Description —
Through travel, writing, drawing and photography, I studied the relationship between urbanism and cultivation in Central and South America. I was particularly interested in how context influenced the way people use and alter the land to simultaneously cultivate, build, and dwell. The work explored both vast cultural landscapes as well as cracks and hidden spaces within the city. Ultimately this study was very important to me as an architect, educator, and researcher.
Productive Urban Landscapes - Cities Cultivation Context
The work from my travels and studies was the subject of a dedicated exhibition that cut a diverse geographic and topographic swath to depict landscape, cultivation, community, and place. The exhibition was held at Dalhousie University during the RAIC Festival in Halifax (May to June 2013). The production of the exhibition was funded by the Jonathan Hart Memorial Fund ($2000). It consisted of photographs and drawings from travels and studies in Central and South America that studied:
Urban Agriculture in Havana, Cuba
Terrace Farming in Cusco, Peru
Chinampas in Xochimilcho, Mexico City, Mexico
Farming alongside the canal in Panama City, Panama
Ravine farming in Quito, Ecuador
Urban agriculture in Bogotá, Colombia
Viticulture in Santiago, Chile
Urban agriculture in São Paulo, Tijuca Forest’s relationship to Rio de Janeiro, and the urban park network in Curitiba, Brazil
The work received a great deal of media interest and formed the basis for an invited series of lectures and conferences, in addition to the exhibition.
Studies on Productive Urban Landscapes started to focus specifically on Havana, Cuba and the implementation of urban agriculture in the city. I developed a design studio course in Havana, Cuba in collaboration with Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana José Antonio Echeverría. Focusing on sites of urban cultivation within the city, the studio considered the social, economic, and environmental networks that have developed surrounding urban food production. Alongside the teaching of this course I completed my PhD at UCL, UK.
Studies on Productive Urban Landscapes started to focus specifically on Havana, Cuba and the implementation of urban agriculture in the city. I developed a design studio course in Havana, Cuba in collaboration with Universidad Tecnológica de La Habana José Antonio Echeverría. Focusing on sites of urban cultivation within the city, the studio considered the social, economic, and environmental networks that have developed surrounding urban food production. Alongside the teaching of this course I completed my PhD at UCL, UK.
