In this article, we continue our series on Competitions.archi, presenting a collection of articles on different architectural competitions. Today, we will be featuring the winner of the Innatur 10 Competition by OpenGap.
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The decision making
Open Gap´s “INNATUR 10 – Centro de Interpretación de la Naturaleza” is the first architectural competition in which I have participated, and, to my still very present astonishment, won. I´m a 25 years old recent graduate from the Architecture and Urbanism Faculty of the “Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú”, and since the presentation of my thesis in November 2022, took the decision of expanding my horizons by applying to various conferences and competitions where I could showcase my academic work.
INNATUR 10 was brought to my attention by a teacher of my faculty who had given me a couple of counseling sessions during the development of my thesis, as a competition that could not only fit the theme I was already working on, but that could also challenge my abilities. Despite the very thoughtful suggestion, I was extremely nervous to go forward with the decision.The delivery of the proposal for the contest was 3 months away in that time, but making the payment for the registration fee meant, for me, the commitment to a very large international competition where I had to demonstrate -mostly to myself- that all the hard work during my student years do pay off.
I made sure to read very carefully all the requirements and due date to corroborate that my registration to the competition would not be compromised by my working schedule and complementary activities. It looked like I would have to make some compromises about my free time, seeing as my schedule for the upcoming months was a bit packed, but, furthermore, I had to also decide whereas I was going to register by myself, or try to seek a partner or group. Thinking back on that moment, I remember feeling -and maybe deep down, knowing- that searching for a partner was a way to not step out completely of my comfort zone. A group partner meant that I would have someone to rely on and accompany me throughout my first competition, but regarding how much I had already researched for my thesis by my own, and how immersed I was in theoretical and practical architectural design in natural environments, that I came to the realization that to register on my own would definitely be an opportunity to reaffirm my academic and working confidence.
The competition assignment
One of the most important and vital piece of information that was given from the rules of the contest, was that each contestant had to define the natural environment in which to locate their proposal. Having the freedom to choose from any location around the world not only meant that we were given a window of opportunity to try and amaze the judges by the election of an extraordinary environment, but also, for me, it meant that I could choose the theme I was already working on in my thesis: an endangered, cyclic and fragile ecosystem in the periurban hills of Lima Metropolitana. In this way, the chosen location fit the competition´s theme, and additionally, gave me the perfect chance to provide added value to my proposal: I was determined to make visible and emphasize the natural and sensory qualities of the chosen ecosystem, as well as to showcase how an architectural and urban proposal in a natural environment could remedy its degradation and improve its relation with the nearby communities.
I now reckon, these are the first pieces of advice I could give to those who are considering entering a competition in the near future. First of all, I consider it fundamental to be able to relate to the competition´s assignment. Whether this relation is to a previously known subject, or to a theme or location you feel passionate about, I strongly believe there needs to be some kind of connection to it so as to help guide and push you forward throughout the making of the project.
On second hand, I highly recommend finding a way to add value to your idea, and moreover, to your proposal. It is not enough to meet with the requirements given, -obviously, in a profound and thoughtful way-, but necessary to demonstrate how your proposal can deliver additional solutions to problems in close proximity to the one you are already working on. I have no doubt -aside from the graphic and visual components that will be covered in the upcoming paragraphs-, that once you have outlined the objective of the proposal and the solutions that it will grant, that the process of its resolution will not only be easier to follow, but the outcome that your aiming to, will also be more interesting and powerful.
First sketches and references research
Once the concept of the proposal was decided, the first drafts and sketches are primarily intuitive when previously studying, and then, working alongside local mankind intervention and natural processes. I will be referring first to the natural environment chosen for the competition, so as to explain through it, the design process behind the proposal.
The case study is the “Lomas of Valle Alto”, a micro basin located in the southern area of the peri urban hills of the metropoli of Lima, capital of Peru. In its 42 hectares and height range of 150 to 1000 meters above sea level, the annual appearance of the “Lomas Costeras” generate a worldwide unique ecosystem characterized by its biodiversity of flora and fauna, ecosystem services, and extraordinary fog levels, an outstanding quality in a city that faces water deficit as one of its major environmental problems. Furthermore, in the face of unplanned urban growth, people established in this micro basin -as well as in other ones where the lomas ecosystem also appear annually- forged communal ties and identity around their urban necessities and the protection of the lomas. This is how a natural environment, that fits the competition´s requirements, provides a bigger problematic, and therefore, an even bigger proposal.
Image n°1 was the first draft made. As it can be observed, this collage is made up with 2 simple elements: 1) a drone photograph that shows the micro basin during its dry season, alongside the last rows of housings, roads and pedestrian paths; and 2) Christo and Jeanne-Claude´s Valley Curtain. The objective of this collage was purely experimental and non definitive, but managed to capture the project’s main idea in a way that handmade drafts couldn’t.
Image n°1: Collage of Christo and Jeanne-Claude´s Valley Curtain in the Lomas of Valle Alto.
The curtain talked about how a single -yet complex- intervention could be the tool needed for the community and the city, to help emphasize the Lomas of Valle Alto´s greatest quality: mid to strong fog winds of 98% of humidity. In this way, the project´s idea was now settled: a micro basin scaled fog catcher that helped capture as much of water air suspended droplets as possible, so as to turn the fog into a communal hidric resource for urban revegetation, orchards and the expansion of the natural lomas appearance (Image n°2).
Image n°2: Quick sketch and estimate of captured fog as a water resource.
Once the objective was clear, the architectural resolution of the fog catcher and its relation to the territory and community was next. Hand drawings and loose sketches alongside
photographic investigation and search of references is what helped to nail down the proposal. I started by seeking how the community in Valle Alto faced the opportunity of the lomas through different fog catching devices, usually in a very human-like scale and price accessible materials that could be built by their own (Image n°3 and 4).
Image n°3: Diverse materials and materialistic solutions found in Valle Alto.
Image n°4: Local fog catcher devices built by loma communities in Villa María del Triunfo.
Following that information in mind, external references from art, architecture and local process were also needed to help channel the idea (Image n° 5), and then, more sketches came (Image n°6). Was the fog catcher going to be just a single plane? or a double plane? Would it have width? How tall should it get? Is it crossable? walkable? Perpendicular to the fog? or with some inclination? (Imagen n°7). The only answer I was certain of was that however it ended up being, it had to propitiate multifunctionality: for the lomas ecosystem, to regenerate and prolong its greenery and ecosystemic services; for the community, as a touristic attractor; and for the metropoli of Lima, as an eco-friendly territorial device for facing and stopping unplanned urban growth.
Image n°5: Local and external references.
Image n°6: Sketch about adding width to the fog catcher.
Image n°7: Set of sketches in search of the ideal shape for the fog catcher.
To determine which was the best section for the fog catcher, it became indispensable to think about its form based on where it was going to be located specifically. This comeback to a territorial scale, made me realize I couldn´t design the fog catcher as an isolated device, and so the schemes for its replicability and multifunctionality began (Image n°8). Once again, it was imprescindible to understand and identify human tracks, natural paths of water run off, zones where vegetation was/is more likely to grow, and of course, human dynamics linked to the lomas temporality. In this way, all these natural and anthropic layers were seeked to be linked and enhanced with the presence of three fog catcher displayed on the lower, middle and higher levels of the micro basin, and also, accordingly to the intensity of human activity, fog levels and vegetation growth depending of the ecosystems temporality (Images n°9-12).
Image n°8: Scheme of the whole micro basin of Valle Alto.
Image n°9-12: Close up to the fog catchers to be displayed on the micro basin.
Moreover, several drafts were made to try and design to detail the principal fog catcher, placed on the middle level of the micro basin due to the highest levels of water droplets presence, wind velocity and vegetal and animal appearances (Images n°13-16). It definitely is, through several drafts, adjustments and constant back and forth process, that an idea will turn into a project. With this been said, I highly recommend talking to classmates, friends and peers, and if possible, to teachers or mentors so as to seek their advice when not being certain which way to continue, and also, in the opposite situation, to know their opinion and improve from there.
Image n°13-16: Fog catcher assembly drafts.
Color palette and layout
As briefly mentioned before, the graphic style and layout that is given to your presentation will help you stand out from the first reviews of the jury. In my case, the color palette chosen came directly from photographs taken from the site, with an additional touch of light blue gray to help enhance the importance of the new hidric resource in the community and micro basin of Valle Alto (Image n°17). This is helpful not only to build the atmosphere of the location, but also to generate a feeling of natural belonging to your proposal.
Imagen n°17: Color palette based on site photographs.
Furthermore, all of the plans, sections and axonometrics displayed on the panels were drawn in a linear style, so as to enhance the fragility and extraordinary diversity the ecosystem presents. I believe that in this way, the delicacy of the design is reinforced, and it helps to accentuate the exact elements of each drawing. For example, in the principal drawing of the second panel, where the aim of the section is to showcase the temporality of the fog catcher and its relation to human and non human beings, a careful selection of herbaceous, shrubby and arboreal vegetation draw was made, so as to potentiate the contrasts between the dry and humid season of the lomas ecosystem; and also, the fog catcher mesh, the water collected and the ground infiltrating water were represented through similar colored hatches and lines that emphasize their connection.
On the other hand, the layout is just as important as the graphic style chosen. As it can be observed, the panels delivered for the competition are composed of medium to small size line drawings, two groups of texts and two render-like images. For the first panel, a 50-50 horizontal proportion was chosen: one big photorealistic image of the whole proposal settled in the micro basin, that also helps to understand its connection to the city and nearby lomas; and three columns that explained in a more detailed way what the render was showing visually. The second panel is also composed by a 50-50 proportion, but in a vertical mode, as a way to give continuity to the layout. Evenmore, another render-like image is used to close up the panels, next to quantified data that the project accomplishes. Maybe you are thinking why the first collage was not chosen to be displayed in the panels, but I consider that even though some images or drafts help your design process, it does not always mean they help your final presentation.
I consider it relevant to break down the layout of the panels so as to reinforce how the distribution of the visual elements helps to guide the external look into what you want them to. For me, it was the whole visual of the micro basin and the principal fog catcher, the strongest and most developed part of the proposal and the ones with the most space in the panel. In this way, you can concentrate your forces and take more time to develop them.
Final thoughts
By this moment, I suppose some may be wondering about the development and design process of the Interpretation Center -which was the basis of the assignment given-, but I wanted to go through the thoughts, ideas and process that helped me the most for this competition. It was always about the whole system and its relation to the ecosystem, the loma community and the city, and not just about one architectural building placed in an incredible landscape.
Finally, the biggest advice I can give is to always search for advice with friends, colleagues or mentors, to help you guide your process and round up your ideas -especially when entering a competition alone-; and to be constantly searching for references, in architecture and other disciplines as art and history, in the location and community you are working in, and in the comprehension of natural and anthropogenic processes. I truly believe it is always a good idea to reach out, discuss and be helped, and therefore, grow.
Author: Mariana Leveau Armas from Peru
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