ABSTRACT
Focussing on Studio Elemental, Tatiana Bilbao, and Teddy Cruz with Fonna Forman, this chapter examines constructive typologies and political protocols that open up emancipatory perspectives for social appropriation of the territory. In Chile, “half-good houses”, a “skeleton” of a solid structure – the “DNA” of a middle-class home – are being transformed by the residents based on their needs and finances. In Mexico, houses are divided into expandable parts and volumes, while the exterior image does not witness an unfinished design. In Tijuana, San Diego's “left over” (obsolete housing) is recycled into “second-hand” urbanism, turning the disposable housing stock of one city into prospective permanent dwellings of the other. Housing becomes perceived as part of public space infrastructure, defined primarily as a network of social, economic, and cultural exchanges. Such practices enable a social interpretation of the economy, as a means of transforming housing and land ownership, as well as boosting urban renewal. Following from previously conducted research, presentations and discussions, literature review, as well as drawn observations, the critical analysis intended in this chapter aims to question the potential of “marginal” approaches from the so-called “problematic” places to generate resilient mechanisms. What are the successes and risks of such an enterprise?
