EL COMITE EL PUEBLO
This is one of the biggest informal settlements in my home town (Quito – Ecuador). It started as an illegal occupation of private property during the early 1940’s. In 60 years it had grown until it became a very big part of the city. During the year of 1999 I worked as an art teacher for children between 5 to 13 years old in the communal house. In that period I realized how these people live and all that they do in order to organize themselves to have those things that the municipality does not give them, such as security, roads communal spaces, etc... I realized that the same children I used to teach were those that sell roses in the corners during the nights.
This place has no quality in any type of space whether it is public or private. Public space is reduced to a single soccer field for the entire area, a one hundred square meters communal house built by the same inhabitants and to the streets, very narrow streets that divide the blocks that are conformed by houses, at least ten houses in a space big enough for 5 or less. The front doors of the houses go out directly to the street, in the cases when there is a front door. Hard working people lived here surrounded by criminals. To avoid crime and to acquire services these people get together and organized themselves into a very strong community.
This is one of the biggest informal settlements in my home town (Quito – Ecuador). It started as an illegal occupation of private property during the early 1940’s. In 60 years it had grown until it became a very big part of the city. During the year of 1999 I worked as an art teacher for children between 5 to 13 years old in the communal house. In that period I realized how these people live and all that they do in order to organize themselves to have those things that the municipality does not give them, such as security, roads communal spaces, etc... I realized that the same children I used to teach were those that sell roses in the corners during the nights.
This place has no quality in any type of space whether it is public or private. Public space is reduced to a single soccer field for the entire area, a one hundred square meters communal house built by the same inhabitants and to the streets, very narrow streets that divide the blocks that are conformed by houses, at least ten houses in a space big enough for 5 or less. The front doors of the houses go out directly to the street, in the cases when there is a front door. Hard working people lived here surrounded by criminals. To avoid crime and to acquire services these people get together and organized themselves into a very strong community.
This is an everyday reality in my country, it is something that had been there for at least 60 years and it continues growing. Only in Quito there are more than 10 of these Slums and I am pretty sure that there should be something to do in order to give some quality in these spaces. Here the work force already exists, people is ready to work in order to improve themselves. However what is needed is not only the will, it requires commitment of different persons (institutions, professionals, municipalities). But above all, it is needed someone to plan the right questions in order to search for solutions.
This was my first motivation to enroll into the program of Urban Body. Out of the two sites that the program offers the one that I find more interesting is the one in Mumbai, not only for the similitude I find with my own country but also because that the people will really get involved from the inside. It is really different to know the problem by experiencing it than to know it by learning about it in conferences or seminars. I think that the fact that we will live for three weeks in one of these places will really open our eyes, not only about space, but about life itself, because the spaces in places like these are completely filled with life even though they do not have any studio behind. The experience I had in my home town made me see things in a different way, it made understand that people is always willing to help each other, it made understand that the poorest person can be the wiser too. I just cannot wait to see what I can learn as a person and as an Architect by immersing myself in this environment.
This was my first motivation to enroll into the program of Urban Body. Out of the two sites that the program offers the one that I find more interesting is the one in Mumbai, not only for the similitude I find with my own country but also because that the people will really get involved from the inside. It is really different to know the problem by experiencing it than to know it by learning about it in conferences or seminars. I think that the fact that we will live for three weeks in one of these places will really open our eyes, not only about space, but about life itself, because the spaces in places like these are completely filled with life even though they do not have any studio behind. The experience I had in my home town made me see things in a different way, it made understand that people is always willing to help each other, it made understand that the poorest person can be the wiser too. I just cannot wait to see what I can learn as a person and as an Architect by immersing myself in this environment.
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