Through the boundary between natural and constructed systems, I intend to connect the various cultures of Panama through the tension existing between modernization pressed upon settlements. How can culture and preferences be considered and preserved in an urban and rural landscape?
Affordable Block Housing in the city
Affordable Concrete Box Housing Outside City
Affordable Housing is an important issue in Panama and currently is in a state of needed scrutiny. Large tracts of land are clear cut outside city limits and densely packed with small 45 m2 concrete boxes providing 2 beds and 1 bath for one family. This is a poor solution for all parties involved: the families needing subsidized housing, given this built environment does not respond to climate nor human comfort and the city as a larger whole needing proper urban planning does not respond to current environmental issues or future expansion needs as a city.
To properly assess design approaches for housing in a tropical climate both inside and outside of a metropolitan city, I plan to analyze Human Settlements from an agrarian point of view. How have we morphed into natives? The pattern we’ve followed through the years: Portable Housing (nomads/explorers) to Village Housing (settlers to colonists) to Established urban model (natives). How has our building progressed and become standardized? Why do these design responses and construction systems often not respond to climate or site? How do we return craft and quality back to modernized and mechanized processes and products? My anticipation is further analysis of the landscape and its components of natural systems will reveal possibilities. How will these observations connect to informing the design of systems and architecture? What are the various scales of sustainability?
Agrarian landscape East of Panama City
Many of these specific questions and ideals reflect not just one personal moment, but many of recent occurrance. The slide of thoughts began last July as I drove back into Panama City after my first visit into primary rainforest. I had spent the night prior in a 45 m2 concrete block home in a small town East of Panama City with the bare provisions- a mattress top, no running water, a toilet, and a toaster oven. San Miguel, a town of 2,000 residents, one iglesia, one Mini Super (corner grocer), two jardins (bars), one fonda (restaurant), one bridge spanning an important river to Panama City’s watershed, many “free range” domesticated animals: chickens and dogs, and not to mention wild animals or critters looming in the night. The drive out was dark and unknown, leaving the lights of the city behind. We rose early before the sun, drank our nescafe, and toasted our corn “hockey pucks.” Basic fuel accompanied us out the door as we set out to explore by truck traction and foot movement the valley beyond the hills and over the Pacora river crossing. Witnessing the incredible web of life found in the primary rainforest, trees older than 20 generations before my time and butterflies as turquoise blue as the ocean, I was in awe of the patterns found in nature. Driving back to the concrete jungle of Panama City was a slap in the face. How have we settled and how will we continue to grow, settle, and build as humans?
Only now are cities studied and analyzed as a serious disruption and impact to the natural environment; this bank of knowledge is continuing to provide case studies and research to continue to plan to build for the future. Globally, we are populating as human at an alarming rate and there is a housing shortage in many countries. To continue to support our populations and provide basic amenities, I plan to use Panama City and its building economy as a platform to test new ideas to build with response to site and climate while acknowledging the boundaries and limits of nature.
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