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Neighborhood of Seventy Low Cost Houses: Forwarding layout information for approval
16/09/1988
Progress of Works,
Notification
Sender:
Jeanne Ratcliffe, Center for Environmental Structure, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, Colombia
Recipient:
Christopher Alexander, Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
Medium:
Fax
Content of
Project
Neighborhood of Seventy Low Cost Houses
1986 to 1991
Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda, Colombia
Low Cost Housing,
Realized
, Construction completed in 1993; C.E.S. involvement ended in 1991
Client:
The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) - John A. Neilson, Professional Advisor; "Construyamos" La Camara De Vivienda Popular Por Autogestion Communitaria - Mr. Hernan Mesa, President
C.E.S. staff:
Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis Anninou, Kleoniki Tsotropoulou, Fanta Lawrence, Seth Wachtel, Jeannie Radcliffe
Contractor:
Built by the families and local subcontractors under the management of Constuyamos and the Center for Environmental Structure
Sponsor:
World Bank; Canadian Government (CETA); University of California
Design and construction process:
The step-by-step process on design consisted of discrete design phases, in the following order. 1) Site: The overall configuration of the project arose from the qualities and features of the land.The layout was done directly on the site, working with stakes and earth-moving equipment, in parallel to working with models. Common space in the form of central terraces, formed the central axis across the contours. Roads run on contours, perpendicular to the axis. The final layout was surveyed and presented as an initial subdivision map. 2) Streets: The forming of the streets was tightly connected to the "contribution" of each house to the formation of a larger whole, this being a public space --street, alley, terrace. Simple rules were followed with regards to the location of the main volume of each house and the determination of main levels -- sidewalk, front garden and main floor. As a result, the house volumes form a continuous street wall behind a front garden, while both house volume and width of parcel vary. The result of this phase was, besides giving shape to the streets and open public space, the plan and sections of foundation and retaining wall for each lot, and consequently the levels of the streets. This process was conducted with stakes on the site by the members of C.E.S. with representatives of Construyamos and the housing group. The detailed layout and lot subdivision was surveyed and presented. 3) House Design: Individual families working with a C.E.S. "layout coordinator" took over, working with stakes for the layout of their house directly on the individual site. Phase One of the House Layout: The first phase involves designing "five major centers": garden, veranda, comedor, final configuration of exterior volume, final configuration of front yard. Phase Two of the House Layout: The second phase is devoted to the interior layout of the house in detail: entering sequence, kitchen, sala, main stair, etc. 4) Construction: Members of the families were involved in the construction of the project. The first house was completed in Nov. 1990 to serve as a prototype house for the project as a whole.
Project stages:
Pattern language for the project by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by clients and C.E.S. Layout on the site by the families and C.E.S. Generative rules for urban growth process Design Development and Building Permit drawings done after layout D
Seventy low-cost houses in 4,2 acres, designed by families, and partially built by families, as part of the self help construction process of Construyamos, the largest self help cooperative in Colombia, with a total construction volume of 50,000 houses per ...
References
Drawings
Neighborhood of Seventy Low-Cost Houses: Preliminary Design Drawings - Site Plan
04/09/1988
Architectural Design,
Project,
Preliminary Design,
Site Plan
Designers:
Christopher Alexander, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King, Artemis Anninou, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
Medium:
Original on Tracing Paper
Size:
14 1/2"x24"
Scale:
1:500
One original pencil drawing of the general site layout with notes focusing on the North-West corner and the lower plaza of the neighborhood.
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