Author(s): Livia Catao Cartaxo Loureiro & Davi De Lima Vaz Xavier
According to the United Nations, by 2050, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities. This future brings several consequences that influence how urban networks are built and, more importantly, where and how people will reside. Addressing urban issues like spatial segregation, density, and the right to the city is essential when considering housing in the 21st century. This paper explores the speculation of housing density within a speculative urban context where the ground is the central focus and the starting point of all city relationships. The assignment represents the culmination of three exercises conducted by freshman students. These students examined the negative infill space of their site from a theoretical urban scenario. The initial questions guiding their assignment were: if existing density and context are the defining limits of the current urban environment, how can infill be utilized to promote a healthy future for the city? How can this new density be defined when the sky is the only limit? How can cities expand upward without neglecting each other or their inhabitants? The students explored these questions while investigating foundational concepts such as organizing principles and operational design, combined with housing theories emphasizing user autonomy and participation. These elements provided the theoretical basis for their proposals. After undergoing design transformations that considered scale, ground conditions, operational design, density, and habitability, they developed responses that addressed the core hypotheses of the assignment. Finally, their design schemes were combined with Midjourney image simulations to create a visual vignette of what today’s cities could become.
Volume Editors
ISBN
978-1-944214-49-4