Villa Francia’s Nest, Talca (Chile) 2015
The project was engaged with the exploration of public space, using derelict sites and repurposing them to create spaces where the local community could meet on a chance encounter or congregate for social events. The resulting structure, called the Nest, was constructed using discarded materials. The primary material choice was thin pieces of wood, known locally as “charlata”, which were formerly used as wooden boxes for tomatoes found near to the site.
The project allowed students to explore the construction of a large structure using materials. Creating a construction system that involved the joining of small pieces by overlapping them which gave the structure its overall strength.
When researching the local community, students discovered a neighbourhood that was very divided with different groups being afraid of each other. The response to this was to create a meeting point. Somewhere to wait for the bus, for children to play and for locals to take shelter from the sun. It is hoped that the Nest will engage these groups, uniting them to create a greater sense of community.
The Nest cost $400USD to construct over a time period of 4 weeks, this includes both the design and construction phases of the project.
Client: Local Neighbourhood Residents
Tutor: Blanca Zuñiga
Students: Nicolas Ahumada, Carolina Vivar, Antonio Chaparro, Eduardo Mardones, Javier Castro, Gloria Miranda, Arnaldo Alegria, Felipe Contardo, francisca Morales, Carolina Dorador, dario bueno, Felipe Padilla, Carlos Toledo, Matias Jauregui, Barbara Acevedo, Katherine Zabalaga, Muriel Oyarzun, Francisca Villalobos, Felipe Miranda, Cecilia Silva, Francisca Fuentes, javier caceres, Bruno Riquelme, Carlos Cruz.
Research Question: Can improving the public realm and creating a sense of place engage a disenfranchised community, uniting divided groups?
Chile, Architecture, 11-50, Undergraduate, Months, Self-funded, Temporary, Collaboration, Curricular, Students with tutor, Universidad de Talca
