Architectural Live Projects as an Agency for Peace, Bogota (Colombia) 2012-2015
Architectural LiVe Projects as an Agency for Peace was a pedagogical strategy that used live projects for the promotion of significant learning and social reconstruction in Colombia. It aimed to establish meaningful ties between university students, teachers, professionals in practice, the industry and underserved communities, many of which were child victims of the Colombian armed conflict. It involved 15 different live projects designed, built and analysed over the course of four years; with the participation of approximately 170 undergraduate students, various national and international teachers, 6 sponsors from the construction industry and 12 children’s foundations. This pedagogical strategy intended to incite a small-scale, but catalytic intervention to the Colombian architectural curricula. It stemmed from limitations and constraints found in programmes mainly based on design studio modules, which are frequently isolated from everyday life and tend to focus on theory without experience. It proved to be an effective way in which the academia and private industries could work together to improve living conditions in local communities and promote dignity by delivering ethical and democratic designs. In addition, the results revealed valuable insights into the development of the participants’ intellectual, physical and emotional dimensions throughout these experiences.
Clients: Cigarra (www.fundacioncigarra.org), Pies Descalzos (www.fundacionpiesdescalzos.com), Instituto San Pablo (www.ciudaddelnino-a.com), Colegio Sabio Caldas (www.sabiocaldas.edu.co), Escuela Taller de Bogotá (www.escuelataller.org), Fundación Cran (www.cran.org.co), Fundación San Antonio (www.fundacionsanantonio.org), CAKIKE (cakike.org), FANA (http://www.fundacionfana.org) and Fundación PANN (www.fundapann.org).
Tutors: Carolina Rodriguez, Juan Carlos Rojas, Roland Hudson, Hernando Vargas, Rafael Villazon, Maria Claudia Villate, Chantelle Niblock.
Other Facilitators: Fernando Sierra, Lucas Oberlaender, Pedro Reissig, Eduardo Aguirre, Enrique Ramírez, Enrique Hernandez, Christiaan Job Nieman, Fanor Serrano, Jose Ignacio Torres, Francisco Bohórquez, Juan Pablo Ortiz, Alejandro Hernandez, Erika Duarte, Clara Montoya, Madecentro, Inmunizadora Serrano Gomez, Masisa, Hunter Douglas, Universidad de Los Andes.
Students: Santiago Ballen, Maria Lucia Castro, Juan Camilo Porras, Iris Florez, Carlos Gomez, Laura Munera, Maria Mazzanti, Maria Nova, Alejandro Moreno, Gabriel Rubiano, Diana Niño, Angela Suarez, Fabian Buitrago, Laura Barón , Silvana Bigio, Laura Viviana Ceballos, Carlos Hernández, Juan Sebastián Hurtado, Gina Morales, Ana María Noriega, Carlos Pabón, María Paula Pinilla, Juan Carlos Ardila , Michelle Arteaga , Claudia Betancur, Daniel Bonilla, Ana Gabriela Diaz , Maria Garces, Maria Parra, Maria Roa, Daniel Rodriguez, Marisol Rodriguez, Daniel Ruiz, Juan Fernando Usubillaga, Catalina Valderrama, Maria Isabel Yañez, Juan Alsina, Mateo Benavides, Daniel Cabra, Lizeth Figueroa, Mario Gutiérrez, Manuel Mejía, Nicolás Páez, Juan Pinzón, Camila Ramírez, Juan Ramos, Jorge Rico, Camilo Rodriguez, María Lucia Rodríguez, Alina Vargas, Nicolás Velandia, Angélica Rodríguez ,Nicolás Colorado ,María Alejandra Peñuela, Gabriella Durán, Juliana Pinto, Diego Hincapié, Nathalia Butrón, Carla Arciniegas, Paola Moreno, Paola Castañeda, Daniel Higuera, Diego Martínez, Nelson Herrera, María Camila Morales, Niyereth Vélez, Daniela Benítez, Juan Manuel Guauque, Diana Quintero, German David Osorio, Mateo Montebello, Adriana Lancheros, Sergio Gomez, Angela Tenorio, Maria Camila Blanco, Daniele Armuzza, Juan Pablo Castillo, Alejandra Giron, Alejandro Cordoba, Carlos Quintero, Juan Sebastian Cruz, Sebastian Izquierdo, Maria Antonia Cartagena, Natalia Bonilla, Luisa Camacho, Juan David Maldonado, Juliana Medina, Juan Sebastian Mendoza, Juliana Michelsen, Jorge Andrés Murcia, Camilo Olano, Tania Ormanza, Juan Camilo Ortegon, Andres Felipe Palacios, Nicolas Picalua, Marcela Torres, Julian Valderrama, America Albarracin, Gautier Boutio, Andres Chaves, Pablo Forero, Gabriel Garcia, Matteo Gaudiuso, Andes Gonzalez, Sergio Marin, Camilo Nogera, German Puentes, Daniel Ruiz, Helena Saenz, Juan M. Suarez, Juan D. Zorro, Daniela Gómez, Daniel Morales, Joyce van Neiuwerburgh, Manuel Coronado, Alan García, Carlos David López, Pablo Londoño, Laura Martínez, Néstor Penagos, Federico Robinson, Giacobbe Tarquino, Pablo Trujillo, María Fernanda Tuta, Andrés Valenzuela, Daniel Abaunza, Marcela Amaya, Natalia Andrade, Santiago Ardila, Matthias Baratte, Federico Bermúdez, Andrés Calderón, Sebastián García, Juan David Lizarazo, Daniela López, Angie Pardo, Tatiana Rodríguez, María Alejandra Rozo, Andrés Sogamoso, Jessica Vargas, Diego Bravo, Daniel Garcia, Gabriel Molina,Sebastian Moreno, Santiango Angulo, David Sarmiento, Andrew Hu, Sergio Rincon, Paolo Zurk, Agustin Lopez, Daniela Villamil, Laura Santana, Raquel Sanchez, Mariana Naranjo, Ivan C. Nieto, Natalia Estevez, Carlos Rodriguez, Laura MasJuan, Alfredo Escallon, Paula Gil, Diwan Corre, Daniela Montes, Julian Martinez, Luisa Mosuqera, Hernan Velez, Martin Vieira, Felipe Ramirez, Jorge Garcia
Research Question: This pedagogical strategy sought to explore the question: How could architecture students have a greater positive impact in Colombia, help to empower communities through active and inclusive engagement and promote social reconstruction and peace building? The proposal was to achieve the above through a pedagogical strategy, which involved participatory design processes materialised via live projects. Each live project was developed over the course of 10-12 weeks, encompassing six main stages: 1. Preparation and design of the idea 2. Consultation and work with the community 3. Development of the design proposal 4. Technical consultation with professionals and the industry 5. Construction and implementation and 6. Evaluation and reflection.
Bloom’s revised taxonomy and Fink’s taxonomy for levels of knowledge, were used as theoretical framework to guide the design and evaluation of the live projects, from the pedagogical point of view. The aim was to shape each live project into a teaching activity that could promote significant learning. Specific learning objectives were determined in each case to address the different levels of knowledge described by the taxonomies taken as reference.
Colombia, Initiated by institution, Architecture, Self-funded, Semi-permanent, Undergraduate, Andes University, Years, Sponsorship, Temporary, 101+, Collaboration, Curricular, Students with tutor
