The focus is placed on the Favela de Mare in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as well as the concept of Urban Injection, bringing a sense of formal organization and reason for overlap into spaces that might feel either inaccessible or misunderstood. Each student was tasked with creating their own “Intervention” meant to act as a connection from one side of Brazil’s cultural coin to the other, from bridges on which commerce is done, to parks and playgrounds. Without disrupting the surrounding areas, dwelling in the unoccupied margins, our projects were meant to be the start of a new more connected future for Brazil, a “Social Suture” to heal and connect the country and its people.
Urban Injection Aim:
My chosen intervention was one with the littering culture of Brazil and the unsung heroes of the culture, the garbage collectors, or Catadores. This project dealt in an alleyway within the Favela de Mare and was split into three distinct aims, one of recycling, accomplished with the deposit center, one of relaxation, being the hub where the catadores may leave their carts in and ascend to tables and hammocks, and one of recreation, both in the outdoor seating area upon which music and games can be played and the internet cafe on the top floor of the center.
The spirit of reduction, reuse, and recycling of material was at the forefront of this design, making a formal space out of informal material and providing a space in which much could still be accomplished on every level. Highlighting the usage of scaffolding as a material of prominence, it not only becomes easy to reconfigure but is also cost-effective and easily replaceable and replicable. Additionally, the multi-story center serves as a recycling plant for the collectors, a store for wares, and an internet hub to foster connection and entrepreneurship within the community.
