Intro
The goal of Eco-politan is to design and build a better, affordable housing prototype for those who live in the colonias of Tijuana, Mexico. The colonias are located near the eastern border of Tijuana, near the city of Tecate. Families from all regions of the country migrate to the Mexico-US border in search of jobs and an improved quality of life. These families, however, often cannot afford adequate housing - a problem exacerbated by a lack of basic infrastructure for water, sewage, and electricity. Efforts by both Mexican and US organizations provide basic shelter for some families- these structures range from 8’x 8’ concrete block structures to 16’x20’ un-insulated wood frame houses on concrete slabs. These houses, however, provide literally only a roof over their heads, leaving still many problems such as extreme climate conditions and fire hazards. The goal of the Eco-politan project is to design a house that is affordable, build-able, and improves the quality of life for the residents of the colonias.
The Prototype
Our assesment is that there is a mismatch between current building practices and the local environment. Because this area is close to a desert climate, wood, as frequently as it is used, is not the best choice of building material - especially since it is almost never insulated. Our design utilizes a hybrid wood structure with adobe infill. This provides for a more insulated house and it helps the local economy by using local resources. Additonally, adobe is a more sustainable material - both environmentally and economically, due to the rising cost of wood in the past years.
More information and drawings of our prototype will be posted hear soon. Please visit our gallery to learn more about the issues and site conditions.
For photos and info regarding Project Mercy, our umbrella organization, visit:
http://www.projectmercy.net/
Construction: September 1-11, 2005
We will be heading down between Sept. 1 (Fri) - Sept. 11. (Mon) to Mexico to build our prototype house. This encompasses Labor Day (Sept 5) for those of you who would like to use your day off to help out our neighbors and get some hands-on experience in construction. A friend is Tijuana is allowing us to stay at her house for the duration of the construction. However, some people are opting to camp out at the site - this would be a good option for you if you are interested in getting to know the local environment and people.
More information will be added here (including carpooling), as logisitics get worked out.
If you’re interested in coming, email info@eco-politan.org. Tell us if you’re a yes or maybe, and we’ll keep you posted.
The Eco-politan Team:
Samuel Vasquez
Jennifer Liu
Fernando Nocedal
Associates:
Lou Huang
Jessica Rothschild
Lourdes Juarez
