Portfolio - Urbanist + Architect - Luigi Barraza

portfolio

luigi barraza.

urbanism | nonprofit | gender

for UN-Habitat Urban Lab Mexico 2022 ~ Mexico City, México.

1.0. Groupe Scholaire la Fontaine

Architectural Project. Fez, Morocco.

2.0. parque do Martelo

Urban Design Consultancy. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

3.0. alton eState coMMunity GardenS

Community Project. London, United Kingdom.

4.0. StudGorodok - pedeStrian linkS. MuShrooM network

Workshop Project. Irkutsk, Russia.

5.0. the holloway priSon experiMent

Module Project. London, United Kingdom.

6.0. unitinG poplar

BSP 2021 Expo. London, United Kingdom.

7.0. reSilient VaSjon

Module Project. Stockholm, Sweden.W

8.0. reGenderinG Barranca del Muerto

Major Research Project. Mexico City, Mexico.

9.0. poSt-pandeMia, Future urBan ecoSySteMS.

Research Paper. London, United Kigdom.

10.0 juxtapoSition oF Gender realitieS & other workS.

Publications. Digital Spaces, Earth.

GroupeScholaireLaFontaine. Fes, Morocco.

With Groupe 3 Architectes.

Fes is a city that’s kept most of its traditionalist singularities and yet paradoxically a rapidly growing urban center in need for efficient architectural and urban solutions that respond to the search of the new, reconfigured North African city. Adapting and building new construction was implemented for the project, to impact its connection to climate and natural surrounding elements.

Different layers experiment with materials and formal overlaps to create harmony with the weather conditions throughout the year. However, the question remains, how to adapt spaces to a new understanding of urbanity while attempting to comply with strict cultural norms that come from within? The result, if not the process, is a non-invasive approach to landscaping and building construction, but the complex remains somewhat conservative in its ability to challenge normalcy and impact the communities and the city. The project was completed 2019.

With Ciclo Organico.

The project is an intersectional public space located in a Brazilian community park and organic compost site that is born as a fascinating response to a socio-technological community movement that proves the importance of spaces adapting to new, information-driven necessities, landscapes and inquiries. The purpose of this consultancy intervention is to provide a safe, respectful, recreational space for users that allows them to thrive within their context(s) while communing with the operations of a local nonprofit that provides socio-economic advancement and a

different understanding of how to relate to nature and the impact of our non-actions, with a paramount emphasis on effective waste management and processing. Through participatory design techniques a landscape reconfiguration is proposed that integrates endemic plants and species to reduce the need for human intervention in its life cycle as much as organically possible, allowing for organic automation.

3.0 Alton Estate Community Gardens.

Using the Civic Design Method and through the co-production of evidence, this project explores possible interventions for residents of Alton Estate. To co-design these spaces, we synthesised conversations with Alton Estate residents—who expressed desire for greater use of outdoor space and more gardening opportunities. The possibilities emerging from these iterative conversations are further developed from resident feedback following an initial presentation of a community plan. The project has three aims: Increasing residents’ sense of ownership and agency of the public space in Alton Estate. Strengthening community interaction and cohesion. Increasing resident’s’ access to nature and green infrastructure.

Our strategy primarily focused on creating interventions that are gradual, adaptable and scalable. They should not (in the short term) permanently or significantly impact the environment, which will allow for greater freedom from council regulation and help avoid administrative roadblocks. Hoping that this will balance the need for visible change in the environment in the short-term whilst providing more significant opportunities as circumstances change The proposal takes the form of: A modular, adaptable series of street furniture composing planter boxes, seating and storage. A multi-use natural space for children’s play, adult/teen socialising, biodiversity cultivation and more extensive farming and growing.

MODULAR DESIGN

PLANTER

PLANTER

BENCH/STORAGE

Flowers or food growing.

Flowers or food growing.

Space to rest in proximity to shopping area proposed in danebury ave.

UPCYCLED

FRUIT TREES FOR ‘MINI ORCHARD’

PRIVATE GARDENS

FENCE REMOVAL

PLANTERS FOR PUBLIC SEATING AND GARDENING DANEBURYAVE.

FENCE

The Covid-19 pandemic revealed key characteristics of the Alton community that indicate both potential for greater community building and opportunities for improving residents’ experiences. During the lockdown there was a great effort by community members to connect with isolated residents on the estate and try to alleviate food poverty, tackle isolation and promote mental health. With more than 200 volunteers involved, charities like Regenerate and local schools helped the Roehampton Response Network provide boxes of food and toiletries to over 500 families. We hope the ideas for the community gardens can harness these new networks built during the pandemic and capitalise on the momentum of community connection that has resulted.

The Covid-19 pandemic also revealed notable opportunities for improvement in communities generally. A recent study by Place Alliance (PA), based on survey results from 2,500 households (around 7,200 individuals), explores how Covid-19 might alter how we design our homes and spaces in order to better meet community needs, especially during crises. The results from this study are pertinent to Alton Estate as many residents are presently experiencing not only hardship caused by the pandemic, but also negotiating longstanding stresses of housing insecurity, unemployment and isolation.

The PA study encourages local authorities to design and adapt our living environments so that our homes, community spaces and neighborhoods are better able to support healthy lifestyles and high quality of life. It identifies parks and greenery, including garden spaces, as fundamental to the wellbeing and satisfaction of residents in a given neighborhood, and argues that access to garden space is a key indicator of comfort during our ongoing public health crisis.

To enable involvement by community members with varying commitment, the management structure of Alton’s community gardens should be flexible and responsive. Putney Community Gardens’ success with the gardening project at Ashburton Estate provides insight into what could be the most sustainable way to manage garden spaces on Alton Estate. The dynamism inherent in our designs intentionally allows for changes to both physical spaces and management structure as needed or desired by residents. Periodic review and evaluation over time will enable these changes.

COMMUNITY GARDEN FRAMEWORK.

At the start of these projects, it will be important to prioritise a community garden framework over an allotment structure. Allotments are privately rented and tend to be more fruitful only after two to three years, which is not suitable for encouraging participation by the estate’s transient residents or those who want to engage with less time commitment. We also want to avoid creating individual allotments as this could lead to the privatisation of shared green spaces on the estate. However, there is potential for individual plots to be taken over by those who want to commit more time—for example by a few households—if there is substantial interest.

CORE TEAM.

After attempting other management structures, Putney Community Gardens ended up with a core team of four to five committed members. These members divide up administrative, treasury, chair and social media tasks; it seems that a similar structure could work well for Alton Estate’s community gardens Community members on the estate have highlighted the need for having key community members or community champions on board in order to encourage broad participation, and have established that starting this initiative has the potential to unearth new champions.

WIDER NETWORK.

This management structure would ideally have the potential to evolve over time if changes are determined necessary by the community. For example, there could be a wider committee of people who help out with certain projects as needed (such as building a shed). Social media and group chats can be useful in forming such a group, as well as in connecting interested residents and community gardeners around activities or sharing experiences and tips for gardening at home. These management structures can also be included under the wider consortium of community groups based around the Alton Estate, exemplified in Groups 3’s proposal.

COVID-19 & THE ALTON ESTATE.

Student Award: The Bartlett School of Planning EXPO 2021.

4.0 Studgorodok*-Pedestrian Links. Mushroom Network. Irkutsk, Russia.

Theorizing and understanding the campus as a living organism (mycelium), the project speculates to shatter preconceived limitations of regional urban conventions through the creation of adequate, welcoming and adaptable pedestrian areas and public spaces that coherently connect Studgorodok within its immediate artificial boundaries, the larger metropolitan area and projectively, other siberian communities.

The network suggests multidimensionally layered punctual urban and architectural interventions (with different degrees of digital literacy) that modify the tangible and sociocultural landscape and its relation with the neighboring communities and the city thus reframing land use and human interactions for a new era of growing post-soviet cities. Interventions should foster human awareness and connections, as well as commercial,

technological and cultural exchange. Continuity and proximity of interventions should be cognitively intelligible and will strongly reinforce the importance of academic life as a beacon and cultural symbol of Irkutsk.

Project Featured in: Project Baikal No. 60, 2019..

5.0 Reactivating Holloway, The Prison Experiment. London, United Kingdom.

This counter-proposal for the redevelopment of former women’s prison Holloway prioritizes the provision of public space and quality of the environment in contrast to the more invasive density approach,, as well as special attention to the relationship with neighbouring developments. The use of hybrid blocks and typologies allow for flexibility that adapts to the site’s constraints and the overall goal to provide connectivity, walkability, and imageability across the development. The central stretch of green space is the most prominent feature of the site. Its layout enables the space to draw people into the site and its large size means the public are comfortable using it. The scheme successfully works with the challenging topography change and view corridor by having greater building heights elsewhere on the site. This final scheme contributes to environmental sustainability and the site’s attractiveness through the preservation of already existing natural resources and embedding technology sensors for vehicle access.

6.0 Uniting Poplar, Urban Design Framework.

Uniting Poplar is a multi-scalar approach and vision anchored in the idea that no problem is too small, no solution too ambitious, that aims to weave back the fabric of Tower Hamlets through social and spatial cohesion. Change through the idea of unity is a powerful concept that puts people and places at the heart of its design thinking methodology.

To ensure the success of the project it is important that its strategies, principles, targets, and methodologies remain adaptable and flexible to future challenges, and its limitations should be considered in the context of 2021. A framework that does not take into account the complexity and co-evolutionary nature of cities and neighbourhoods may be less effective in the long term, its relevance decreasing as time moves

forward. Uniting Poplar’s implementation success would rely heavily on incremental use of strategies and policies that are complementary and mutually inclusive. It is envisioned that a balanced usage of these strategies and suggested interventions have strong potential to encourage radical change on different scales and dimensions. Ultimately, the goal of Uniting Poplar is to envision a neighbourhood that is just and accessible to all. A

neighbourhood that responds to human and planetary needs. A neighbourhood that is not relegated within the context of its city. A city that, hopefully, enables Poplar to thrive now and into the future.

Featured in:

BSP Postgraduate Antology 2021.

Resilient Väsjön. Strategic Urban Plan.

Resilient Väsjön is an aspiring radical approach for new developments in Sweden that considers current housing and infrastructure pressures around Stockholm, without compromising planetary boundaries. Reducing vulnerabilities to unplanned threats and events should be at the forefront of any urban agenda, but the power of resilience as a vision to guide a city goes far beyond that, not as a final destination, but as a lens to understand how the city can constantly transform. The project is not about thriving in equilibrium, but about constantly evolving to find adequate ways to respond to a perpetually changing social, economical, and environmental landscape.

Responsive infrastructure, flexible spaces, and strong local networks and systems are the aspiration. planning for uncertainty in the future is a highly challenging business. If our current global landscape is any indicator, no strategy or infrastructure can be inherently immune to threats, resource scarcity, or obsolescence. Ultimately, we envision Väsjon to be a city that responds to both human and planetary needs within the scope of its five focus areas and strategies, never losing sight of the strategic goal of constant adaptation and reinvention. Resilient Väsjon is an optimistic, if admittedly uncertain, outlook to what smaller cities have to offer for the future of human urbanity for the mid-twenty-first century.

VösjöNord Lookout

Resilient Vösjön Masterplan.

Vösjön Square Lake Promenade.

Tram Street Type A. Street Type B.

Recreational Area, PowerPlant

The built environment within and around public transport infrastructure are insufficiently designed to support gender equality goals and reduce gender-based violence against women, girls, and gender and sexual minorities, particularly in the so-called ‘global south’. Recently, feminist urbanism has emerged as a beacon of hope, developing approaches to urban design through a gender lens. However, public space remains impenetrable as an insecure and aggressive environment for women, girls, and gender and sexual minorities who consistently confront multiple obstacles when attempting to fulfil their travel needs, hindering their access to mobility and their right to the city.

This research-led design project analyses feminist urban theory and geography literature to understand perceptions of safety and fear of gender-based violence in public space and public transport. It reviews case studies to identify best practices and innovative solutions to tackle gender-based violence and develops a gender-inclusive framework for multimodal transport hub design. It further explores its implementation boundaries through speculative design applications in the context of Mexico City’s public transport network. Ultimately, the built environment has a pivotal role in reducing gender inequalities. However, an intersectional and multidimensional approach is essential to increase perceptions of safety, reduce gender-based violence in public transport and provide equitable access to mobility to people of all genders and sexual orientations.

Future Urban Ecosystems.

Essay Extract:

danger of escalating this supermodern mutation to the point where cities become eerily dystopian ‘non-cities’? Cities, ad infinitum non-places of instruction, transition, and prohibition, driven by fear of bilateral infection; a bleak future. The increasing realization of the importance of equally distributed territorial access to green infrastructure and public space could potentially rescue cities from such an ominous future (Kleinschroth and Kowarik, 2020).

SUSTAINABLE DICHOTOMIES.

Inadvertently, the global state of emergency has created a suspended state of oscillating ‘sustainability dichotomies’ whilst both challenging and reinforcing contradictory ‘valueaction’ gaps. (Shove, 2010) Simultaneous quick adoption and careless abandon of certain sustainable practices have been remarkable (Nižetić, 2020; Mattern, 2020). Increase of active mobility, decrease usage of public transportation. Less road traffic, more Amazon deliveries. Higher levels of physical activity, lower levels of mental wellbeing. Apparent CO2 emission reductions, apparent decrease in circular behaviors. Togetherness vs. isolation (Monks, 2020; Eurocontrol, 2020). It paints a sustainability conflict between the logical and the counterintuitive driven by inertia, risk, and a microscopic biohazzard.

As citizens try to conscientiously readapt to their recently transformed urban ecosystems, it is important to ponder the impact that abandonment of public spaces (Kasinitiz, 2020) could have on social interactions and the fascinating heterogeneity that keeps our cities interesting, complex, and safe (Urry, 2007). One-way circulation systems, lockdowns, tracking systems, temperature checks, social distancing, enforced personal protective equipment, restricted access, and hygiene protocols, are only the most conspicuous ways in which the pandemic has displaced collective ownership of a grand majority of our anthropological places, irrevocably damaging our sense of identities (Augé, 1995; Sepe, 2013). Increasingly alarming is the captivity (until further notice) of our quintessential urban experiences and the fungal proliferation of non-places (Augé, 1995) as a poisonous side effect of immediate epidemic response in the face of uncertainty. Are our urban ecosystems in

Digital infrastructure, innovation, and networks have been at the forefront of effective ‘pandemic response’, facilitating access to a wide variety of services within cities. (Fernandez de Losada and Abdullah, 2020) The Kraken of ubiquitous digitalization has been inadvertently released (Willis and Aurigi, 2018). Embedded sensors, technologies, and ‘smart city’ adaptability have never been more appealing, promising efficiency and security (Lai et al., 2020). Concerns that this process may deepen social inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic, evidencing a pre-existing digital divide (OECD, 2020). Aided by this increased digitalization and under the ‘health emergency’ banner, the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in the unprecedented implementation of restrictions to citizen’s mobilities, sense of agency, and freedom as governments exercise power to impose (un)effective measures on the quest for collective immunity (Day, 2020). Furthermore, a temporary suspension of surveillance concerns to allow digital systems to track individuals has unearthed an uncomfortable truth; If centralized regimes are better equipped to manage crises, modern ideas of freedom and human rights may be in conflict. If these trends continue to rise and governments increase their access to big data and surveillance mechanisms, how will this shape the future of cities and urban planning beyond COVID-19? Hopefully, governance tools and institutional strength can evolve parallelly to avoid an Orwellian panoptical nightmare.

FUTURE URBAN ECOSYSTEMS.

It would appear that our capitalism proclivities have inadvertently induced us with transient ‘epidemiological amnesia’. Alas, this is not the first time humanity is faced with the negative collateral damage of infectious diseases, nor will be the last. Ironically, some lessons need to be learned and relearned accordingly. While our contemporary urban morphology has been repeatedly branded across history by disease (Lei et al., 2020) and (ir)rational fear of disease, the creation of tangible restorative ‘metaspaces’ to foster ‘collective epidemiological memory’ is essential moving forward. We must avoid being haunted by the shadow of death cast by COVID-19’s historical account, and allow the coevolutionary process of memory (Nora, 1989) and collective memory to guide the future of urban planning and our cities.

From a sustainability standpoint, our built environment should avoid becoming a direct physical manifestation of health policy that irreversibly sidetracks important social and environmental goals. Planning specifically to ‘Adapt Cities for Pandemics’ —or even broader biological disasters (Allam and Jones, 2020)— might be a categorically narrow perspective to tackle urban futures and it should spark more complex yet nuanced approaches and debates. Moving forward, we should shed hubris and acknowledge that our capacity to plan for the future is limited by the intrinsic chaotic nature of planetary existence. Unpredictability is, and will always be, a constant in our human existence and hypothetical survival; a known unknown. Obscurity of the particularities of the next ‘normal accident’ (Urry, 2007) makes planning for the future a Sisyphean challenge that must be undertaken nonetheless. Embracing this volatility should be at the core of urban planning and all adjacent disciplines.

Amongst all this cacophony of stimuli, misinformation, quarantines, lockdowns, and persistent uncertainty, we must strive to find solace in objectiveness and simplexity (Blin, 2012). International organizations, governments —of all scales—, policymakers, and planners should be aware of the discursive catastrophization of COVID-19

and exercise caution. The term ‘pandemic response’ is already being used as an ideological and political weapon (Madden, 2020). Instruments of collective governance must prevail. The Curious Incident of the Early Twentyfirst Century Pandemic: An Urbanist’s Guide to Design the Postpandemic City should not become our novelty dogma to develop horizons for future urban living. Nonetheless, important lessons should be drawn from this dystopian hyperrealism we find ourselves in. Awareness of strategies, protocols, and frameworks should transition across spatial dimensions and contexts to ensure ad hoc responses and solutions continue to adequately adapt (Affolderbach and Schulz, 2016) to current and future exogenous threats, whatever their nature may be. The empowerment of local communities, their response to contingency, and the cityto-city cooperation have been a beacon of hope as some centralized governments struggle to find viral respite (OECD, 2020; Wilkinson, 2020).

The socioeconomic glitches in our urban ecosystems have been unabashedly revealed by COVID-19. Days appear to be numbered for neoliberal urbanism (Beswick et al., 2016) and the ‘ostrich approach’ to climate change and environmental degradation. ‘Business As Usual’ is an endangered beast, but will forcefully fight against extinction. The exposure of internal and external vulnerabilities within our urban sociocultural assemblages has pushed humanity to the brink of change, or so we should hope. The crisis has upended people’s comfort and confronted their ‘hyperindivdualistic’ practices. Citizens are increasingly ready to challenge their attitudes and behaviors (Reuters Foundation, 2020). Amongst the viral pandemonium, humanity has found commonality; an essential moment of clarity. Restoration may be at reach, but only if we are bold enough to seize it. Will humanity continue to clap harder at the desperate clown who warns us that the world is burning, or will we find our ‘dancing star’ amidst the persistent chaos? (Kierkegaard, 1946; Nietzsche, 1995) Only time will tell.

Gender Research:

Barraza Cárdenas, P. C., & Barraza Cárdenas, L. (2021). Juxtaposition of Gender Realities: An Analysis of the Global Landscape Against the Icelandic Success. Perfiles De Las Ciencias Sociales, 9(17). Retrieved from https://revistas. ujat.mx/index.php/perfiles/article/view/4660 (Original work published July 23, 2021

Juxtaposition of Gender Realities: An Analysis of the Global Landscape Against the Icelandic Success ABSTRACT.

Gender-based violence against women is one of the biggest challenges in our contemporary societies. In this sense, with the aspirational goal of creating legal frameworks and social contexts that protect women and girls’ rights, numerous countries around the world have established several laws, policies, and actions that seek to promote and improve gender equality in their territories. However, these aspirational attempts have proven extremely difficult to crystallize in practical terms. This, considering they fight against a system based on centuries of oppression, exclusion, and devaluation of women as a social group. One of the most representative axes of the problem unfolds in the context of political participation, activism, and public space, considered a fundamental crossroads for female empowerment. However, this space has historically been hazardous and aggressive for women. Within this context, the purpose of this article is to describe the relative ‘success story’ of the Icelandic case against the backdrop of an ongoing global struggle for female social and political empowerment and gender equity, while suggesting the concept of ‘mobile transitions’ as a potential approach to foster knowledge cross-pollination from different social, spatial, and cultural contexts, in favor of advancing gender equity.

Queer Cinema:

BFI London Film Festival: ‘Ammonite’ Review.

“...deftly selects a quiet story of loneliness and desire as the closing film in the shape of Ammonite. With his sophomore entry, writer and director Francis Lee solidifies his rising reputation as a remarkable voice in British cinema. Supported by a stellar cast, he continues to explore the nature of human connections with precision and skill through the delicate use of textures, attention to detail, and naturalism...”

Berlinale 2021: ‘The Last Days of Gilda’ Review.

“...wild inequalities, violence, gender discrimination, racism, and political unrest are themes we understand quite well. All of these issues are so realistically rendered that they become almost tactile, thus strengthening the construction of a fascinating story. But perhaps Gilda’s grandest accomplishment is how it captures the richness and complexity of Brazil without ever leaving the the streets of one comunidade...”

BFI Flare 2021: ‘Boy Meets Boy’ Review

“...challenge of stereotypes and deconstruction of ideas about ‘gayness’ is refreshing to see. It reinforces the idea

that archetypes are super passé and that diversity within the community exists. It questions ideas of masculinity, fatherhood, and religion. The ultimate message is that there is no one ‘correct way’ of deviating from heteronormativity, and the message is completely empowering...”

BFI Flare 2021: ‘Firebird’ Review

“...the film struggles the most when attempting to balance the more intimate moments with its grand, operatic aspirations. Ultimately, Firebird is a missed opportunity to tell a tender tale about first love and heartbreak, however bizarre the power dynamics at play...”

More Reviews:

https://blog.uclfilm.com/author/ luigibarrazacardenas/

Film Podcast:

Manifesto:

A Manifesto for the Just CIty: TU Delft Urban Thinker’s Campus.

“...Practitioners, academics, and citizens cannot hold all responsibility. Critical changes at the macro-level and policy are paramount to ensure effective change is achieved at a pace that matches the urgency of our planetary challenges...” P.180

portfolio

luigi barraza.

urbanism | nonprofit | gender for UN-Habitat Urban Lab Mexico 2022 ~ Mexico City, México.