The perceived chaotic character of informal settlements, or squatters, belies underlying spatial patterns conditioned by pre-urban superstructures such as topography and rural roads. There is also a temporal dimension: houses begin as cardboard and tin shacks that metamorphosize over time into conventional structures of concrete and brick, developing from the financial and technical resources of the residents. For a site in Tlahuac, Mexico City, our design strategy proposes a landscape framework to structure informal human settlement, comprising different “spatial-ordering” structures which have a time dimension that is consequently related to ownership and development. The most persistent structures – topography, water bodies – are the most static, expressing an intense relationship with the land. The less persistent structures – walls, trees, hedges – are more ephemeral and expendable, reflecting more immediate ideas and activities. The more persistence structures, such as topography, will condition the in-fill of less persistence structures, such as building foundations, and so on. The vocabulary of spatial ordering structures will be used to organize the individual settlement units as well as the larger informal settlement urban fabric. Firstly, the site’s mountain slope will be manipulated to form terraces, which not only facilitate access and habitation, but also restricts settlement to specific areas. The twenty-foot high terraces allow for about 200-ft wide terraces that can accommodate two rows of housing units. Secondly, roads that further define the edge of the terraces and other basic infrastructure such as sewage lines will be installed. The natural drainage areas on the site will serve as public spaces around which houses, schools, churches, and markets will help to define spatially. Retention stepwells will hold water for filtration into the ground. Four dwelling units will be organized around a central courtyard, with two units sharing one service core. A fire wall is provided to delineate adjacent boundaries. Minimal structures such as foundations, walls, trees, and hedges are used to define space and delineate property lines and public thoroughfares, but enough room is left unbuilt so that the owners can build their own houses according to their own economic and creative resources.
Location: Tlahuac, Mexico City