Mundus Mound

These were my boards for submission into the ACSA Steel Competition for 2008. It was in the spring semester of 2008 that I became interested in regionalist and incremental approaches to architecture thanks to my studio with Prof. Bennett and my seminar with Prof. Bechhoeffer.































Months later I have been finding images in Brazil of similar cases of what I proposed a year ago. This is the Edifício São Vito in São Paulo, Brazil:

Interview at CEASA

An interview with Amurim, a "carregador ambulante" or freelance carrier. He transports goods from trucks or loading docks to the market building and from the market building to the buyer's truck. I caught him at the end of the work day and he gave me his thoughts on how to improve the CEASA.


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Images of Rio Grande

The city of Rio Grande is in the souteast tip of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is home to the second largest port in Brazil, behind Santos. It has just been given an enormous investment by the government to expand the superport. With the speculated tripling of the port, the housing market in the city has boomed, although in the very lowest class of dwellings. The city contrasts a rich tradition of colonial and eclectic Portuguese architecture with the gritty industrialized superport development. Here are images from the downtown area, the housing projects in the outskirts, and the summer beach town next door.

Images of Santana do Livramento and Rivera

Pictures from the border city of Santana do Livramento, Brazil, and Rivera, Uruguay. Essentially the city has developed along its border driven by a free trade zone. The dividing avenue is a site for informal shops and a variety of goods, generally aimed at the lower class. The streets off that avenue house several duty free shops aimed at the middle and upper classes.

Precedents #3

Bing Thom Architects
Central City, Surrey, BC
http://www.bingthomarchitects.com/




Frank Gehry
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London
http://www.serpentinegallery.org/2008/02/serpentine_gallery_pavilion_20_9.html
http://photodelusions.wordpress.com/category/out-and-about/london/serpentine-gallery/serpentine-pavilion-2008/

Follow-up on "What I can learn from Wal-Mart..."

On September 23, 2008, I posted "What I Can Learn from Wal-Mart, Carrefour, and other giants", commenting on the financial potential of the lower class consumption power and the shift in target groups for business in a world becoming increasingly driven by all classes and the developing world.
In the offset of the downward spiral of the global recession of this year, I postulated that companies like Wal-Mart and Carrefour are strategically organized to thrive in hard times because of their target market.

On November 13, 2008, my postulation was reinforced by Wal-Mart's third quarter earnings, with the company profits rising 10% while other companies sank. Here is an article from the AP on the matter.

"Wal-Mart's quarterly profit rises 10 percent"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27696162/

Structuring the Microcredits of Development

This first tree is a general overview of the standard micro-credit loan process followed by most organizations along the Grameen Bank philosophy. This structure has proven extremely effective but is not specific to any developmental strategy.

This second diagram is my initial proposal for a micro-development process that is sparked by an architect's initiative and produces financial and personal growth for the borrower as well as profits for the investor architect.