1. Study trip
The study trip provided the opportunity to visit reference case studies from Europe and to learn from the experience of different practitioners and researchers. A central part of the research was to understand how to unpack some of the complexities of life and urban development in different contexts and to reflect how urban design can address environmental or/and social issues, by designing public space, working with the forces of nature or designing systems that connect community-led initiatives
The trip included visits to projects of Agence Ter and Atelier d’architectureautogérée in Paris, the exhibition of Capital Agricole in the Pavillon de l'Arsenal and the exhibition Antwerpen modern? MAS museum in Antwerpen, and lectures from Prof. Doina Petrescu in Paris and Prof. Kelly Shannon and Prof. Bruno de Meulder in KU Leuven.
2. Situating yourself in Bogota - Remote sourcing fieldwork
This brief aimed at creating an understanding of the specific site conditions of the neighbourhoods Ciudad Bolivar. To do so, we engaged with different digital resources: digital maps, google street view, youtube videos, Instagram feed. Each group define a route in google street view and elaborated sketch sections along the route, maps of activities along the route and collage with impressions of the site.
3. Design strategies
The following research questions guided the development of the proposals
- What are the physical and social characteristics of the neighbourhoods in Las Lomas creek (Tunjuelo watershed)?
- What are the existing elements of the urban structure? What is the relation between the urban tissue and the ecosystem?
- What is the potential of the urban tissue to integrate strategies that increase resilience towards climate change? How these strategies can be managed in economic and social terms?
- How public space in popular neighbourhoods can be designed to solve environmental and social needs?
4. Supporting Lectures
A number of lectures available online were used to gain knowledge about the specific issues of designing cities in Latin America and designing with water:
Landscape as urbanism in the Americas. Urbam EafitColombia
http://landscapeasurbanismamericas.net/medellin/
In the terrain of water. Penn University
https://vimeo.com/terrainofwater
Additionally, Paulina Espinosa from the OSA research group at KU Leuven presented the results of the international competition "Concepcion Living at the Edge" a design project for urban design ideas for the restoration of the Andalien River.