ABSTRACT
The idea of fostering resilience in urban infrastructure is a strategic theme and operational goal for many cities around the world. As the first of a series of buildings that James Wines would design for Best Products, the Houston showroom was perceived as a conceptual statement in the art world, however, it was viewed with deep disdain by mainstream architects. This chapter explores a Lefebvrian perspective on spatial production to assert that cast-off dead and dying malls have forged an alternative path toward community vitality. Growing into spaces of otherness and modest vitality built upon compromise, the places enable economic freedom and social assimilation. Undervalued existing buildings act as the primary building block of places of otherness leveraged through an available and accessible infrastructure supporting quick-start and low-risk mercantile activities. Downtown Laredo is a bustling commercial district that serves local, regional, and international consumers and merchants. Many downtown retailers serve Mexico-based merchants as wholesale supply agents.
