Michael Lu's Blog

NODULO004

The project is a CIVIC OPERATION. 3 main terraces house 6 main programs. The junctures are articulated by singular shade elements. To the north left, gabion walls accommodate for everyday informal vendors; the widths between blocks serve ambulantes. The north right will feature 3 vending kiosks that are fixed and represents the other form of informal vending in low income areas of Lima. This “mobile” and “fixed” retail is connected by a covered walkway.

The second terrace is a civic space. The pre-existing soccer field is complemented by the addition of a primary school and community center. These programs are joined by a series of trees which implies transparency.

The third terrace to the south concerns core necessities of the people: food and water. To the left a large fog harvesting device based upon a structure influenced by Ecosistema Urbano intends to capture enough water to irrigate the planted terraces to the east. An outdoor laundry and open air shower for women keeps them close to their community farms and near thier small children in school. Water is reclaimed from these facilities to supplement the fog harvested water for irrigation. These two programs, production of food and water, are articulated once again by a covered walkway.

The diagram is simple and based upon a typical hyperhouse in Lima: The front is mercantile, the core is a living room, the back is reserved for domestic affairs and hygenic functions.

During pre-Final review, it was made clear that the story was unclear. The following diagrams break down the introduction of homeopathic intervention along a singular contour line between the top and bottom of cerros. This equidistant localization of programs implies a democratic stance by the incoming administration in its investment into the low income areas of Lima’s “cinturon de pobreza”. The project is given a name of “SUTURA”, or suture; a series of Open Source Infrastructures intended to be replicated by the people. The project is green [the color of the current Mayor Susana Villaran] to contrast with the yellow intervention of the stairways by former Mayor Luis Castaneda Lossio. This move of creating egress strings via yellow stairs was a brilliant “first move.” It represents one idea but replicated thousands of times. The next logical step is to connect the stairs horizontally with open spaces, civic programs, and amenity infrastructures.

Water elements follow language of water towers, built forms for living and playing reinforce language of homes? A question I am struggling with.

CONCEPT ADAPTED FROM ECOSISTEMA URBANO ECOBOULEVARD

http://www.ecosistemaurbano.com/

http://ecosistemaurbano.org/

L. Michael Lu, Arizona State Univerity

MArch | MUrban Design Candidate

3D Site Model in process for Nodulo 003. A Skills Learning Center adjacent to stairs, Markets for both fixed and mobile transactions, a fog harvesting pavillion repeats vocabulary of water towers. Combinations of 3: market, plaza, cancha de futbol; escaleras, colegio, pavillon; 3 terrazas. San Juan de Miraflores, Lima, Peru