Casa de la Memoria in San José Las Flores, El Salvador
Gleaning as an Architectural Approach for Preserving Historical Memory in a Postwar Context
1. [+ object]
A: to gather or collect (something) in a gradual way - She gleaned her data from various studies.
2. To gather grain or other material that is left after the main crop has been gathered.
This master dissertation centers on the concept of ‘gleaning’ as a methodological approach to architectural design. It suggests that ideas do not emerge ‘out of the blue’ but are the result of a random, ongoing, and careful process of gleaning. The project builds on the design of Casa de la Memoria in San José Las Flores (fig.2 & 7). The key objectives are to activate the house with a café, workshop space, exhibition, atelier,…
It’s not about making a statement; it’s about acknowledging that we always glean and derive our ideas from somewhere. It’s about creating an awareness and reaction to this process. It’s a personal exploration of finding a way to work, research, and structure the often chaotic mind.
It’s about observing carefully, picking up several seeds, and deciding whether to take them home, throw them away, or plant them. Where some will grow, others will decay (fig.1).
Beyond this narrative, gleaning is an approach to preserving memory, specifically the civil war in El Salvador. In fear of trespassing boundaries or clashing with a culture different from my own, the final act is not just about an architectural proposal; it’s also about how we act in this field in general.
Thus, this dissertation takes you on a journey of gleaning.
Gleaning through knowledge, filmed frames in documentaries, design in the house of memory, landscape in topographical maps (fig.3), and embroidery in macramé (fig.2).