San Rafael-Unido, Urban Integration Project

A step in the right direction

During 2006 and early 2007, the first series of stairs (as documented in the project photographs) were completed, however most of the important sub-projects were stopped. The project was presented to a number of government authorities, but did not attract further funding, nor was public-private cooperation considered a workable option. Although the new municipal government had requested details about the San Rafael-Unido project to be included in their urban planning, financial support had not been confirmed. The project authors also considered project-managing further elements of the project – however without government approval; this approach was not tenable due to legal barriers and legal risk issues.

In early 2009, funds were made available and work on the project recommenced – the residents’ hopes and patience had been rewarded. The building process has re-started, albeit at a slow rate of progress. The project authors stress the need for patience and creativity with such projects, and ongoing community support.

Replicating the concept

The project authors have continued to work on simpler projects in other “barrios”, and consider that it is both possible and critical to improve the conditions within informal settlements. Future initiatives are less broad in scope, are more concrete in terms of project elements, and commence construction at the earliest phase possible.

The project is also merited for encouraging proactive participation by users in planning as well as implementing improvements to their surroundings. Such an integrated approach offers beneficial contributions to the formation of collectively viable habitats and values. Also worthy of merit are the innovative measures explored for integrating building services and infrastructural elements within a more ambitious initiative to cultivate a constructive symbiosis between natural and fabricated contexts.

Great care is given to combine restoration with rebuilding, thereby drawing attention to untapped possibilities of existing conditions as well as to cost-effective measures for augmenting their performative capacities. Promising immediate and long-term enrichment of the region, the work promotes awareness of the subtle interdependencies of landscape, civic fabric, and architecture.

Of particular interest is the attention given to providing a variety of functional responses to the needs of the local population such as the school, nursery, and health service facilities. Their strategic positioning at the base of the hill along the existing road is not only a logical precautionary measure against landslides, but also promises to reinvigorate social exchange and enhance public pride of place. Equally significant, the venture endorses an ethically responsive approach to alleviating socioeconomic hardship, proving that attention to indigenous traditions and respect for the limitation of means available does not necessarily compromise aesthetic quality or spatial variety.

Additionally, the placement of the residential units is conceived as counter measure to the danger of landslides. Also commendable is the sensitive consideration for the diverse qualities of indoor and outdoor communal life. Taking a cue from existing features of such communities, the intervention of the numerous stair elements and pedestrian paths is a positive contribution in that it eliminates the need for mass relocation of families.

Water drainage is incorporated in this circulation system, displaying a skillful economy of means. Encouraging participation of the community in design considerations, the scheme is respectful of local values and indigenous traditions, while managing to deliver a presence that promises a contemporary sense of collective identity.

The work offers important lessons in how sustainable, low cost technology can improve the social and economic livelihood of settlements. Furthermore, the project advances an environmentally and culturally sensitive solution to current regional dilemmas.

A group of female architects led the efforts to introduce the necessary infrastructure for water, sewage, and electricity along the paths and steep stairs winding through the settlement. Furthermore, the design proposes a series of interventions at the lower edge of the neighborhood.

These structures are intended to fill the wasteland and form a bridge between the existing fabric and the neighboring context – with small shops along a street as well as various public buildings for education and health services. Great care is exercised with the design of the outdoor spaces for the community as is evidenced, for example, in the articulation of the stairs as the locus for social interaction. These stairs are also given added value in that they integrate all necessary technical infrastructure.