for adjacent buildings, much
like castle walls provided a backbone for lean-to dwellings
and businesses. It can even be implemented in an area where
existing buildings are at risk of structural failure, brought in as a
structural supplement. This raises the question about what the
experience will be at these locations. In tightly built areas the
wall could serve to bring natural daylight down into dark spaces,
using a more porous construction and light wells or reflective
materials. Here the cultural makeup of the wall would be more
private, perhaps displaying family artifacts or those of previous
inhabitants. Here the wall would feel more like an existing ruin
that has been grafted onto. In areas where open space exists,
public interaction is vital and the wall should reflect a more public
and open attitude. Here community artifacts could be displayed
and graffiti would be more prevalent. Where the wall is close to
a school, it could serve to display the schools accomplishments,
or even provide space for performances by the students or a
safe place to wait for parents. In any case, the wall will act to
serve the community in a variety of ways. Its diversity of form
and function will allow it to accommodate several forms of
programing. Its core will be capable of providing much needed
60.

infrastructure, and its presence will act as a central symbol for

the neighborhood it serves.

Public Works and Redevelopment

As previously mentioned, this proposal is a small portion of a
larger idea of redevelopment of favelas. Its primary intention is to
provide a spine onto which future redevelopment can be grafted.
The wall in this proposal will have the ability to generate new
public and private space. These can come in the form of parks
and waterworks that can serve as gathering spaces and leisure
spaces. New circulation paths can be created at the walls base
or its top. Housing and commercial buildings can use it as a
structural support. New open space derived from its construction
can serve as the site of new community centers, schools, health
care facilities, libraries, performance spaces, and the like. And,
because the wall is to be built of recycled materials that result in
the removal of other buildings that require demolition, the wall
serves as its own recycling project with the ability to grow as the
need develops.

Community Center
As an extension of this project, the proposal also calls for the
development of a new community center that will relate to
the new wall. This center will serve to harness the direction of
redevelopment within the neighborhood. Its primary purpose
will be to create a place of gathering for the inhabitants of the
community. Here, the community can govern itself, implement
knew initiatives, raise funds, advocate for political involvement,
help community members with documentation, legal issues, and
the like. Its program will supplement economic development,
education (from basic topics to skill and craftsmanship training,
and employment preparation), small business resources,
housing and housing improvement resources, and general space
intended for celebrations and events. The primary purpose of
such a space would be to give the power, future, and ownership
or the redevelopment of the favela to its people.

Expanding the Market

As mentioned in the introduction of this proposal, many skilled
artisans and craftspeople can be found within a favela. The
arts and crafts they produce serve as potential highly soughtafter items on an open market. While the wall can serve to
display such items, the community center can serve to help
these craftspeople to establish businesses that can operate in
larger markets. This can be done through business education
and resources, financial backing, and the establishment of
commercial networks that can serve as a resource for new
businesses within a favela. Training facilities, workshops,
storefronts, fairs, and office space would serve those who are
looking to use their skills in order to grow their own businesses.
Income and revenue agreements could be used to fund the
community center rather than charging rents, or micro-financing
could be used as well.

Establishing Micro-Financing
Micro-financing established by the community center would
help to empower the inhabitants of a community to make their
own housing improvements, purchase new housing, start small
businesses, or grow existing businesses. This would also create
a small stream of revenue in the form or low interest gains from
the loaning of small amounts of funds. This revenue could be
used to expand funding for other projects, reestablish ownership
of buildings and land, or even drive other redevelopment projects
in the neighborhood that could create sales or rental income.
Once again, the main objective of such initiatives is to keep the
ownership of the favela in the hands of its inhabitants rather
than redevelopment agencies with little local investment. Such
initiatives have proven highly successful in areas where a small
amount of money can make a big difference for an individual or a
business.

61.

Creating a System
Composition of the Backdrop

Display - These cases provide the opportunity to display

community artifacts that represent the identity of the people.
Works of art, craft works, or historical meaningful items could be
displayed here.
Reuse & Recycle - Wood an metal that is removed when old
buildings are demolished can be used to give the wall a rich
texture that anchors it to the neighborhood.
Wall Section

Local Material - Red brick is prevalent in Paraisopolis. It will lend

strength and a unifying aesthetic.
Core/Filter - The inner layer will help to control water run-off by
filtering pollutants and stabilizing mud slides. It can also be used
to carry infrastructural components such as high speed internet
cable.
The wall is also designed to contain
water should the river become flooded.
The system acts as a one-way system.
As the water rises it would lift the gates
and dam up the flow of water.

62.

Wall Plan

Community
Sounding
Board

Display

Reuse & Recycle

Local Material

Core/Filter
63.

64.

A Public Backdrop

4.
1.

3.
5.

2.

1. Covered Vendor Space - Farmers Market

2. Public Plaza - Community Gardens
3. Performance Space - Theater Seating
4. Futsal field
5. Cafe - Outdoor Seating
65.

1.
4.

66.

3.

5.

67.

3.

68.

2.

1.

2.

69.

70.

Central Intervention

This intervention acts on the previously analyzed central node

created by the crossing axis of the main streets and the river.
It serves as the access to the overall intervention. Here there
are public gardens and areas for commercial activities. It is also
marked by a strong entrance gesture that further strengthens
this node. This area will see the interaction of pedestrians
and vehicular traffic. As such, public transportation hubs, and
pedestrian overpasses are employed to make the interaction
cohesive and safe. Due to its central location, this section of the
overall intervention is also intended to have the highest density
of use. Therefore, it can cater to farmers markets, fairs, or other
community activities.

71.

3.

2.

2.
4.
3.

5.

1.
5.
1.

72.

1.

1. Vendor Space - These spaces can serve as concession style

stands or staging areas for markets.
2. Permeable Barrier - The heavy barrier that seems to
encompass the whole project is actually highly permeable. The
project can be entered from and location that shares an adjacent
open space. Here, that space is very public, so the porosity of
the barrier increases, and becomes very ceremonial.
3. Public Plaza - This open space can be used for community
event and celebrations. The green space could be purposed as a
community garden.
4. Bus Stop - Public transportation is highly important in any
dense urban environment. This corner is a very powerful node
and would be very easy to use as a stop for transportation
systems.
5. Building Entrances - In some cases, the base of a building
may penetrate the barrier. In such cases, these edges could be
incorporated to become a part of the public space.

73.

Section showing water

containment during flooding

74.

75.

76.

Intervention I

Because of the variability of such a project, each space can take

on very different characteristics and serve different purposes.
Here the site allowed for a wider area that could also serve as a
performance space with overhead seating. There are also further
opportunities to interface with the existing fabric by carving out
lines of travel to help organize the area.

77.

3.

1.

2.

78.

1. Cafe - This space could serve as a local gathering place with

indoor and outdoor seating, including the rooftop deck.
2. Rooftop Patio - Whether for cafe seating or public enjoyment,
the rooftop patio provides a different vantage point of the
intervention as well as the surrounding neighborhood.
3. Vendor Space - As with the cafe, it is important to include
opportunities for revenue in public interventions. These
spaces allow local residents to participate and profit from the
redevelopment project.

Section showing water

containment during flooding

79.

80.

Intervention II

The intervention winds through the dense fabric of the

surrounding neighborhood. It serves to alleviate the density,
protect the river, and creates a public space that is essential for
communal gathering and cultural interaction. The intervention
also takes care to provide financial opportunities to the residents.
The purpose of such a project is to create a sense of growth
and direction that can cultivate further redevelopment in the
neighborhood.

81.

2.
1.

2.
2.

2.

82.

1. Futsal Field - This area provided enough room for a sports

field of some sort. It is not large enough for a typical soccer field.
However, there was room for a half futsal field. Futsal is a soccer
style game played with smaller teams. Half court games are
achieved by both teams attempting to score on one goal with a
neutral goal keeper. Futsal is a very popular game in Brazil, and is
often played on sand beaches.
2. Vendor Spaces - Here, the site lent itself more towards open
air vendor spaces. These spaces would work well for temporary
vendors, such as those found at a farmers market or art show.
Overhead canopies are embedded in the perimeter of the
intervention and provide shade on hot days.

Section showing water

containment during flooding

83.

84.

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1. Rice-Oxley, Mark, Andrew Mason, and Daan Louter. Why Are We Building New Walls to Divide Us? The Guardian. Guardian
News and Media, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
2. Heliopolis. HABISP.plus. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
3. Heliopolis, from Favela to Educational Neighborhood. Infosurhoy. N.p., n.d. Web.

28 Nov. 2013.

4. Brazils Sao Paulo Neighbourhood of Heliopolis. NowPublic.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

28 Nov. 2013.

5. Waterson, Roxana. The Living House: An Anthropology of Architecture in South-East Asia. Singapore: Oxford UP, 1990. Print.
6. Oliver, Paul. Built to Meet Needs: Cultural Issues in Vernacular Architecture. Amsterdam: Architectural, 2006. Print.
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Thames & Hudson, 2006. Print.
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Princeton Architectural, 2002. Print.
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