[22-02] La Via (The Path)

Program:
Utopian Living

Advisor:
Fernanda Canales

Harvard Graduate School of Design

La Via conceptualizes a micro-society where the absence of barriers like doors, gates, or fences fosters a profound sense of unity. By reimagining the very essence and structure of both private and public living spaces, La Via not only cultivates a vibrant community but also nurtures trust and safety among its residents, all while honoring their diverse sociocultural practices. Central to its philosophy, the unit design undergoes a subtle transformation, transitioning from secluded private realms to open communal spaces, effectively blurring the lines between the individual and the collective. This deliberate arrangement encourages spontaneous interactions and seamlessly integrates each unit into a larger communal entity, nurturing a sense of togetherness.

One of La Via’s distinguishing features is its adaptability. The design allows for entrepreneurial flexibility, permitting residents to customize their dwellings or enhance privacy as they see fit. La Via’s physical layout serves as a corridor with intermittent expansions that create eopen zones. These areas serve as gathering spots, bustling marketplaces, vibrant play zones for children, hubs for agricultural endeavors, and other communal activities. Beyond their social significance, these spaces serve as sanctuaries during earthquakes, providing crucial refuge for La Via’s inhabitants and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Situated in San Salvador, El Salvador, an area deeply impacted by gang violence and housing some of the most underserved communities, La Via’s impact is profound. Carving its path through previously underutilized land dotted with isolated shacks, it assumes the form of a community path, bridging 9 barrios. This ambitious project not only transforms the physical landscape but, more significantly, offers a beacon of hope and collective empowerment in a region that yearns for unity, safety, and rejuvenation.

Manifesto

A bed is most comfortable when it is free of worry. The bed can be a thin mat on the ground, a grass field, a rock, or a hammock if there is no concern for the disturbance of peace. The bed ultimately is as comfortable as its surroundings. As we continue to propagate over the earth, the surroundings of our beds are becoming worrisome. We continue to expand in all directions, modifying our surroundings with little thought to the consequences of our actions. If we want a comfortable bed in which to rest, we must adapt to new ways of living.

We must build and expand only in spaces that we already inhabit.

We must embrace living in proximity.

We must ignore the vehicle when we think of growth.

We must re-imagine how we move around a city.

We must not create borders but rather define boundaries.

We must re-evaluate what it means to share.

We must share moments in community.

We must change how we dwell.

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