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 Tactical Urbanism Now! #2023 Competition – an article from Architecture Competitions Yearbook 2023.
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ONE LINE Santa Cruz del Islote, Colombia
“ONE LINE” began with the quest for a suitable location and evolved into a narrative of regeneration and transformation.
Initial Ideas: Our journey embarked with a challenge: to find the perfect place to explore and experiment with new possibilities of urban intervention. In Colombia, we explored a diversity of landscapes, seeking a place that resonated with our purpose. That’s when we arrived at Santa Cruz del Islote, a unique island in its own right. The population density per square meter was a testament to its vibrancy and its need for intervention. Here, among its inhabitants, we found the spark that ignited our creativity.
Approaching the Challenge:
“ONE LINE” proposed two approaches that define its essence. First, we delved into a regenerative approach to heal the marine ecological system, establishing a balance in the island’s very essence. Then, we woven a network that interfaces with existing activities, igniting a tourist economy that funds island rehabilitation and enhances the community’s quality of life.
We believe this strategic balance propels harmonious development, where environmental restoration and local well-being converged in a unique narrative.
We tackled this challenge by incorporating key values:
Community at the Core: Understanding the community’s needs and experiences was essential. We wanted the project to reflect and improve their lives.
A Place of Water: Proximity to the water influenced our strategy. We designed an economy that embraced and respected this vital element.
Respect for Nature:The island already exhibited a connection with environmental regeneration. We leveraged this foundation, expanding the sustainability narrative.
Empowering Spaces: Despite its size, every corner of the island held potential. Our focus was on respecting, restoring, and revitalizing, creating versatile and flexible spaces.
Furthermore, we noted the community’s inherent commitment to the environment, a principle we wholeheartedly embraced. We wanted to seize the opportunity to speak about environmental regeneration, from energy usage to daily practices. Adaptability also became a central axis. The island is an organism that changes over time, so our spaces had to be flexible and versatile.
We developed a plan for marine regeneration near the island. Given its environment, the proposal needed to respect the sea and its economy, reflecting its intrinsic relationship with water. Our focus was on empowering the community through understanding and sustainable use of marine resources. This included implementing responsible fishing practices in the regenerative system. We recognized the importance of the community and its experiences in shaping our project.
We created an urban program that enriches the island’s core activities while structuring daily experiences and frequented places for the community. Our approach emerged from attentive observation, deep analysis, and practical implementation, guided by the stories the place itself told us. This program reflects the most emblematic and utilized sites, those that give identity to the community. Our premise was always flexibility: we sought to create non-static, non-rigid spaces that transformed throughout the year.
These spaces adapt to festivities, events, and the simple joy of enjoying the street. Through this proposal, our primary intention was to strengthen and enhance the island’s sense of identity. We wanted each intervention to become a vehicle for cultural and social expression of the community, allowing the island’s identity to be reflected and evolve over time.
Each idea took shape, each place gained identity. We defined features, incorporated colors, and traced routes. Regenerative elements intertwined with the narrative, breathing life into every aspect. The island not only took form on paper but also through a genuine commitment to the community and nature.
Some design tips
We want to share some valuable suggestions for young architects and students who are taking their first steps on this exciting journey, that can enrich their approach to design. First and foremost, remember that design is much more than the creation of physical structures; it’s a means to generate a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives and the surrounding environment. When facing a new project, take the time to deeply understand the context in which you’ll be working. Listening to and learning from the local community, their needs, and desires will provide invaluable insights to guide your design process.
Reflect on how your design can convey a positive change, not only in aesthetic terms but also in quality of life and the relationship with the environment. In these times of environmental regeneration, grasp that each design is an opportunity to learn, teach, and contribute to building a more sustainable and harmonious future. Every step you take on your design journey is a chance to explore paths that, over time, will take shape and define your identity.
Our journey, although brief, has taught us that experimentation is crucial to nourish creativity. Each project becomes a unique opportunity to learn, create, test, and even make mistakes. Yet, from each experience emerge fresh and stimulating approaches to tackle future projects. As a team, we’ve found excitement in venturing into realms that challenge our comfort zone, allowing us to explore novel ideas and innovative perspectives.
We invite you to be in a constant search for concepts and strategies that enhance urban and landscape environments. Creating environmentally respectful places, combined with social and environmental strategies that balance sustainable living and explore each place’s unique identity, contribute to making the stories of each project genuinely distinctive. This broad and curious approach will empower you to face challenges with a fresh and creative perspective, enriching your architectural journey in all its dimensions.
A valuable piece of advice is to foster diversity in representation. We encourage you to experiment with different ways of communicating your ideas, using visual, digital, and physical mediums to express concepts. From hand sketches to 3D modeling and emerging technologies, each approach offers a unique perspective. This variety in representation not only allows you to effectively explore and communicate ideas but also enriches the creative process by discovering new ways to interpret and conceptualize spaces, landscapes, or elements. Don’t confine yourselves to a single approach; be courageous and experiment with diverse mediums to breathe life into your architectural visions authentically.
Don’t be afraid to participate in architecture competitions. They are exciting challenges that allow you to explore different work rhythms and understand how your team functions. They help you challenge your knowledge and provide a space for creative freedom that’s worth embracing.
Lastly, but certainly not least, we suggest keeping curiosity alive. Architecture is an ever-evolving journey, a path of continuous learning and growth. Each project, no matter how small it may seem, represents a unique opportunity to hone skills and express distinct visions. Embrace every challenge as an open window to innovation, where you can channel your creativity and nurture an architectural world in constant evolution. Curiosity will be your guide, urging you to question, explore, and propose fresh solutions.
Authors: German Paipa, Johana Martinez, Ana Garzon Soto, Sergio Cortes Aya, Andres Paipa from Colombia
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If you would like to ready more case studies like the one above please check our annual publication
Architecture Competitions Yearbook
The post How to win architecture competition? | Tactical Urbanism Now! #2023 appeared first on Competitions.archi.