Portfolio_SV_17

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Born in September 1989 in the north of Mexico.

In 2012 graduated from ITESO in Guadalajara, with a degree in Architecture. In 2015 recieved a scholarship from the Mexican government to continue her studies in Landscape Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia in Barcelona where she obtained her masters degree.

When finished her bachelor in architecture, got involved in research projects at the University.

Participated in the analysis of riverbeds in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara and the project of adding public space to these fluvial areas. Later on, she worked in the municipality of Zapopan, where she was involved in arboreal projects, public space design and heritage landscape projects.

During the master in Barcelona, participated in several projects with worldwide known firms such as Battle i Roig, SCOB and Thomas Oslund. Produced several projects from territorial planning, fire control through landscape, ecological water management to public space and gardens.

Currently living in London developing landscape projects and continuing her thesis research. Enjoys visiting the parks and museums of the city, as well as the botanical gardens, where she seeks to expand her knowledge of botanics.

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BETWEEN TWO WATERS

La Infanta Canal and the stream of Ca N’amigó Professors: Enric Batlle, Xavier Ramoneda Team: Andrea Acevedo (Venezuela), Nicolás Irarrázabal (Chile), Alessandra Schmid (Italy), Sofía Valenzuela (Mexico) The project solves the crossing of two water systems: La Infanta Canal, which is a historic canal built in the 18th century for irrigating the agriculture area outside Barcelona with water from the Llobregat River, and La Riera Ca n’Amigó, a stream that connects the Collserola Forest with the sea. Across the area extends the GR-92 (Great Route 92), a pedestrian route that crosses Europe, passing through the Collserola Park crossing a void space remaining of the industry development of the area in a route of sensations through the vegetation. The canal generates the municipal connection between two towns, Sant Feliu and Molins de Rey, with a wild agricultural Location character, enhancing the historical identity of the place.

Landscapes

Water

Urban mass

Roads and ways

Connection

Barriers

Water Structure

heritage resilience

Based on generating a municipal connection developed between the railway and the Canal de La Infanta. It enhances the historical character through a path with closed and linear perspectives, always accompanied by the channel water in different situations of height for a complete recognition of the environment. Enriching the landscape with orchards (agricultural activity that develops historically in the place) and the work of the mountain through slopes, walls and wild agricultural vegetation (wild shrubs and fruit trees) that preserve the identity of the place and integrate the Park Collserola.

community

The project generates a pathway along the stream where the diferent heights of the vegetation creates diverse sensations throughout the itinerary. Based in Teresa Moller style of intervention with wooden decks, the pathway moves along the stream current and crosses the canal, generating a public space where the agricultural and the river vegetation coexist in a wild way.

agriculture

Open visual proposal SITUACIĂŽN_VISUAL ABIER

TA

Closed visual proposal

urbanism

Semi-open visualSEMI-ABIER proposal TA SITUACIĂŽN_VISUAL

toursim research

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FIRE AS AN OPORTUNITY

Ecosystem regeneration in an Urban Forest Collserola, Barcelona

Professors: PH.D. Anna Zahonero, PH.D. Martí Boada, M.L.A. Pepa Moran.

Team: Andrea Acevedo (Venezuela), Nicolás Irarrázabal (Chile), Alessandra Schmid (Italy), Sofía Valenzuela (Mexico) The position of the Sierra de Collserola in the metropolitan area of Barcelona gives it a singular relevance. The large forest system, product of ecological succession from a process of agricultural and forestry abandonment, is today an area of high ecological value and great public space for 5 million people living in urban areas surrounding the park.

The result is a continuous forest system and in direct Actual Situatuion. l Natural protected site l Collserolla contact with residential use that has made the Sierra de Collserola in a place where a fire can become a relevant social and economic problem. The project focuses on the south-west of the park, which is geographically limited by three major watersheds, which coincide with the fire polygons generated by firefighters study.

Upon recognition of the watershed as a geographical fact and disruption risk, risk areas as areas of opportunity, besides watershed and ecological connections and all connections are selected urban edge. We generated three major strategies where the proposal is structured. The recovery of agricultural and forestry activity. Nesting of the streams as ecological connections and park entrance and the reuse of existing infrastructure and buildings for new activities. In addition to attaching the vegetation management through the fire and the reorganization of Fire propagation disturbances so they can be opportunities to meet and recognize the landscape and think about their identity, their dynamics, environmental resources custody, among others.

Habitats

Values

1956 Orthophoto Situatuion. l Natural protected site l

Slopes

Borders

Slope orientation. North = black

Risks

heritage resilience community agriculture

2- Green connection Strategy

urbanism

1- Agro-ecologic Strategy

3- Green energy Strategy

toursim research

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Decrease biomass Agriculture mosaic Green infrastructure Ecological corridor

Terreno productivo con uso mixto agrícola-silvopastoril.

research

Centro de conversión de biomasa de Colserolla.

Centros de investigación geológica y medio ambiente.

Corredor biológico del Colserolla con el Llobregat.

toursim

Potenciar la red de caminos para conectividad del parque.

Centros de educación medioambiental y del fuego.

Mirador y espacio público.

Aumento de biodiversidad, flujos y fertilidad de la tierra.

Caminos secundarios para producción agrícola.

Ganado silvopastoril para control de sotobosque.

urbanism

Bosque de baja densidad.

Mantenimiento del control del sotobosque.

Producción de frutales en terrazas de cultivo.

Disminución del 20% de biomasa en zonas estratégicas

Potenciar paisaje de la riera

Infraestructura para la apicultura

Usos agrícolas en terrenos fértiles

Disminución del 30% de biomasa en zonas estratégicas

Zonas productivas en terrazas, mayor biodiversidad.

Paisaje biodiverso productivo en miel y derivados.

Se mantienen algunos pastos cpn ganado silvopastoril.

Usos agrícolas en terrenos fértiles

Se recupera el espacio agrícola de 1954.

Itinerarios e infraestructura para observación de aves.

Camino principal en cumbreras para ataque de incendios.

Disminución del 15% de biomasa en zonas estratégicas

Especies frutales en terrazas de cultivos cercanas a masías

Incoporación de especies frutales en matorral

Quema estratégica de matorral

Introducción de ganado silvopastoril

Usos agrícolas en cercanías de las masías.

Recuperación de algunas masías para uso agrícola y PEG’s

agriculture

2050

community

We believed that the landscape project cannot be shown in only one stage of time, because it is a living and changins system. For that reason we planned the evolution the project would have up to the year 2050.

Conservar y potenciar el paisaje agrícola existente.

HABITATS EXISTENTES

resilience

2030 Se recuperan todas las masías para uso agrícola.

CONECTIVIDAD

MASA FORESTAL

MATORRAL: DE PAISAJE Y TRANSICIÓN

PASTOS Y DEHESA

CULTIVOS Y HUERTOS

SUCESIÓN ECOLÓGICA_ANÁLISIS DE LA EVOLUCIÓN DE LOS HÁBITATS.

heritage

2020

Masías como espacio turístico y familiar.

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

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BESÓS BEACH

Inhabiting the river border Montcada, Spain Professors: M.L.A. Martí Franch, PH.D. Víctor Ténez, M.L.A. Miriam García.

Team: Andrea Acevedo (Venezuela), Nicolás Irarrázabal (Chile), Alessandra Schmid (Italy), Sofía Valenzuela (Mexico) Due to frequent floods, a wall was built around the Besos River. The inhabitants of Montcada claim that space for recreation, therefore the project consists of inhabiting the river’s edge. At the moment it is a hard limit, of concrete, the project proposes a permeable limit that allows the access to the edges of the river generating diverse uses creating community.

In this project, new terms such as “affective infrastructure” and “capable places” were coined for a project that reflects the lifestyle of the community of Montcada, generating spaces for assemblies, markets and art exhibitions.

heritage

resilience

community

agriculture

urbanism

toursim

research 13

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Agricultural park of ecological connection Palou, Spain

Professors: M.A. Manuel Ruisánchez, M.L.A. Marcel Cumplido, M.L.A. Anna Bonet Team: María Andreína Guzmán (Venezuela), Nicolás Irarrázabal (Chile), Sofía Valenzuela (Mexico) In Barcelona, peri-urban agricuture is an important subject for planning the city. Palou used to be a vital area which provided food to the city over the last century.

It has a wide variety of flora and fauna due to its location next to the river so the green infrastructure is focused on providing safe crossings for species, encouraging biodiversity and pollination of ethnic plants Now a days, the area has suffered from abandoned land and the project tries to bring diversity of uses for bringing different kind of public to visit.

Location

Masterplan

heritage

resilience

Connectivity Water irrigation Diferent uses Biodiversity

community

agriculture

urbanism

toursim

research 15

WALKS AND DRIFTS The Public Space Project Barcelona, Spain

Professors: PH.D. Jordi Bellmunt, M.L.A. Sergi Carulla, M.L.A.Victoria Fiol Team: Ibon Doval (Spain), Sofía Valenzuela (Mexico), Isabel Villares (Brasil).

Between tranquility and seduction * Vallcarca is a valley that is in the low point between two hills, one of the Putxet and the other in Gaudi’s Parq Güell.

In the last decade, it suffered from a demolition of much of its original urban layout leaving a series of spaces not built, which we identified as places capable of hosting activities that built a more culturally interesting urban landscape and in which activities can start to happen. In its surroundings there are a series of strategic points that we call spaces of affection, which were unrelated to each other and little in value with the potential to become elements that generate urban landscape and key points to create routes.

The lack of connectivity between the lower part of the valley (Av. Republica Argentina) and the upper part (Parc Guell), this being a very popular route for tourists, which is now taken through escalators, is Unattractive and is little related to the topography and the natural character of the site. We noticed that the main problem of the site was the lack of connectivity and dialogue between public spaces, which are seen as consolidated and isolated from the urban system.

heritage resilience

It lacked to construct city (or urban landscape). This project is a path that generates public space by fading into the ground. It is a journey through the non built spaces, respecting and putting in value the village character of the neighborhood, ramifying to connect the points of affection and blurring to generate spaces of permanence and enjoyment. The topography allows panoramic views from various strategic points of the road. The structure of the road consists of inviting you to continue traveling through the seduction, to frame affection points to drive visitors, as well as to induce them to spaces of permanence through the drifts, to leave loose through the forest to finally release in Parc GĂźell.

community

* Between tranquility and seduction ... has to do with the fact of how we move in architecture. Without a doubt, architecture is a space art, but also temporary... I may be very firm there but something leads me to go to the corner, where the light falls here and there, and I take a walk there; I have to say that this is one of my greatest pleasures: not to be driven, but to be able to walk freely, a drift, you know? I move as in a voyage of discovery...

Driving, inducing, letting loose, giving freedom.

agriculture

--Peter Zumthor

urbanism toursim research 17

LANDSCAPE ARCHEOLOGY

The importance of small vestiges in a large tourist complex

Platja de Palma, Mallorca, Spain Professors: PH.D. María Goula, PH.D. Ricard Pié Team: Guadalupe Furnari (Argentina), María Andreína Guzmán (Venezuela) Sofía Valenzuela (México), Isabel Villares (Brasil) For a city like Platja de Palma, which moved by tourism developed at a rapid pace in less than 50 years, it is important to look under its foundations for what existed in a not so distant past and what is below these resorts and now is so far from the original landscape.

Based on analysis documents of the urbanization of Platja de Palma; Such as Biel Horrach’s doctoral thesis “Aprendiendo de la Balearización”, the historical plans of 1900, the orthophoto of the ‘56 flight, as well as postcards and photographs from the 50’s, we discovered the plant structure of the dune system of Platja. With a detailed analysis, we identify surviving landscape pieces to an almost absolute and relatively recent depredation; In the 1940’s these pieces were part of the postcard and tourist site image. We made a classification of those of public or private character, with a view to discover which could be available for this project. We discovered remaining pine forests within hotel gardens or enclosed by a 3-meter fence, resulting in inaccessible public spaces, streamed casings or buried by hotel buildings, dunes reduced to an urban park, a seafront of 5 km. Of monotony that does not faithfully reflect what happens in the territory and a beach that in its totality is treated like a stage and not like part of an ecosystem. This is the diagnosis, result of the analysis and the fine reading of the exploration of this archeology of the landscape.

Masterplan

Historical agricultural use

Remaining natural landscape

Connectivity

heritage

PINEDAS

LIBRE

PLAZAS

RESIDUAL

ESPACIO EXTERIOR

HISTÓRICAS

AGRÍCOLA

ACTIVAS

resilience

RESIDUAL

LIMITADO VACIOS

VERDE URBANO

JARDINES

PINEDAS

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VIALIDAD NATURALIZADA

2

REPOBLACIÓN DE PINEDA

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VIALIDAD PEATONAL

3

DENSIFICACIÓN POR NORMATIVA

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CONECTOR VERDE

4

NUEVO USO DE PAISAJE

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SUELO AGRÍCOLA RECUPERADO

urbanism

PIEZAS ESTRATÉGICAS

agriculture

1

community

The project is to reverse this process of encapsulation of the remaining dune landscape pieces, allowing its expansion within the city. Unlimit these pieces that remain as unique witnesses of a green identity reflected in the first postcards, witnesses limited by a hotel complex that mimics the landscape with what could be Greece or Cancun itself. We established three strategies at different scales: Connect, unify and expand.

Connect, take out and put in value some strategic pieces of pine remaining to remake a natural and functional and attractive system and connect them by green and pedestrian axes with the beach generating new spaces of original landscape and reflecting on the promenade, giving identity and character to it . To unify, that is to say, to generate a green belt which brings together these pieces by means of des-limiting them to integrate to the urban structure some bounded pine trees, making these public spaces accessible for the city and to use the private residual spaces as a place of opportunity so that , Through a regulation, could replant the axis of pine forests, to finally expand, permeabilize the highway boundary, causing the plant system in Platja de Palma to expand to the rest of the island, thus creating a green structure Successive and constant.

Historic post cards

toursim research

Historic post cards

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DEFENSE OF THE HORIZON The line that measures the pulse of Landscape Masters Thesis Professors: PH.D. Jordi Bellmunt, PH.D. Ricard Pié

Due to the excessive growth of urbanization in the Latin American context, specifically in Mexico, the urban area occupied has multiplied six times, compared to the growth of the urban population that has only doubled in the last 30 years.

This situation, which is associated with the urbanization of the “natural” territory without maintaining a relation with its singular characteristics such as its topography, water flows and vegetation, cause direct damages in the support, this situation occurs in Mexico, from where all the cases will be taken study.

In addition to the cultural and environmental theme, the importance of this research also involves the tourism sector; Mexico is the third country with the largest number of cities inscribed on UNESCO’s Heritage List with 10 of them, 7 of which are at risk of losing it, among other reasons, for altering its horizon.

There are several modifications to the horizon line, such as vertical building - cities, skyscrapers, wind turbines - the modification of territory horizontally - roads, borders, agricultural parceling - to the modification of the horizon itself in its topography - Open pit mines, topography cuts-; All of these have direct effects on landscape visuals.Therefore, in this work we study different cases of alteration of the horizon line, to understand the condition of the place in which they are inserted and to determine their relationship with the surrounding environment.

So that the cases to analyze function as parameters of the consequences in relation horizon-environment.

The landscape is in constant transformation, consequently, the horizon line also changes. Frequently we observe the rapid evolution of skyline of the cities and often this transformation is disconnected to the relation with the support and the surroundings that surrounds it.

This paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of the horizon line as a value in the landscape. The thesis here is that this line contains values ​​that properly define the “place” and its alteration involves several dimensions such as cultural heritage, affects on soil, water and climate, flora and fauna. Fauna, and directly with the population and their recognition of the landscape.

From the point of view of the landscaper,“the horizon is a starting point for the project”, so this paper proposes a treaty protecting the horizon, giving priority to the horizon - seen as the “natural” territory - That still resists in the anthropized structure of our surroundings and being this one means for the relation of the natural territory with the cities.

This is why the thesis refers to the line of the horizon as “the line that measures the pulse of the landscape”; That is to say, it functions as an indicator of the relation of the support and the intervention, not only from the aesthetic and visual point In addition, the work posture, considers that the visuals of of view, but involving the environmental effects that entails the the landscape go beyond the aesthetic and visual amenity, but modification of the line of the horizon on the territory. is considered as a resource in itself; “The landscape is inclusive and covers all natural, rural, urban and peri-urban areas. Includes The conservation of the scenic value and the character of the land, continental water and sea water “. The importance of this landscape, as well as the regulation of affectations in the vertical, definition indicates that alterations to the horizon have a direct improves the quantity and quality of the open space and accessible relationship in the ecosystem. to the public, as well as the visuals of the landscape.

Climate change is “the major changer of the landscape and is considered the greatest threat to the environment in the long term.” Paradoxically, these changes have the peculiarity of being caused by humans, but are not under their control or prediction,

The study that is presented seeks to identify the effects of the developments in the visual and in the landscape. It is proposed a verification by means of the graphic experimentation on the protection of the visuals, oriented to the visuals of the horizon, in specific, of the horizon “not constructed”

Visual Impact Study

heritage resilience Finally, we present the conclusion or final reflections of the research, arguing that the horizon is the line that measures the pulse of the landscape and contains important values ​​that the Mexican landscape must take care of because they are active that provide a visual amenity as well as a conjunction with The environment of which we are part, by means of a treaty of ten points for the protection of the horizon.

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research

Why should we defend the horizon as an elemental value in the landscape?

What effects do the landscape have on the transformation of its horizon?

The fourth and final part shows cases of success of protected horizons and a brief graphic experimentation with the theories of representation of various landscapers in the case of the City of Chihuahua, a landscape that has valuable characteristics in its horizon, followed by an argument of why Landscaping is vital for city planning, to end with a narrative of how the concept of protected horizon is modified in the postmodern landscape.

toursim

Throughout the work will try to solve the following research questions through a compilation of texts, analysis of cities in Mexico that have a direct relationship with the horizon and finally, the verification of a case study in the city of Chihuahua through graphic experimentation .

The third part is about the second research question, what loses a landscape with the alteration of its horizon? And three cases are considered serious in which the horizon was not contemplated in the project and direct effects happen to the environment.

urbanism

Once the concept of the horizon line has been developed as an identity object of a society and historical memory of a specific population, I intend to approach the logic of urbanization of cities and planning of public spaces or preservation of the natural environment, ruled by the value of Horizon itself, motivated by an experimental analysis of visuals to generate a sustainable criterion for the protection of the landscape.

In addition, it seeks to verify that a policy of protection of the horizon is necessary for the prevention of its alteration caused by the voracity of real estate. Planning, both urban and infrastructure in the territory, must take into consideration this line by regulating heights and the allocation of open spaces to relate to the territory that is involved and allow a better reading of the landscape.

In the second part, several cases of modifications to the horizon are studied in the cases of three Mexican cities. This section tries to verify that through the line of the horizon one can make a reading of the relation that exists between the individual / inhabitant of the city with the landscape.

agriculture

Visual Impact Study

In this disproportionate growth of the cities under study specifically the cases in Mexico - they put at risk the “collective horizon” privatizing the best visuals: what once was a value of many becomes a privilege of few. Through qualitative research, and the analysis and visual studies, this work seeks to bring the relevance of landscape heritage.

The work consists of four parts; The first is the theoretical framework; A qualitative research that seeks, through definitions of various theoreticians throughout history, the research of existing literature, the incorporation of my personal experience as an architect to investigate the horizon concept, in order to look for characteristics that are important in the Creation of the landscape project and seeking the answer to the first research question: Why should defend the horizon as an elemental value in the landscape?

community

The overall objective of the research is to explore the horizon line, demonstrating its capacity as boundary and landscape framing.

If we take as a starting point that “landscape is the relationship between people and place” the perceptions of people turn the territory into landscape, so it is necessary to protect it from the main approach of the human being: sight.

heritage

TREATY FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE HORIZON

resilience

First, the environment takes precedence over everything. It is not possible to protect a horizon when the environment is degraded or in danger of being degraded.

Second, the landscaper’s responsibility is that, in order to modify the landscape, his own perception of the horizon must converge with that of the collective horizons.

community

Third, landscape is culture, and culture is activity, invention and progress.

The landscape and not a scenario, is a provider of ecosystem services and that is what is defended and what should not change. The appearance and uses of the landscape can change without regard to the former.

Fourth, contemporary architecture must have a tendency towards hybridization rather than towards brutal verticalization, as this causes a break with the landscape of which it forms part.

agriculture

Fifth, the horizon is an opportunity for the project, you have to take advantage of it. “Both the landscape more evident as the mountainous, as the plane, we must highlight the horizon, whether a small depression, a grove, a stream.�

Sixth, the horizon is not merely aesthetic, but an environmental value, since it is the relation of the individual to the environment.

Visual Impact Study

toursim

Eighth, to protect a horizon should study the area involved, prioritize important visuals, identify the effects that the project causes, from this establish height, materiality and form, then put in common with other receivers and evaluate their sensations and check The magnitude of the visual effect.

urbanism

Seventh, we are depredating our territory, it is time to stop that growth, a good indicator is the regulation in the transformation of horizons.

Ninth, we are depredating our territory, it is time to stop that growth, a good indicator is the modification of the horizon; Is the line that measures the pulse of the landscape.

research

Tenth, the horizon invites to recognize a landscape, which is why landscaping is an essential discipline in the planning of cities.

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ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

TESISTĂ N VALLEY UN-HABITAT

PROJECT ASSISTANT The TesistĂĄn Valley is located in the municipality of Zapopan, and was traditionally used for planting corn.

There are currently 3530 people with high levels of marginalization in this area because the fields where they used to grow their food, have problems of landslides and flooding because there is little water leakage due to all the real estate developments they have done in this area.

The Sustainable Urban Integrated Project, made for the UN-Habitat agreement with Zapopan, aims to distribute vertical housing and commercial developments, leaving the largest area for water filtration and agriculture.

The project allocates 2000 ha for agricultural land and be able to return the customs and customs to the inhabited this area, as well as approaching the countryside to the city of Zapopan.

It is proposed to leave 340 ha of agricultural land as, according to studies, is the area necessary for infiltrate the desired water.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

PEDAGOGICAL WATER FOREST Metropolitan park

PROJECT ASSISTANT Zapopan, Mexico This space that represents one of the last redoubts of free areas in the urban spot in the municipality of Zapopan, besides being part of the metropolitan hydrobiological corridor and regulator of rainwater. It was used as an irregular trash dump, and had the serious problem of being invaded by the real estate market with housing developments. Its consolidation was managed as a protected natural area of the municipality. Projecting the design of an orchard of fruit trees, and assisted in the physical reforestation, as well as in their respective social campaign of appropriation as a recreational space.

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SofĂ­a Valenzuela Fuentes sofia.valenzuelaf@gmail.com 07729710218 Camden Town NW19HZ London, England