Tuesday, December 15, 2015 9:30 am
-
9:30 am
EST (GMT -05:00)
Of
the
thesis
entitled: Second
Home
Abstract:
This
thesis
proposes
the
design
of
a
socially-driven building
and
public
space
located
in
a
suburban
neighborhood
in
Chihuahua, Chihuahua,
Mexico.
The
goal
of
the
project
is
to
provide
an
environment
that assists
in
the prevention
of
children
entering
the
world
of
drug-related violence
by
encouraging
the
creation
of
good
holding
environments
within
the community.
This
element
is
currently
missing
from
the
community
as
these suburban
developments
were
initially
conceived
as
supporting
infrastructure
to the
newly
established
light
industry
factories,
colloquially
referred
to
as maquiladoras. This
in
turn
was
part
of
a
larger
strategy
by
the government
to
reactivate
the economy
and
employment
in
the
1960’s
and
1970’s.
These neighborhoods have been home to rising levels of violence and crime over the last two decades. This affirmed historical patterns that saw the working class relegated to the outer-limits of the city, acting as spectators in the process of its evolution and facing difficult conditions, while maintaining minimum-wage jobs in order to support their houses.
The incidence of violence in these neighborhoods does not relate directly to conditions of poverty, but to the lack of institutions that can assist in the healthy development of children, a situation that local gangs easily take advantage of as these low-scale criminal organizations are usually a stepping stone into the world of drug-related violence. Drug cartels have increasingly begun to recruit children in order to restore loses suffered by the war against drugs that the mexican government implemented in 2006.
The final design reflects the complex nature of the problem, and is informed by both the local history and development of the current situation as well as choices of materials, proper distribution of space, and sustainable strategies required by the geographic region in which its located.
These neighborhoods have been home to rising levels of violence and crime over the last two decades. This affirmed historical patterns that saw the working class relegated to the outer-limits of the city, acting as spectators in the process of its evolution and facing difficult conditions, while maintaining minimum-wage jobs in order to support their houses.
The incidence of violence in these neighborhoods does not relate directly to conditions of poverty, but to the lack of institutions that can assist in the healthy development of children, a situation that local gangs easily take advantage of as these low-scale criminal organizations are usually a stepping stone into the world of drug-related violence. Drug cartels have increasingly begun to recruit children in order to restore loses suffered by the war against drugs that the mexican government implemented in 2006.
The final design reflects the complex nature of the problem, and is informed by both the local history and development of the current situation as well as choices of materials, proper distribution of space, and sustainable strategies required by the geographic region in which its located.
The
examining
committee
is
as
follows:
Supervisor:
Andrew Levitt, University of Waterloo
Committee Members:
Val
Rynnimeri,
University
of
Waterloo
Robert
Jan
Van
Pelt,
University
of
Waterloo
External Reader:
Scott Sorli
The
committee
has
been
approved
as
authorized
by
the
Graduate
Studies
Committee.
The
Defence
Examination
will
take
place:
Tuesday
December
15,
2015
9:30AM
ARC
2026
A
copy
of
the
thesis
is
available
for
perusal
in
ARC
2106A.