I interned with architect Ana Cristina Vargas in my home country, Venezuela, helping her apply one of her projects, a social urban design course targeted towards children, in a little community outside Caracas. Her project, called Tracing Public Space, was initially developed in India as her thesis for her Master’s degree in MIT. It’s purpose is to give children the opportunity to learn about their own public spaces, as well as how to identify areas that could be potentially modified. Then they draw and design different ideas which we help translate into buildable diagrams and ultimately construct, teaching them about material properties and building techniques.
Renovation of a small soccer field and common area for the people in the community. The mural's pattern was designed by a 12 year old girl in the course, and then it was built with the help of all the other children.
Restoration of one of the main pedestrian walkways in the community. The area, called "El Mirador" (The Lookout) by all of the kids, had amazing views of the entire community and the mountains beyond, and it was transformed into a giant, usable Checkers board.
I also helped her with the graphics for an architectural column for which she writes weekly articles on self-built houses in low income communities.
6 people family house located in Juan Moreno, Aragua, Venezuela.
This house began as the home for a young couple who had recently had their first daughter. Through the course of 65 years it has been modified and extended to fit the extended family, now 11 people, living in it.
