Open AccessBorders and Walls: What Is the Agency of Architects in Geopolitical Conflicts?
Author(s) -
LARA ANE GONZALEZ
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ethnographic praxis in industry conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1559-8918
pISSN - 1559-890X
DOI - 10.1111/1559-8918.2019.01312
Subject(s) - studio , geopolitics , agency (philosophy) , realm , architecture , politics , presentation (obstetrics) , sociology , political science , public relations , media studies , visual arts , law , social science , art , medicine , radiology
Boundaries and borders have generated lots of attention in the political realm of our country over the last years. The proposed Wall between the United States and Mexico has created different perspectives from architects and builders across the country. Following this debate, a question arises: What is the agency of architecture and architects in this issue? This presentation focuses on a Borders Studio taught at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture, a borderland school that draws students from both sides of the border. The studio was created after seeing how polarized and diverse the opinions about the proposed wall were among architects and builders and in order to stimulate the critical thinking abilities of the students. The studio involved a series of projects that tackled different scales. Each student found their own voice on the conflict during the semester and the studio created a platform for them to bring issues like immigration, labor and politics to the classroom and question the agency of architects in geopolitical conflicts. The presentation reflects the students' designs to create alternatives to the proposed wall focusing in the Chamizal Park in El Paso and Juarez.