arch-peace: latest news

Season greetings from architects for peace!

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:46 GMT

The year has come to an end, and what a great year it was! Here at Architects for Peace, we would like to thank each and every one of you who have helped us made 2009 a very productive and exciting year.

We have created 4 e-cards for you to send, with images from the winning entries from the Visual Essay competition recently held.

To close it, we would like to wish you a great holiday season and Happy New Year. 2010 is not very far, and we hope we will see you again!
Architects for Peace

A New City in the Patagonia

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:58 GMT

Student responses to the eruption of the Chaitén Volcano in Chile

By Paula Villagra-Islas
Photos by Paula Villagra-Islas (exhibition photos) and Sarah Macisaac (site photos)

Introduction
In May 2008 almost 5,000 people were evacuated from the city of Chaitén in the Patagonia region of Chile when a nearby volcano erupted. Similar to the eruption of the Volcano Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii two thousand years ago, the Chaitén Volcano destroyed the city of Chaitén and its surrounding area. Students of the Santiago Travelling Studio which includes masters students from architecture, landscape architecture and planning departments from the University of Melbourne, Australia, took this phenomenon and its effects as a case study.

Image 1: View from the remnants of the city of Chaitén to the Chaitén Volcano.

Melbourne students in conjunction with students of similar programs at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) worked together in Chile for a period of two weeks to develop feasible solutions for the strategic development of a new city for Chaitén. Students’ proposals were well informed by the preliminary research they undertook in Australia and a study developed by a multidisciplinary team in Chile about strategic guidelines for the reconstruction/emplacement and conceptual master plan for Chaitén. This information was complemented with fieldwork activity on site and a series of workshops and lectures given by academics of PUC in Santiago, Chile. The overall work aimed at developing a city with integrated urban, rural, ecological and transport systems taking into account sustainable, economic and social aspects. Moreover, students created concepts for a local architecture, for the management of the landscape and they also developed projects that range across a variety of scales. Despite the language and cultural diversity, the students from Australia and Chile were immersed together in a rich academic and social learning activity aimed at developing ideas for the new settlement. Their work was recently exhibited at the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning of the University of Melbourne and is described in this paper.

Volcanic Eruption in Chaitén
Change has always been part of the landscape of Chile. Topography, vegetation density, soil type and landscape colours, among other aspects, are all subjected to change due to natural and man-made disturbances. Colours of the vegetation change because of the variation of seasons. The shape of the landscape can also change if we build in them when, for instance, agricultural areas are transformed into suburbs. In fact, landscapes can depict dramatic variations because of the effect of natural dynamics, or disturbances, such as volcanic activities, which are part of the natural development of the environment. Natural disturbances such as changes of seasons throughout the year, fires created by lightning activity, volcanic eruptions, droughts and strong winds, all can contribute to the modification of the landscape.

In Australia, for example, the effects of fire on the landscape are relevant for the ecological development of various natural systems. Seeds of native species sprout and new shoots can be observed in many plants after a fire. Such an event can create small scale changes which can be seen positively from an aesthetic perspective. The regrowth of the bush after months following a burn shows leaves in a bright green colour and this can be highly attractive for many people. In contrast, wildfires, or fires that get out of control and reach high intensities, can also affect vast areas of land and be perceived as negative such as the recent effect of bushfires in south-eastern Australia, on Black Saturday. During this event numerous hectares of land were destroyed and human infrastructure, ecosystems and human lives were lost.

In Chile, unlike Australia, volcanos are associated with many of the disturbances that take place in the country (i.e. volcanic eruptions and earthquakes). Chile is located in an area of the Pacific Ring of Fire where most of the world’s earthquakes occur. The Ring of Fire is also the result of the collision of crustal plates, action which in the case of Chile has contributed to the creation of approximately 2,000 volcanos from which 500 have been described by experts as active volcanos and 60 have erupted within the past 450 years. Approximately 3 million out of 16 million Chileans live in areas affected by volcanic activity.

Image 2: (top) Map of Chile indicating the active volcanos and the location of the Chaitén Volcano. Source: SERNAGEOMIN.
Image 3: (bottom) Area of Intervention. Source: Google Earth.

Volcanic eruptions can change the landscape in a positive or negative manner. Most of the volcanos are concentrated along the Andes Ranges which constitute the border of Chile and provide the area with positive aspects. The shape of the Andes creates to the east a unique skyline for many cities which are located near the Andes. The view is highly attractive for many locals and tourists. In addition, volcanic eruptions in Chile have occurred since thousands of years ago and have contributed to the creation of the ‘trumaos’, or good quality soil used particularly for agricultural purposes. However, as in Australia, volcanic eruptions also can create high levels of devastation. Eruptions can cause injuries, deaths, displacement of entire communities, destruction of infrastructure, interruption of local activities and economic loss. When these types of events take place, the ‘lahares’, or a mixture of volcanic rock and water, flow through ravines and other types of depressions destroying in many cases nearby settlements. In addition, the ‘pyroclastic flow’, or material such as fine volcanic ash and volcanic gas which erupts into the air from the crater of the volcano, can extend up to many kilometres resulting in pollution and damage of distant human settlements.

The eruption of the volcano located 10 kilometres from Chaitén, had similar negative effects. Chaitén is located on the east side of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province, Los Lagos Region, Chile. At 2 AM on the 8th of May of 2008 the nearby volcano at 42.8 °S, began erupting. The ‘lahares’ reached the city and were the cause of a series of consecutives floods of the Blanco River over the city during May, June and July 2008. The activity of the Chaitén Volcano and its consequences destroyed almost the entire town, affected the aquaculture industry, shortened ecotourism and closed nearby national parks and natural reserves. Moreover, the ashes contaminated the area with toxic material. The city had a population of approximately 5,000 people and while most of them were evacuated and distributed in nearby cities, a few families continued to stay on site despite government warnings about the area being highly toxic and the possibility of future eruptions being high. Such a physically and socially devastated environment was the site students were asked to re-develop.

Image 4, 5 and 6: Chaitén after the eruption.

A New City for Chaitén: an Opportunity.
Chaitén was strategically located because it was the entrance to the Patagonia of Chile from the north and it was a point that provided access for ecotourism. Besides, due to its location in a coastal area there were opportunities for the development of local economies (such as fishing) as well as urban infrastructure such as schools and hospitals that were available for the ‘chaiteninos’ and inhabitants of nearby towns. A study developed by OCUC (Observatorio de Ciudades UC), an organisation based in the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Chile and focused on providing information and consultancy in terms of planning and urban aspects, suggests that these characteristics cannot be lost. The study, developed by over 30 professionals from different areas of expertise, was limited to evaluate new areas for the emplacement of the city and aimed to provide recommendations for the sustainable, economic, urban and social development of the new Chaitén. According to the study, the construction of the new city should be taken as an opportunity to reinforce the positive aspects of Chaitén in terms of tourism and location, as well as to explore new ideas for the sustainable and economic development of the area.

Image 7 and 8: Collage prepared by the students that reflects their impressions of the site in relation to the characteristics of local colours, materials, scenic views and activities (top) and image of local door and shingles (bottom).

Many of the outcomes of the study by OCUC were relevant for the proposals of the students. The best location for the new city was defined in an area 10 kilometres north from Chaitén, called Santa Barbara. The area has a diversity of landscape types (i.e. forests and beaches) and attractive views to natural landmarks (Morro Vilcun) which are positive aspects that will help to develop tourism. Its location in a coastal area can also be considered positive in terms of transportation as most of the inhabitants of the area commute by boat and ferry. In addition, the new city can be served by a nearby aerodrome and the coastal route of Chile, which connects Chile from north to south. Overall, its location can ensure connectivity and facilitate accessibility within the region and the rest of the country. The area of Santa Barbara is additionally protected from natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and strong winds. It has a moderate topography and good lighting conditions which are favourable factors for the building of a city. On the whole, the vision of the new Chaitén proposed by OCUC suggests that it ‘can become an attractive access to the Patagonia, an extraordinary place, of low or zero environmental impact, based on a diverse economy that will contribute actively to enhance and increase the resources and development of the Province of Palena’.

Image 9. Views of the beach and Morro Vilcun in Santa Barbara: The New Settlement.

The Studio and Students’ Proposals
The Santiago Travelling Studio involved 12 students and two staff members from the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP) of the University of Melbourne and was developed in 17 weeks during the second semester, 2009. The logistics of the Studio started early in 2009 and included the development of a topic that could be achieved within a semester, as well as the coordination of international flights, accommodation and local transport in Chile.

The first eight weeks of the Studio were undertaken in Melbourne. During this time the students looked at references in respect to the ecology, culture and history of the area of Chaitén, sustainable energy, characteristics of the local architecture and studies in relation to responses to similar natural disasters. At the same time in Chile, similar studios, including approximately 40 students and 11 staff members (including lecturers and tutors), were being undertaken at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urban Studies at PUC. In September 2009, Melbourne students spent two weeks in Chile and during this time they formed work groups with students from PUC, visited the site and studied the surrounding areas (Chiloe Island and National Parks). Melbourne and PUC students together explored a suitable strategy for an integrated system of the area between Chaitén and Santa Barbara.

During the last seven weeks, Melbourne students worked in Australia and the Studio took the form of a professional office where everyone worked toward the same aim. This was to create a city within a remote area of high ecological value by considering a sustainable economy and social and tourism integration. The final work was exhibited during one week at the ABP Faculty of The University of Melbourne. Overall, students’ responses for the new Chaitén and its surrounding area were developed in different scales of intervention and were thought to be achieved over different time frames.

Image 10 and 11: Students at the workshop in Santiago and at the exhibition in Melbourne.

Some of the students emphasized the creation and evaluation of a new type of energy infrastructure that would sustain the overall area. With the high volcanic activity of the area in mind, they proposed a ‘geothermal corridor’ between Chaitén and Santa Barbara. This included the physical infrastructure to obtain geothermal energy, or that renewable energy which is obtained from the heat deep below ground, and which would then be distributed among public and private premises. This seemed to be an appropriate solution for an area surrounded by volcanic activity.

The energy strategy was complemented with a ‘time strategy’ where students proposed to restrict the growth of Chaitén and expand the growth of Santa Barbara over time. In this case, the population would slowly settle in Santa Barbara while Chaitén could be re-designed as a disaster museum and/or transformed in a research facility in relation to volcanic issues. The large amount of ashes accumulated in Chaitén also led to the idea of capitalizing on the fertilizing properties of ashes. For example, flowers such as tulips can be grown and a green industry nursery can be established to reforest the area.

Another group of students suggested the ‘necklace strategy’ as a way to link Chaitén and Santa Barbara in terms of economic and tourist activities. In this context, a series of nodal points were proposed between both areas. These nodes would provide access to trails into the forest, ‘plazas’ or areas where to exchange local products, views to the landscape, and ecotourism stations where visitors could learn about, for example, geothermal energy. A port was also proposed near Chaitén as a gateway to the Patagonia and also as a node of local transport. According to the students’ work, the ‘transport strategy’ that would be most suitable for the area should integrate roads, boat routes and hiking trails to include tourist activities. In keeping the use of the geothermal energy in mind the use of electric vehicles was reinforced.

In terms of urban form, the students acknowledged two main factors; ecology and social cohesion. The land of the new city corresponds to an area through which a river flows and spreads in different branches upon reaching the ocean. Based on the topographic characteristics of the site and the study by OCUC, it is very unlikely that future eruptions of the volcano would reach the city through the river. Taking this into consideration, the students’ proposal involved establishing the city around the river along with its wetland areas. The city could then be managed as a ‘green corridor’ where fauna can travel, ecosystems can be conserved and people can enjoy nature. The city could grow around the river in different stages of development in response to a future increase in population. At the same time, the river was proposed as a natural element that can be used to distribute the main areas of the city, for example, by separating tourist, commercial and civic areas from residential areas.

Image 12: Students’ posters at the exhibition showing the ideas in relation to the overall strategy and the organization of the city.

Students’ proposals were also aimed at restoring social aspects that were lost after the eruption. A documentary developed in Chile by a TV Channel after the eruption of the volcano in Chaitén, suggests that the eruption brought many negative social consequences to the community. People were homesick and angry because they had lost their properties as well as their jobs. They also felt sad and upset because they missed the family life, tranquillity and the silence of Chaitén. Before the volcanic eruption, children were able to cycle and play in the public areas without danger. Members of the same family (i.e. cousins, aunts and uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers) lived nearby and the community was involved in various local and cultural activities. After the eruption, the social situation for most of the ‘chaiteninos’ changed after the government relocated the population in different and bigger cities, including the nearby city of Puerto Montt that has approximately 175.000 inhabitants.

In response to this phenomenon, students used the beauty and utility of plants, especially that of native vegetation such as its medicinal and horticultural properties, in various public spaces within the city to recover the social interaction within the community. Students proposed a series of public and private ‘green infrastructure’ for the city of Santa Barbara. Wider streets, as wide as in Chaitén, were aimed at facilitating the congregation of people during local festivities. Houses with semi-open spaces accessible from the street were also proposed as a strategy to promote social interaction among neighbours. In addition, shared gardens (i.e. community gardens) were distributed within the city for similar purposes. It is, therefore evident, that the students laid a great emphasis on public involvement in the design of these public areas.

The development of architecture with identity was another factor that was considered by the students. The large amount of native forest in the area provided the possibility

Thank You and Season's Greetings

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:46 GMT

We take this opportunity to say Thank You and acknowledge to all those who have been supporting, contributing and participating at various levels and stages in our probono service in the past year.

We wish to acknowledge the generous support to all our clients, business members, members, and and consistent hard work of the service providers and the probono team, in the following projects,

Brad Hooper (director of Brad Hooper Architect) and Brookes Thorne (interior Designer & Lecturer at Swinburne University), service prodier of Laverton Community Centre and Neighborhood House,

Julia Mardjuki, Fitzroy Learning Network,proposed kitchen extension

Deborah Salvagno, coordinator of East Timor Women Association - proposed weaving centres in Timor Leste

Rita McMillan and David Mazzotta, Craigieburn Education & Community Centre

in Rebuilding Bush Fire affected communities - thanks to the probono team, members expressed interest in contributing to the rebuilding process, and all those took part in the exhibition in Words@ Bldg50 in Nov 2009

and many thanks to our business members for their continuous support in probono services.

Merry Christmas to all of you, we wish you all a fruitful and peaceful 2010.

the probono team

Future Gazing in the Context of Climate Change

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:59 GMT

This editorial emerges out of a recent conversation between several Architects for Peace members on the topic of the Australian 2010 Venice Biennale proposal ‘Now and When’. For the ‘When’ component, creative directors Ivan Rijavec and John Gollings sought expressions of interest for ‘the design of a future Australian city 2050 +’ (1). Successful entries are to be exhibited in the form of a projected image at the Australian Pavilion. Unfortunately due to time constraints we were unable to pull together a submission on behalf of Architects for Peace; however, the email conversation resulted in some interesting ideas that are worth unpacking here.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about imagining the future is that it forces us to critically question our current condition. For me, the future is a somewhat intangible and elusive construct that necessitates looking back, as much as looking forward. Looking back 40 years, rather than forwards, we can gain some interesting insights. One of the most significant events of 1969 was the first landing on the moon by Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 team. Millions of people sat glued to their television sets to witness this momentous occasion, which appeared to herald a future ‘space age’. Science fiction continues to imagine this ‘other worldly’ future, and yet 40 years on, our feet are still firmly grounded on this planet earth.

A second, and less well-known, event from this year was the transmission of the first data over the ARPANet (The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the forerunner of the modern day Internet. Although this event did not excite the popular imagination in the same way as the ‘space race’, today it is hard to conceive of our world without the Internet. It has transformed the way that we live and work and (at least for a younger generation) it continues to redefine our social interactions (for better or worse).

To return to the present and its projection into the future, how do we know what events and technologies will be significant? Are we focussing on certain, more visible, issues at the expense of more fundamental concerns (the quintessential missing the wood for the trees argument)?

In particular, I am concerned that we have a tendency to focus on objects (specifically technological objects) rather than processes, social conditions and politics. To cite two other milestone ‘events’ from 1969 - female workers at the Ford Motor Company won their demand for equal pay and trouser suits became acceptable everyday wear for women. Somewhat laughable now, but it seems absurd that as a society we had the vision, will and technological know-how to launch ourselves into outer space and yet were only beginning to skim the surface of the injustices within our own world. Reflecting again on the situation today, I don’t think it has improved much, and arguably it is even worse …

It would seem that ‘seeing’ the present is as important as and necessary for imagining the future. The two are of course interconnected. Climate science informs us that to a greater or lesser extent, the future of global warming is already written. As a recent report from the Australian Government states:

“There is little doubt that Australia will face some degree of climate change over the next 30 to 50 years irrespective of global or local efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. The scale of that change, and the way it will be manifested in different regions is less certain ….” (2)

Predictions vary, but moderate estimates suggest a likely scenario of a 0.4 - 2 degree Celsius global temperature rise by 2030 and a 1.0 - 6.0 degree Celsius rise by 2070 coupled with an 18-59cm sea level rise by the end of the century (3). Only a handful of climate sceptics will fail to recognise that the extreme climatic events – hurricanes, droughts, bushfires, floods, hailstorms – that we are experiencing are current indicators of a changing climate. Yet we appear to have our collective head in the sand and there remains widespread distrust of the future climate projections.

Of course many predictions have proved ‘false’ (notably the doomsday scenarios of the 1970s) but in other cases the inaccuracies have swung the other way with actual impacts far exceeding expectations. For example, a 2005 Victorian government study predicted a decline in water supply in the range of 3 – 11 per cent, whereas in the 3 years following the report, water supply dropped almost 50 per cent below average. More recently, in October 2009, the NSW Government released a Sea Level Rise Policy Statement based on ‘worst case’ predictions of a 90cm sea level rise by 2100 which has received fierce criticism from the property development sector (4). It seems Governments will be dammed if they do, and dammed if they don’t.

Even accepting these future climate predictions, there is continued controversy over the appropriate response in the here and now – should we be focussing on climate mitigation or climate adaptation? According to the IPCC 2001 Assessment report, both are required; however the two approaches can lead us down different paths. In the context of urban design, the adaptation argument has challenged the dominant sustainability imperative of urban densification. This point was illustrated in the recent memo from the Australian Institute of Architects National President, Melinda Dodson, citing the views of CSIRO analyst Dr Graham Turner, who states “denser cities may marginally ease environmental pressures, but potentially be more susceptible to impacts”. (5)

Turner argues that less compact urban forms are more resilient since they support local self-sufficiency. I can see his point, but then again gazing into the future, this could be both productive and destructive. On the one hand, it supports a communal social ideal of divesting control from the few to the masses, but on the other it could reinforce the culture of individualism manifest in the home as defensive castle. Of course these are utopian and dystopic projections of the same scenario and neither ‘extreme’ is likely to emerge. While supporting the notion of resilience, I remain cautious of this position and have long had similar doubts about the promotion of autonomy as a sustainability objective (at the scale of the privatised block rather than the community). Evidently for me, the dystopic lens on this scenario is more focussed and I see fences (both ‘real’ and socially constructed) rising around individual properties, gated communities and national boundaries supporting a ‘fortress Australia’ mentality. Nevertheless, I do think it is worthwhile questioning entrenched views, including the dominant sustainability imperative towards densification. Interestingly, the Biennale expression of interest document assumes densification as inevitable by asking how, not if, our sprawl will be densified. (6)

The utopian and dystopic perspectives, while extreme, are useful devices to challenge our current assumptions. Much of our Arch-peace Biennale conversation focussed on the tension between the dark/likely versus the bright/unlikely futures. Generally we agreed that the focus of Arch-peace should be positive, inspiring action rather than instilling fear. Utopias are powerful forms of counter discourse that can be seen as ‘agents of change’ (7). As Beatriz Maturana noted, the issue of change (rather than adaptation) is a key issue that is commonly overlooked, sidestepped or ignored in the search for quick-fix solutions to sustainability ‘problems’. (8)

Nevertheless, the representation of these affirmative alternative visions is problematic. Utopias are widely dismissed as naïve, universalising narratives. A more moderate position of ‘ambiguous utopia’ has been advanced by Levitas, who conceives it as a fragmentary and inconclusive critique of the present (9). This has parallels with Tony Fry’s concept of ‘defuturing’ as a process of imagining but not predicting the future, of change but without certainty (10). Alternatively, as Arch-peace member Darko Radovic suggested, a dialectical approach may be required involving “sketching the extremes between which we trace the actual development ‘path’.” (11). Rather than a super highway between present and future, the path(s) can be seen as tenuous tracks that lead in multiple, surprising and often contradictory directions towards uncertain futures.

It is possible to imagine the communication of these ambiguous utopias or dialectical sketches as a form of narrative (I am reminded of Calvino’s seminal ‘Invisible Cities’ here). However, the articulation of such complex ideas in the confines of the Biennale submission, which must be (primarily) contained within one (punchy) graphic image, is more difficult. There is an interesting resonance between these intangible and fragmentary ‘projections’ of the future and their re-presentation as digital ‘projections’ in the Australian Biennale Pavilion. Furthermore, an image can speak a thousand words, or so they say. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen what ‘thousand words’ the selected images will speak … I look forward to seeing the successful entries.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following Architects for Peace members for their contribution to the lively discussion on the Biennale submission: Beatriz Maturana, Darko Radovic, Sidh Sintusingha, Ian Woodcock and Kamil Muhammad. Although the views represented in this editorial are my own and I do not purport to speak for the other members, their insights have been invaluable in the writing of this piece. It has not been possible to cover the full range of issues discussed in our email conversation and I apologise if I have in any way misrepresented or omitted information that others feel is important.

References
(1) ‘Now and When: Australian Urbanism’ Expression of Interest for the Australian Exhibition 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale. See www.architecture.com.au/nowandwhen
(2) ‘Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability: Promoting an efficient adaptation response in Australia’ Final Report for the Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Greenhouse Office,,March 2005, Allen Consulting Group, p.vii.
(3) ibid.
(4) NSW Sea Level Rise Policy Statement, Deputy Premer and Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Carmel Tebbutt and Minister for Planning, Kristina Keneally, October 2009.
(5) ‘Sustainability Challenges and Urban Development’ by Melinda Dodson, in Memo, Newsletter of the Australian Institute of Architects, September 2009.
(6) Now and When: Australian Urbanism.
(7) Levitas, R. (1993) 'The Future of Thinking about the Future' in Bird, J., Curtis, B., Putnam, T., Robertson, G. and Tickner, L. (eds.) Mapping the Futures. London: Routledge, p.257.
(8) This point is exemplified the Metropolis ‘Next Generation 2010’ competition for ‘One Design Fix’. See http://www.metropolismag.com/nextgen
(9) Levitas, 'The Future of Thinking about the Future'
(10) Fry, T. (1999) A New Design Philosophy: An introduction to defuturing. Sydney: UNSW Press.
(11) Personal communication.

Ceridwen Owen
Architects for Peace, December 2009

COP15 UN Climate Change Conference 2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:33 GMT

COP15 UN Climate Change Conference highlights the many social, environmental and economic contradictions that have delivered us to this critical point. In spite of the evidence (scientific and to the bare eyes), and while the planet melts away, our governments continue to place the economic interests above the urgent need to save the planet. We can only hope that the conversations in Copenhagen will deliver some agreements and more importantly, that these will measure up to the environmental crisis that we face.

Below some images from our colleague Ammon Beyerle in Copenhagen.

Find more photos like this on Melbourne in Copenhagen 2009

Timor-Leste's weaving centres - calling for expressions of interest

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:46 GMT

We are now calling for expressions of interest from registered practices and/or practitioners to the proposed two weaving centres in two villages in Timor Leste.

Please email us if you are interested in this project, as well as a CV detailing any similar or relevant project experience to project coordinators Edith or Magda at probono@architectsforpeace.org. We are looking for architects with enthusiasm and expertise in sustainable building design.

Click on the image to see the Design Brief of the Weaving Centers. Please direct all queries of this project to probono@architectsforpeace.org.

Culture House, Timor Leste
photo courtesy: Alternative Technology Association

Our client, East Timor Women Australia (ETWA) is a Melbourne based, not for profit organisation and run by volunteers. To see our previous post regarding information on this project, click here.
Sustainable Weaving Centres Design Brief

Visual Essay: The Winners

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:50 GMT

We are glad to finally announce the winners of the Visual Essay competition.
Since we received so many wonderful pictures, the team decided to choose 4 images, according to the votes and the characteristics the pictures should have, and that graphically are appropiate for an "end of the year" card.
This images will be available as cards on the arch-peace site on a few days for all the members to enjoy and use as will.

11
Old Door, by Marwa Yousef, Palestine
taken in Birzeit, Palestine

60
by Judith Vargas Araya
taken in Valparaíso, Chile

10
by Gabriela Sabadini, Chile
taken in La Serena, Chile

17
by Susanne Bruecke
taken in Havana, Cuba

arch-peace: Overview of the year that was 2009

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:58 GMT

President’s Report

26 November 2009

Dear members of Architects for Peace,

It has been a pleasure for me to lead another successful year of this young organisation. The value of Architects for Peace (Arch-peace) rests in the work undertaken by its teams on the many tasks that we pursue. Peace and social justice in the realm of the built environment are our guiding principles, but the agenda is not set and Arch-peace offers an umbrella under which to create the conditions for a better future. Architecture and the professions of the built environment are not devices for the production of heroes. Architecture and the professions of the built environment represent our chosen means to service society while adding dignity and meaning to all our lives. Projects that benefit most people—particularly those who need it the most—is what Arch-peace is interested in facilitating, promoting and learning from. Arch-peace’s work depends on the interest, dedication of its members and all those who have the ability to initiate, implement and involve others around their projects and ideas.

Because of the volunteer basis of this organisation, every achievement involves hours and days of donated work from its members, who also juggle their paid jobs, family and social commitments. Volunteering is not an easy task and this makes our successes even more significant. The manner in which we work is already a challenge to the common perception that places an economic value on our persona and on everything we do and produce. This organisation is able to attract dedicated and bright professionals who without the lure of financial gain, make and add value to this organisation and the built environment.

I will now describe each particular area in which Arch-peace has focused this year. However, firstly I need to highlight that none of the Arch-peace achievements would be possible without the background work of those who attend to less glamorous tasks such as: finances, membership, networking, management systems, policy and answering a high volume of daily emails. This work is indispensable and often overlooked—thank you.

Pro bono: this year pro bono has further consolidated its services. Every project poses new questions and new challenges, more discussions and the opportunity to further adjust our protocols. In the last year, our pro bono service received many enquiries and 6 formal requests for services, of which 3 were accepted and 1 is pending.

Words@bldg50: our monthly seminars this year were a great success and they were all well attended, often even crowded. The talks covered a wide range of topics, always presented in a manner that sparked further discussion. Behind all these work we now have an energetic and professional team who have further improved on our earlier years of ‘words’. For those who cannot attend the talks, we now have them recorded and accessible as podcasts through the website.

News and editorials: this year we have also consolidated a great editorial team with quality articles that from a practice or theoretical perspectives cover a wide range of issues: from the environment, to education, natural disasters and the urban space. Similarly, our news team has expanded with the participation of members from all over the world. We may soon have a Spanish speaking news team which will further assist to create the conditions for more participation and learning. All this demonstrates, in work and intent, that Architects for Peace is becoming a truly alternative international organisation.

Forum: some forms of communication are both a success and a loss. Facebook represent this situation, a success in that there are many more ‘fans’ involved and learning about what we do. A loss in that we have accepted to compromise our free space (website) for a ‘commercial’ space, in which we have no control as how our own information and work will be treated or used. Nevertheless, this new social space is active and it is the preferred mode of communication for most of our members. From this point of view Facebook has improved the capacity for discussion and involvement.

Events: recently we organised an image competition (Visual Essay) to which 62 images were submitted. The winning image will be used for our end of the year card. Thanks to all for the magnificent contribution and to those who coordinated this event. Visual Essay has not finished here and you are invited to continue adding your images to Arch-peace in Facebook. Selected essays will then be placed in the Arch-peace website.

Advisory Committee: we have established an Advisory Committee made of 12 members from various parts of the world. This committee is composed of members who have already been involved in setting the direction for Arch-peace and/or are recognized for their scholarly contribution to the built environment. The first task for the Advisory Committee is to further define the principles of Arch-peace in all its areas of work. It will also make recommendations to the Committee of Management regarding new ideas and direction.

Arch-peace is now listed as an NGO with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). We will be working on achieving a Consultative Status next year. This represents a recognition for all the work that each of us has offered to the organisation.

Finally, I would like to thank the great team that has worked with me during this year, thanks for your ‘stamina’ and support to the organisation and myself. I would also like to welcome the new members to the committee of management and the new President Eleanor Chapman.

Best regards,

Beatriz C. Maturana
Architects for Peace President

words @bldg 50 wraps up for 2009...see you next year!

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:18 GMT

Our final talk for 2009 addressed the recovery process of Victorian communities affected by the devastating February bushfires and the future for those regions and properties threatened by fire.

Four speakers provided insights, each from a unique perspective. The panel discussion was accompanied by a one-night-only exhibition of 16 design responses - architects and students exploring how to design in readiness for bushfire threat.

Many thanks to those who spoke on the night - Greg Box, Dr Susie Burke, Beatriz Maturana and Peter Hogg, and our chair Anthony McInneny, and our contributing exhibitors! If you missed out, watch out for the video recording coming soon to the words page of the website.

Words will be back in early 2010. We are currently formulating the 2010 program - if you are interested in contributing, as a speaker or through coordination + promotion as part of the words team, please send an email to words@architectsforpeace.org. And watch this space!

Carlton Primary School Renewal: A pro bono project by WEBB+

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:27 GMT

The Architects for Peace pro bono team is committed to supporting and promoting built environment professionals working for the good of the community. We sincerely believe that good design is a right rather than the privilege of an elite few. The pro bono service was set up with the aim of providing a network for those many of you out there - architects, engineers, designers - either having already provided your services free of charge to a deserving cause or seeking a way to do so. The following project - a facelift for a disadvantaged primary school - is just such an example. Recently undertaken by WEBB+ (formerly NHWEBB) on a pro bono basis, it came about independently of the arch-peace pro bono service. We are delighted to welcome WEBB+ as a business member of Architects for Peace.

The story of Carlton Primary.....

In line with our social responsibility commitment, WEBB+ (formerly known as NHWEBB) approached Carlton Primary School with the intention to initiate a community exchange program. WEBB+ hoped that the school, one of Melbourne’s demographically most disadvantaged, would be able to utilise our skills in a way that would enhance School Life in some way.

We met with the Principal of Carlton Primary School, Julie Large, and the Environment Teacher, Chris Burgess, and learned that the school, initially designed to accommodate 700 students, was originally developed from remnants of the neighbouring Housing Estate.

Vesna Rak-Dusanovic of Webb + writes:

The school now has a population of only approximately 90 students, 100% of whom live in the neighbouring Housing Estate, and a vast majority (95%) being from a non-English speaking background. Many are refugees from African nations such as Somalia.

Julie felt that one of the major issues contributing to low enrolment was the common perception that the school was a part of the Housing Estate. There was a strong desire to visually separate the school from the Housing Estate by altering the appearance of the building so that it could be clearly identified as a school.

As a result of early discussions, design options were prepared by WEBB+. The most affordable option, involving painting the facade, removing metal screens from the windows and screening rubbish bin enclosures, was implemented by the school. Further improvements (potential Stage 2 works) could be achieved through strategic introduction of landscaping to “soften” large concreted areas and structures (for example, locating planter boxes in between concrete columns on the ground floor), provision of opaque natural material screening to the existing transparent wire fence around the site perimeter, facing the neighbouring housing estate, and incorporation of decorative graphic panels (scaled photographs of school activities) to be applied to the face of the building to display the rich “internal life and activities” of the school to the “outside world”.

The project has been a great experience for the WEBB+ team. The enthusiasm of students and staff was inspirational, and the results we achieved together gave us great pleasure and a real sense of achievement and contribution to the community.

The School has already received very positive feedback about their “new look”. We are hopeful that these and further improvements will raise the School’s image in the community and result in higher enrolments in the future.

Testimonial from Julie Large – Principal of Carlton Primary School:

"Working with Webb+ has been a really positive experience for the school. It enabled us to think differently about our school building and grounds and to employ the expertise of WEBB+ staff to discuss our particular challenges and needs. The changes that have been made to the school building and surrounds have received positive comments from all sections of the school community as well as members of the general public."

Download more information and images here

For more information about the school: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~carlcomm/index.html
And about WEBB+: http://www.webbplus.com.au/ - Intro

STAFF INVOLVED:

Kathy Hoar – Office Manager
Vesna Rak-Dusanovic - Project Leader
Tim Webb – Graphic Design

This project was not faciliated by the arch peace pro bono service but represents the experience of one of our members. Do you have a pro bono experience to share with us? We'd love to hear from you! Please direct enquiries to probono@architectsforpeace.com.au.

The property problem

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:57 GMT

A recent poll gathered that, give or take, just over half of all home owners in Australia are intending to install solar panels of some sort within the next two years.(1) Tim Flannery thinks this is great news, and that maybe we can start to lower the shoe size of the average home's carbon footprint. “Electric water heaters are a major contributor to the problem, accounting for roughly a quarter of household energy consumption. By comparison, using a solar water heater saves about 3 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.” Great for some I thought.

This age of sustainable design makes certain assumptions. First, that the person wanting to be green owns the abode they want to green. Second, that they have the permission to alter it.

My semi-detached flat has a fifty square metre roof sloping at about 32 degrees due North. My flat is also on a strata title managed by a body corporate (now “owners corporation” in Victoria). In 2007 a power company made me an attractive government-subsidised offer to install a solar water panel and heater. I almost said sure, go ahead, but thought I'd better have a word to the body corp at the upcoming AGM. Response #1.

no one is permitted to put anything on their roofs as they do not own them. The body corporate must maintain the tiles and solar gizmos will complicate that and may damage the tiles.

Oh well. I continued with my action list – here are the responses in a nutshell:

No we can't get a water tank for common areas. That's too hard and there's nowhere to put one.
No we can't put a water tank on one of the 40 plus unused car spaces under the building. The body corporate is not in the business of buying car spaces from owners.
No you can't use your sunfilled carspace under your flat for anything other than a car.
No the complex can't get gas like the neighbours. It's too hard, it's been looked at.
No you can't put an external sunshade or blind up. It would change the look of the place.
No we can't get green power for the common electricity. It would cost an extra $2.65 a week for 25%, which is unjustifiable... and green electricity is dubious.
No we can't get individual water metering for each flat so that you know what you use, you must continue to pay an equal share (360 litres per day), whether you're in a bedsit or a three bedroom flat.

And so on. Underlining these responses was the fact that most of the flats are rented, and there is no benefit to the owner to increase the sustainability of a unit, unless there is a short term cost-saving.

Armed with this new wisdom, I returned to the AGM this year with new suggestions. Instead of calling them sustainability initiatives, I introduced them as potential cost-saving or cost neutral items that could improve the sustainability of the complex. The atmosphere was more receptive as the body corporate manager had just been to a sustainability seminar and warned the AGM of massive upcoming hikes in electricity and water charges.

Yes we can look at motion detection and voltage reduction units for the 24/7 lighting of the common areas and car parks.
Yes we could request VOC paints for this year’s $37,000 painting contract if the cost difference is negligible.

This year I was accepted onto the owners corporation committee. If you can't beat them, join them.

Back to that poll. 55% of Queensland home owners want solar power and don't have it. 8% already have it. That's 2.9M(2) homes Australia-wide eager to catch rays. How many can get it? 95% of owner occupiers are free to install solar goodness to their heart's delight.

But that leaves 145,000 owner occupied flats, and 2.1M rented houses and flats where we are having to make do with green power and door snakes(3). That's almost a third of all abodes in Australia. Assuming renters are at least as eager for solar power as homeowners, over a million households would like solar but can't get it anytime soon. These are the households for which the government solar power and insulation rebates are out of bounds for the foreseeable future.

Flats are a good thing. They are compact, reduce commuting times for all, have party walls and ceilings which act as insulation, and let the grasslands at the city edge hang on a few years longer. But a building owned by many people, most who don't live in it, is stuck in time. Investors will pay to upgrade it when they absolutely have to. Last year our complex spent $30,000 on roof anchor points, because we had to. The government has stringent new regulations for keeping people who walk on roofs safe. One day the government might decide that safety extends to the people living in the buildings too. Safety from species extinction.

One of the more progressive local councils in Melbourne, the city of Moreland, recently surveyed over 500 households for energy efficiency.(4) They had to reframe the survey after realising that many people had little control over their home's sustainability because they were within body corporates or renting.

“the project found that the barriers to retrofitting Class 2 buildings (that is, flats, apartments and units) were so great that solar hot water systems could not, literally, be given away....Greater focus is needed on the technical and administrative barriers to installing solar hot water systems and other energy efficiency options in Class 2 buildings”

Renting in Australia is still viewed as a short-term relationship between a tenant and a landlord they may never have met. Rental contracts tend to either be one year long, or month by month. There is no incentive for the tenant or landlord to make any improvements until the unit is to be sold on. Under Victorian law, so much as changing a showerhead (or even a lightbulb) can be deemed illegal as they are fixtures.(3) Under Victorian law, even if improvements are made with the landlord's consent, the landlord can insist that their property be returned to its original state at the end of the lease, or be reimbursed for the cost of doing so.

The number of apartments is increasing relative to detached housing, and the proportion of renters is slowly increasing. Legal frameworks need to take into account the sustainable retrofitting of these apartments by empowering tenants, encouraging landlords, and reviewing body corporate law. Sadly the new Owners Corporation Act in Victoria (2007) makes no mention of sustainability.(6)

Queensland is leading the way this year with new regulations requiring sustainability declarations at the sale of flats, and preventing body corporates from automatically rejecting owner sustainability initiatives.(5) This law acknowledges that sustainability improvements may add value to an apartment, so can be in everyone's best interests.

References
1. October 26th Fifth Estate, “Solar hot water is go, says new poll” http://www.thefifthestate.com.au/archives/6840
2. Australian census 2006, ABS Yearbook 2008, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/0/37171EAC4F4F016ECA2573D20010F849?opendocument
3. While the options are fewer and have less impact, there are things apartment dwellers can do – from cleaning down the coils on the back of fridges, to indoor composting. More information is available in Environment Victoria's Green Renters' Guide. http://environmentvictoria.org.au/rentersguide
4. Sustainability Victoria and Moreland Energy Foundation: 'Take Action on Electric Hot Water and Air-Conditioning' (Take Action) Survey 2007-2009. http://mefl.com.au/news/178
5. Summary of 2009 law changes for bodies corporate in Queensland. Allens Arthur Robinson, 4/11/09. http://www.aar.com.au/pubs/fmres/forenov09.htm
6. Owner's Corporations Act (2006). Summary at Consumer Affairs Victoria. http://bit.ly/4sI5YY

Peter Johns
Architects for Peace, November 2009

Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:54 GMT

PROPUESTA DE RECUPERACIÓN PERICENTRAL METROPOLITANA SANTIAGO DE CHILE.

La propuesta del Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago, nace como una propuesta de planificación y gestión urbana intercomunal para la revitalización y recuperación de las áreas pericentrales o intermedias de la ciudad de Santiago, a través de la implementación de cinco (5) programas de intervención e inversión en infraestructura y equipamientos urbanos intercomunal y comunales, considerando también, instrumentos de planificación/gestión urbana local de sectores estratégicos dentro de estas comunas pericentrales de la ciudad de Santiago, como instrumentos de re-urbanización interior de la ciudad.

El Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago, es una oportunidad de generar mayor equidad en el desarrollo urbano de la ciudad y un medio de equilibrio en la evolución de la ciudad de Santiago, enfocada principalmente en la alta densidad central como en la extensión periférica de la ciudad, sin contemplar estas áreas preexistentes como territorios estratégicos del desarrollo general de Santiago.

*Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago. Proyecto de Título de Daniel González Seguel, Arquitecto Universidad Central de Chile 2006. Prof. Guía: Hernán Marchant. Actualmente es Consultor del MINVU (Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo de Chile), especialista en temas de Urbanismo y Vivienda Social. Académico Urbanismo - Planificación y Economía Urbana, FAUP - Universidad Central. Asesor en materias de Vivienda y Gestión Social del Diputado Patricio Hales Dib.
contacto: dmgarquitecto@gmail.com
*Todos los esquemas y gráficos han sido desarrollados por el autor, excepto los indicados expresamente.

1. Introducción.
Santiago, Ciudad Capital de Chile - Región Metropolitana (RM)

Aspectos Generales de la RM
(según estadísticas al momento del desarrollo de la propuesta - 2006. Fuente: SEREMI de Vivienda y Urbanismo)

Población Gran Santiago: 6.040.000 Habtes.
90 % Población Regional / 40.1% Población Nacional.

Superficie
Regional:1.500.000 Has. Aprox.(2% del Territorio Nacional)

Área Urbana Metropolitana Gran Santiago: 72.000 Has.
93% Suelo Regional
Urbanizado / 4.8% del Territorio Regional

Tasa de Consumo de Suelo: 1.200 Has. aprox. / Anual.

Participación Metropolitana del PIB Nacional: 47.86%
(Imagen Regional Metropolitana, Fuente: SEREMI de Viv. y Urb.)

El crecimiento extensivo metropolitano de Santiago, ha definido el sentido y la forma radial de la ciudad, determinando su fisonomía, conectividades, dinámicas de crecimiento,densidades, problemáticas y potencialidades urbanas territoriales y habitables. Simultáneamente, este crecimiento metropolitano se ha plasmado en desarrollos concéntricos (centro urbano de alta densidad) y excéntricos de la ciudad (extensión periférica), causando el deterioro y abandono de territorios intermedios de la ciudad, potenciando su obsolescencia y migraciones urbanas residenciales hacia el centro y la periferia desde éstas áreas intermedias o pericentrales.

Dentro de la totalidad metropolitana de Santiago, las áreas intermedias representan el 32% de la superficie urbana de la ciudad (23.060 Has.), territorio el cual concentra -según estudios estadísticos del autor para la propuesta con Fuente: MIDEPLAN, CASEN 2003-,los mayores niveles de deterioro, obsolescencia, densidad urbana en baja altura por hacinamiento y allegamiento, falta de equipamiento urbano y desvalorización/subutilización del suelo urbano, dentro de la ciudad de Santiago. Todo lo anterior, los sectores intermedios o pericentrales contradictoriamente a su localización privilegiada respecto del centro de la ciudad y la periferia metropolitana, muestran desarrollos regresivos urbanos y demográficos, solo con algunos crecimientos aleatorios dentro de su territorialidad pericentral y consolidando al centro y la periferia como los lugares que concentran los mayores niveles de desarrollo urbano y crecimiento urbanístico.

En éste último sentido del crecimiento urbano, la ciudad de Santiago ha consolidado un modelo expansivo geográfico de la ciudad, generando grandes áreas de obsolescencia, deterioro, subutilización y desvalorización interior, debido a éste énfasis extensivo de la ciudad. La planificación urbana de Santiago, no ha logrado rescatar sus iniciales intenciones de una evolución equilibrada de la ciudad, ya que, solo ha administrado un modelo económico de inversión en la extensión especulativa del suelo urbano, más que generar un crecimiento armónico del desarrollo urbanístico.

2. Referentes.
Proyectos de Planificación y Gestión Urbana de Santiago (Chile) y Brasil.

Dentro del desarrollo de la investigación, ésta nos entregó diferentes referentes de proceso urbanístico de Santiago, con lo cual se ha construido un continuidad de éstos diferentes referentes entre sí.
Más allá, de estas continuidades naturales de implementación instrumental urbana, cada uno de estos planes tiene relación con su propuesta anterior, en términos de rescatar elementos o conceptos estratégicos que puedan constituir antecedentes de PRE-existencias, conceptos anteriores revitalizados a través de una nueva visión o simplemente criterios urbanísticos de nivel lógico operacional.Los referentes se plantean como una etapa del proceso de investigación, pero también de propuesta, generando la relación conceptual entre ellos, investigación / propuesta, de este modo potenciando el proceso de este trabajo y relacionándolo desde el proyecto con la realidad urbana de la ciudad.

3. Propuesta.
Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago.

Según los análisis urbanísticos metropolitanos realizados y los referentes contemplados como un proceso de implementación planificadora de la ciudad de Santiago, se concluye que los sectores intermedios o pericentrales de Santiago, de relación y conexión territorial, vial, programáticas y socio-económicas entre si, como con el área central y la periferia, pero en condiciones de obsolescencia, segregación y desvalorización territorial urbana, configuran una 'Periferia Interior Circunvalar Intermedia', por lo cual, se propone el 'Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio de Santiago', como una propuesta de planificación, gestión y desarrollo de carácter intercomunal pericentral, basado en sus propias condiciones y potencialidades urbanas.

A partir de criterios de repotenciación, reimpulso y renovación urbanística, se desarrolla ésta propuesta intermedia, la cual busca generar alternativas de desarrollo urbanas y socio-económicas, a través del diseño de programas e instrumentos públicos/privados de infraestructuras y equipamientos, normativos y proyectuales, como económicos, que permitan potenciar, mejorar y rescatar las actuales condiciones y desarrollos de los sectores intermedios, y a si mismo, consolidar sus relaciones territoriales y urbanas con los sectores central y periféricos. Esta recuperación y re-impulso de los sectores intermedios, se plantea como una oportunidad y alternativa a los desarrollos urbanos existentes actualmente en Santiago.

4. Programa.
El PLAN MAESTRO DEL ANILLO INTERMEDIO DE SANTIAGO (PMAI), se plantea como una estrategia de intervenciones urbanísticas, que coordinadas entre sí, buscan potenciar al máximo las posibilidades de desarrollo efectivo de los sectores intermedios. Capas programáticas intercomunales y comunales, que abordan el área de intervención como un enorme catastro de lugares y proyectos diversos, que permitirían el rescate y la repotenciación de las condiciones actuales del Anillo Intermedio de Santiago.

El Programa del Plan Maestro Anillo Intermedio, se desglosa de las siguientes capas de intervención y rescate urbanístico:

4.1. Propuesta Estructural Vial Anillo Intermedio
La propuesta estructural vial del plan maestro del anillo intermedio, es la materialización de la estructura de las vialidades jerárquicas circunvalares y radiales metropolitanas en el área intermedia, con una estructura vial jerarquizada intermedia ( Anillo Vial Intermedio - SECTRA Referente) y la implementación de mejoramientos y canalizaciones viales intermedias radiales, a modo de una sutura vial interna metropolitana, que a través de estas mejoras y canalizaciones viales se genere un rescate y cualificación de la infraestructura vial intermedia y sus conexiones centro/intermedio/periferia.

4.2. Sistema de Áreas Verdes Intermedia.

La propuesta de un sistema de áreas verdes intermedia, que sea la constitución de un plan de rescate, mejoramiento y desarrollo de nuevas áreas verdes parte del plan maestro anillo intermedio de santiago.
La implementación de este sistema permite la re-canalización ambiental de la macro área intermedia, debido a sus actuales condiciones de deterioro y obsolescencia, intentando generar una mejora considerable en sus calidades de programas de áreas verdes, equipamientos comunitarios de esparcimiento y recreación, que nutran la calidad ambiental y urbana de los entornos intermedios, hacia una mayor consolidación urbanística de los sectores y lugares del Anillo Intermedio de Santiago.

4.3. Propuesta Extensión Metro Anillo Intermedio.

Se propone el trazado de extensión del metro de Santiago, a través del Anillo Intermedio como la consolidación de la estructura general conectiva del Metro de Santiago y como una intervención de carácter modernizadora conectiva intermedia urbana, para la detonación del rescate urbano intermedio y como parte del 'Programa Metropolitano de Transporte Público'. Esta propuesta de extensión de Metro, permitiría finalizar la cobertura metropolitana del Metro Santiago, abasteciendo transversalmente a los sectores norte, poniente y sur de la ciudad de Santiago, en conjunto con los actuales sistemas de transporte público en funcionamiento (Transantiago).

4.4 Programa de Proyectos Estratégicos y Emblemáticos Anillo Intermedio.

La propuesta ha sido definida a través de un riguroso Catastro de Equipamientos, Áreas Verdes, Lugares Potenciales, Infraestructuras y Sectores Obsoletos, desarrollado en la etapa de diagnóstico del Anillo Intermedio. Este reconocimiento de los diferentes equipamientos y programas urbanísticos intermedios, permite acercarse a la dimensión íntima de los contextos y sectores barriales intermedios de la ciudad. Una disección de sus lugares y potencialidades, debilidades y posibilidades a través de la Propuesta del Programa de Proyectos Estratégicos y Emblemáticos del PLAN MAESTRO ANILLO INTERMEDIO DE SANTIAGO.

El Programa se constituye de los siguientes grupos de Proyectos Propuestos y también algunos en desarrollo parte de otras planificaciones de proyectos urbanos, como modo integratorio de Planificación y Propuesta de Programa:

1. PROYECTOS DE EQUIPAMIENTO
2. PROYECTOS DE RENOVACIÓNY GESTIÓN URBANA
3. PROYECTOS DE ÁREAS VERDES Y ESPACIOS PÚBLICOS
4. PROYECTOS ESTRATEGICOS DE INFRAESTRUCTURAVIAL Y TRANSPORTE PÚBLICO INTERCOMUNAL.

4.5 Programa de Unidades Seccionales y Diseño Urbano – USDU -

La disparidad entre los límites perceptúales de los sectores y lugares intermedios y los límites comunales, plantea la alternativa de proponer, la identificación y conceptualización de diferentes sectores definidos por sus características de lugar y sus circunstancias de desarrollo urbano como seccionales intermedios y unidades de diseño y gestión urbana. como parte de una agrupación de unidades o lugares (subcentralidades intermedias) con sus propios límites y planes normativos, de intervención y gestión urbanística intermedia como parte del cuerpo de gestión e implementación del Plan Maestro del Anillo Intermedio de Santiago.

La definición de estos lugares como Unidades Seccionales de Desarrollo Intermedio, abre la alternativa de poder desarrollar proyectos particulares y lugarizados en cada una de estas áreas seccionales. El desarrollo de proyectos específicos según sus propias condiciones y características de lugar, dentro del Marco de Propuesta del Plan Maestro del Anillo Intermedio, claramente abre desde el Plan Maestro diversos proyectos urbanísticos contextuales que se hagan cargo de los lugares desde su escala local.