JORI ERDMAN
ALKIS TSOLAKIS
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
MARGARET LONG
MOLLY JOHNSON
GIOVANNI COAKLEY
YI TAO
ALLISON KEPPINGER
ISABELLE GIZINKSI
Valenzuela is a growing city under increasing stress due to environmental conditions causing economic and social strains. From the Ground up utilizes systems thinking to maintain and grow resilience for the site in Valenzuela. Our approach recognizes that having a strong network on an urban and community scale allows resilience to grow. The three major systems within this network are called connect, elevate, and convert.
CONNECT recognizes the dynamic relationship between water and the people who live along our site. Water is necessary for life to exist. However, it is a powerful natural force that has the potential to damage the community. Implementing a series of canals to divert water away from densely populated areas is one strategy in this system that fosters resilience.
ELEVATE proposes a solution to the problem of waste management, sea level rise due to climate change, and flooding from typhoons by building up the land to provide security.
CONVERT uses innovative thinking to transform what many people think of as “trash” into architecture and soil instead of sending it off into the surrounding landfills that pose problems to inhabitants as well as the environment.