JOTA SAMPER design portfolio

Jota Samper

jota@mit.edu

Informal Settlements Research http://informalsettlements.blogspot.com

Jota Samper, Ph.D. Jota Samper, Ph.D.

Copyright Š Free Vector Maps.com

Living Rooms @ The Border Tijuana / San Diego

How can a border community transform its enviroment through its social and physical cross-contaminations?

Frames for Living: Manufactured Start-Up Housing Tijuana

In a shantytown context what is the value of an architect?

infoSite_05/ inSite_O5 San Diego

What are the meanings of architecture that moves across borders?

Medellin Innovation District Strategic Master Plan Medellin

Can an urban project bring economic development and social inclusion, especially in a context of violence and displacement?

FORECAST, ANTICIPATE AND CONDITION: BUILDING IN THE MANGROVE Mumbai

How can we manage urban growth and coexistence between formality and informality?

How can a border community transform its enviroment through its social and physical cross-contaminations?

Living Rooms @ The Border, 2001 Casa Familiar

San Ysidro, Casa Familiar Projects

San Diego, US -Tijuana, Mexico Border

San Ysidro, California estudio teddy cruz Project Manager

Awards and Exhibitions 2010 Small Scale Big,Change: New Architectures of Social Engagement, MoMA, New York 2001 Progressive Architecture Award, Architecture Magazine 2001 Young Architects Forum Award, Architectural League of New York

1 existing church 2 terrace garden above parking 3 parking 4 garden corridor 5 concrete arbor 6 church’s studio units below garden terrace 7 community center’s kitchen 8 path to existing senior housing and garden 9 link to existing park 10 alley 11 street 12 affordable housing 13 market

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Bordertown Church Renovation into Community Gardens, a Marketplace and Affordable Housing for the non-profit organization Casa Familiar Inspired by the possibility of challenging inflexible zoning laws, this project focuses on strengthening a network of underused alleys and narrow streets, increasing pedestrian circulation and linking residential units with a park and a major tram station serving the border. An historic 1927 church is currently surrounded by parking on the existing site. Supported by public housing funds and private grants, Living Rooms @ The Border will transform the parcel in increments, unfolding in time as community programs are funded and further parcels become available.

The program is conceived in three principal phases or “layers.” The first encompasses the transformation of the church into a community center (with new offices for Casa Familiar on the attic floor) and the creation of a community garden corridor. Extending these gestures that inscribe into the site new infrastructure and circulation corridors, the second phase will add pouredin-place concrete arcades to support flexible “urban rooms” or pavilions for community activities. Opening onto the public garden, the arcades also generate space for a provisional market. In the third phase, the concrete frame of the arbor will be built out with 12 flexible, affordable, wood-frame housing units.

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In a shantytown context what is the value of an architect?

a Tijuana speculator buys houses slated for demolition in San Diego

Frames for Living: Manufactured Start-Up Housing, 2004 Tijuana, Mexico estudio teddy cruz Project Manager Exhibitions “out of the box: design innovations in manufactured housing” 2005 University of Illinois at Chicago archilab 2004 “the naked city / la ville à nu” Orléans, France

Lacking legal title to land, 837 million people live in

shantytowns or favelas – half of the urban residents in Africa, one-third of those in Asia and one quarter of those in Latin America and the Caribbean. These start-up settlements gradually evolve, or violently explode out of conditions of social emergency, and are defined by the negotiation of territorial boundaries, the ingenious recycling of materials, and out of human resourcefulness.

In the context of these global issues, our proposal consists of a maquiladora-produced and manufactured frame that is inserted into the transborder urbanism of the Tijuana-San Diego region.

Our “frame” empowers the already-in-process negotiation of the multiplicity of recycled materials and systems brought from San Diego and which are then re-assembled in Tijuana, giving primacy to the layered complexities of these sites over the singularity of the object.

This small piece is also the first step in the construction of a larger, interwoven and openended scaffold that could help strengthen an otherwise precarious terrain, without compromising the temporal dynamics of these self-made environments. By bridging between the planned and the unplanned, the legal and the illegal, the object and the ground, as well as man-made and factory processes of construction, this frame questions the meaning of manufacturing and of housing in the context of building community.

Land available for invasion; pirate urbanizer organizes the invasion.

Invasion happens at dawn; invaders carry materials for start-up shelter.

First consolidation takes advantage of leftover materials.

Recycled materials are incorporated.

Progressive consolidation of a family dwelling.

puts them on wheels and brings them to the border where they wait in line for the right to cross

in Tijuana they are placed on steel frames, leaving a space of opportunity under them

discarded tires become retaining walls

In a shantytown context what is the value of an architect?

discarded wooden pallets become dwellings

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xploring answers to this question taught us that what the community needs is not someone to build them a totality, but rather someone to facilitate the process they are already creating.

In Tijuana, this means some kind of corner stone where all the recycled materials from the northern neighbor can be attached. We conceived of the idea of a “frame�: a pre-fabricated structure as a minimum gesture for maximum effect. This pre-fabricated frame acts as a hinge mechanism to mediate across the multiplicity of recycled materials and systems.

discarded garage doors become walls and partitions

certain recycled systems, such as retaining walls made of whole tires, are further improved by the ingenuity of necessity

as people construct their own sites for inhabitation. conventional tires are dismantled and

transformed into a system of clipped and interlocking loops to build a more solid and stable structure

infoSite_05/ inSite_O5, 2005 San Diego, California estudio teddy cruz Project Manager

What are the meanings of architecture that moves across borders?

One day, while inside my apartment where I lived in Tijuana just a few feet from the gate that separates Latin America from the United States, I heard unusual screams. Through the window, I saw, for the first time in my life, a house on wheels.

This would never happen in (my native country) Colombia.

There, new houses are built from heavier material and older houses are made from centuries-old, three-feet-thick adobe walls. This house not only was moving through the streets; this house had just crossed the border. I later learned that this was part of a Mexican man’s business: buying houses in the United States scheduled for demolition and bringing them to Tijuana,where they are placed on stilts (to create parking spaces or another business underneath).

inSite is a biennial contemporary art project based in the bi-national region of San

Diego-Tijuana. The idea is to facilitate new works of art developed through the longterm engagement of artists with the communities of San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico. At the heart of the project is a process of two-year artists’ residencies that culminate in the realization of new projects in the public spaces throughout San Diego and Tijuana.

From August 26, 2005 through November 13, 2005, inSite_05 brings international attention to the region with an intense, three-month schedule of project openings, museum exhibitions, performance events and outreach programs. inSite_05 includes more than 100 artists, theoreticians, curators, architects, and promoters from around the world. There are 24 projects from 15 countries. infoSite_05 is a temporary building that serves as a base for the public to learn about the content and location of the events. Upon entering infoSite_05, the public arrives at an infodesk which houses all the inSite_05 books and other printed information.

From there the public enters two main rooms: one with computers and videos for online searches and visual media, and the other a lounge space where public listen to art pieces in audio format. A third room houses infoSite meetings and art conferences for the public.

The project as a building explores the mobile condition imposed on the houses which are selected for demolition and sold to Mexico developers when these houses are moved from San Diego through the border between the U.S. and Mexico to Tijuana.

The project desires to bring awareness about the recycling of San Diego trash in the construction of the new city of Tijuana. infoSite_05’s use of pre-existing construction elements - canopy canvas, storage racks, truck beds - are part of this recycling metaphor. The place that the infoSite_05 appropriates is the front parking lot of the San Diego Museum of Art in the lush, green expanse of Balboa Park. The project parks here and transforms the parking lot into a public plaza.

The plaza ramps up toward two modified truck beds where the public begins their infoSite experience at the infodesk. Seated on the ramp plaza, adjacent to the truck beds, is the skeletal frame of a house that serves as the conference and meeting room. This room, with translucent canvas walls, is the metaphorical house crossing the border.

All the materials of the infoSite_05 were donated to a poor community in Tijuana at the end of inSite_05, so the project became part of the city.

Medellin Innovation District Strategic Master Plan

Can an urban project bring economic development and social inclusion, especially in a context of violence and displacement?

Medellin, Colombia Carlo Ratti Associatti & Dennis Frenchman Design team The Medellínnovation District will provide a space where traditional and new industries can converge in a creative cluster to invent 21st century products, ways of doing business, and lifestyles. A key resource of the cluster will be the people who live and work in the District, primarily talented young people who will help Medellín to innovate its way into the new economy. For this reason, development of an attractive, amenity rich, digitally enabled environment that includes opportunities for personal advancement is important to the business strategy, as are incentives for companies to locate and grow in the District.

The District will create an environment in which the people who make up the innovative ecosystem can work, live and interact. Underlying the plan is a network of parks, public spaces, and pedestrian oriented streets that will create an open, healthy and productive environment. Carabobo becomes the “main street” for major companies as well as the shopping and social life of the District. Research and educational facilities are clustered along a spine connecting University of Antioquia to the river. Finally, places to live and work - in new enterprises - are woven into the Sevilla, Jesus Nazareno, and Chagualo neighborhoods. With new facilities supporting public education, training, and engagement anchoring the District.

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Chagualo and Jesus Nazareno: Incremental Typology

MEDELLINNOVATION DISTRICT

A different housing strategy is proposed for Jesus Nazareno and Chagualo, based on a prototype of incremental, infill development. Rather than clearing whole blocks, this approach looks to weave smaller and larger scale new buildings into the fabric of existing blocks, preserving, re-using, or incorporating existing structures where practical. Design guidelines and incentives (from the city) can shape this process to insure a humane scale, sympathetic relationships among buildings, and the incorporation of appropriate public, private and shared spaces.

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MEDELLINNOVATION DISTRICT

The result will be a more diverse pattern of neighborhood, mixing different housing and family types, along with work places, shops and services.

This strategy will also open the opportunity for small-scale entrepreneur development firms to participate in the regeneration process.

In a complex and contested urban environment, big urban projects such as the Medellín District generate high levels of conflict in terms of acquiring the necessary large plots of land for development. Eminent Domain is a important tool for large urban projects but it carries with it large social and political costs. Urban Renewal projects as traditional developed incurred in added economic and political cost that also generate delays on the process of urbanization. A project such as this one need a urbanization strategy that permits the development to take advantages of new building requirements and upcoming technologies that will allow flexibility of building types and MEDELLINNOVATION DISTRICT also a strategy that acquires and developed land in a expedite way.

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For that the Strategic Plan here proposes a hybrid of urbanization that uses some of the traditional tools of private development in Medellín with a final unique build form. This idea is what we call “incremental development”. By incremental we mean development of small parcels instead of entire blocks. The intent here is that dealing with individual plot owners can accelerate the process of development of the district.

A clear goal in which the process of building does not compromise the development of the entire district.

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Urban design guidelines coupled with zoning incentives can coordinate individual projects to create courtyards Three cases of incremental development have been studied involving and other shared amenities blocks in the Chagualo and Jesus Nazareno neighborhoods (see plan of this section). The studies illustrate how the blocks within the blocks. atcouldbeginning transform over time into a pattern of higher-density, mixed use development using a parcel-by-parcel strategy. Urban design guidelines coupled with zoning incentives can coordinate individual projects to create courtyards and other shared amenities within the blocks. The cases include:

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PHASE THREE PHASE THREE

Mixed uses

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B. AXIS INCREMENTAL: A major office/R+D building facing Carabobo, shares the block with

A. PRESENT

A. FUTURE

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MEDELLINNOVATION DISTRICT Three cases of incremental development have been studied involving blocks in the Chagualo and Jesus Nazareno neighborhoods (see plan at beginning of this section). The studies illustrate how the blocks could transform over time into a pattern of higher-density, mixed use development using a parcel-by-parcel strategy. Urban design guidelines coupled with zoning incentives can coordinate individual projects to create courtyards and other shared amenities within the blocks. The cases include:

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while towards Carabobo a larger

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Three cases of incremental development have been studied involving blocks in the Chagualo and Jesus Nazareno neighborhoods (see plan at beginning of this section). The studies illustrate how the blocks could transform A. OPPORTUNITY SITE +over time into a pattern of higher-density, mixed use development using a parcel-by-parcel strategy. Urban design INCREMENTAL: guidelines coupled with zoning incentives canbeen coordinate individual Three cases of incremental development have studied involving New residential and production spaces, projects to create courtyards and other shared amenities within blocks in the Chagualo and Jesus Nazareno neighborhoods (seethe plan coupled with existing buildings, define blocks.

The cases include: at beginning of this section). The studies illustrate how the blocks

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Incoupled the barrio A. OPPORTUNITY SITE el +

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Courtyards for outdoor working

Courtyard - acoustics

Shared production space

Courtyard - privacy Courtyard - acoustics

Courtyards for outdoor working Shared production Street space dehors

Courtyard - privacy

Street dehors

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Courtyard - responsive climate control

STRATEGIC PLAN

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Courtyard - lighting Ground floor - research spaces

Courtyard - responsive climate control Ground floor - shared working spaces

Courtyard - lighting

CO-WORKING SPACE

OUTDOOR WORKING

PERMEABLE GROUNDFLOOR

NETWORKING INNOVATION

Co-working spaces design collaborative areas where people CO-WORKING SPACE with one and can learn and interact other. The concept behind is the Co-working spaces can design idea that creativity be increase collaborative areas where through collaboration withpeople people can interact with one and withlearn sameand or different backgrounds. other. The concept behind is the idea that creativity can be increase through collaboration with people with same or different backgrounds.

Outdoor working is based on the pleasurable climate conditions of OUTDOOR WORKING Medellín along with the highly mobile features of workers in the Outdoor working is based on the Therefore it envisions 21st century. pleasurable climate conditionsthat of places of work and relaxation Medellíncloser alongwith withnature. the highly interact mobile features of workers in the 21st century. Therefore it envisions places of work and relaxation that interact closer with nature.

Permeable ground floors in buildings allow the penetration of PERMEABLE the populationGROUNDFLOOR into more private spaces, increasing that way the Permeable ground in security of the place.floors Additionally, buildings allow of thethe penetration opening access buildings of the intoInmore andpopulation blocks results moreprivate vivid an spaces, that way the enrichedincreasing public realm. security of the place. Additionally, opening access of the buildings and blocks results In more vivid an enriched public realm.

Networking innovation makes use of the new technologies in NETWORKING order to supportINNOVATION creative activities and enhance interaction among Networking innovation makes to users. Generate virtual platforms use of theconsumers, new technologies in network manufacturers order to support and suppliers thatcreative would activities increase and interaction amongand theirenhance marketing of the products users.

Generate virtual platforms to productivity. network consumers, manufacturers and suppliers that would increase their marketing of the products and STRATEGIC PLAN productivity.

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Transforming Technologies

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F D A City of Atoms and Bits The city is where the digital and physical world merge. It is both a city of bits and a city of atoms; that is, atoms are augmented by bits of information and a layer of networked digital elements blanketing its built environments, blending the information sphere and the physical space of its inhabitants in a seamless way. Just a couple of decades ago many urbanists and sociologists were predicting the end of cities. The Internet, they said, would eliminate problems of distance and space. Despite the influence of the global Internet, the physical world is still important and the network functions to strengthen the physical structures, but the digital revolution has significantly changed our reality.

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Our contemporary lives are being completely mediated by digital technologies.

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F STRATEGIC PLAN - Illustrating potential build-out after 15 years.

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GREEN NETWORK - open space, recreation, water sports, pedestrian movement.

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NEW NORTH SPORTS VENUE connecting Parque Norte and U. Antioquia.

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UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AXIS - hospital expansion, Science Center, University Antioquia Main Entrance and River Gateway projects.

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MEDELLÍNNOVATION SQUARE - centerpiece of the district: Ruta N, hotel, major shopping, and research clinic.

DIGITAL PRODUCTION CLUSTER - Techno/Lab offers shared equipment, training, and research; enterprises, incubation, in nearby buildings.

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Public Recreation Facilities Retail, Restaurants, Services Hotel University Research, Health

SEVILLA HOUSING DEMONSTRATION - innovative energy saving design coupled with high performance urban operating system.

LIVE-WORK INFILL HOUSING - incremental development of mixed use and re-use housing, serving diverse family types.

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Public Education Facilities, Museums

URBAN GARDEN CLUSTER - conversion of existing flea market into locally produced food and garden center; surrounding hydroponic food production and distribution.

Live-work Housing

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DEVICE LAYER / A. RIVERFRONT PARK AND SENSOR NETWORK

CARABOBO BUSINESS AXIS - ‘Main Street’ of New North; local and international companies, restaurants, shops, services, and entertainment.

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Park Recreation Corporate Research, HQ Local Enterprises, Production Medellín River

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Key Pedestrian Linkages M

Proposed Metro Stations

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FORECAST, ANTICIPATE AND CONDITION: BUILDING IN THE MANGROVE Landscape + urbanism around the Bay of Mumbai

This book explores future planning and design in and around the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, specifically focused on the Bay of Mumbai. Over the summers of 2008 and 2009, a multidisciplinary group of graduate students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture + Planning traveled to Mumbai for field research. Studio was led by professors Alan Berger and Rahul Mehrotra. MIT

Mumbai, India Published in Landscape + urbanism around the Bay of Mumbai (2010) Edited by Alan Berger and Rahul Mehrotra. MIT

How can we manage urban growth and coexistence between formality and Informality?

SUSCEPTIBLE AREAS In Mumbai today, formal and informal development strategies encroach upon ecologically sensitive areas. It is crucial, in a moment in which urbanization is happening at an accelerated pace, to generate a technique that protects these sensitive ecosystems in a way which responds to informal and formal land appropriation strategies. Susceptible areas are those territories that will be encroached upon in the near future. Usually these territories are located in the intersection of the following: Ecologically endangered areas, interstitial spaces of infrastructure, and non consolidated ownership.

Using these indicators, we create the susceptible areas map of Mumbai. Later I rate the pre selected areas to find which of those are the most

endangered. I have selected the Sonari area( because it is the largest of the susceptible areas and is the one suffering the largest encroachments from private developers, and is surrounded by traditional towns that behave like informal settlements as they grow.

This area epitomized what a susceptible area is.

CONTROLLING ENCROACHMENT Based on observation of the patterns of encroachment by informal communities in Mumbai, I found that program public/institutions at the edge of susceptible areas behave as anchors that stop development. This opens the opportunity to locate the program of the IIHS (The India Institute of Human Settlements), a national university in India, as a structure that conditions development. Based on

these phenomena, a series of development rules can be created: a. The Institute (IIHS) needs to be located in the susceptible landscape and should be the connector between the natural systems of the mangrove and any future development. b. The solid edge between the mangrove and the areas to be developed should be a finite object, and should be built first. c. Flexible unknown areas, any area left behind the solid edge, should be left for free market speculation. d. The mangrove is a productive landscape, and as such, should continue to be developed in ways that are sustainable and ensure maximum visibility: energy, phishing, transportation, tourism.