Conversations

  • Program and bios El Sitio: A Timeless Way of Building
El sitio: A Timeless Way of Building

On May 18, 19, and 20, 2023, INSITE invited a group of architects, urbanists, and theorists to Mexicali, Mexico, to engage in conversations about vernacular architecture, social housing, the philosophy behind patterns and places, and the political dynamics of public life. The conversations took place in the only place in Mexico built and designed by Vienna-born architect Christopher Alexander: The Mexicali Experimental Project, now known as El Sitio. The Conversations took place in a temporary commissioned pavilion from local architecture firms Veintedoce and Localista. The event was developed in collaboration with seven faculties of the UABC, including the involvement of students in architecture, art, design, translation, and health. In addition to participating in the Conversations, the group spent three days exploring the city's history and current challenges related to housing, immigration, and the environment through curated visits designed by UABC's Faculty of Architecture Director Alejandro Peimbert and architect Carolina Díaz.

Participants

Rudy Argote, Gina Cebey, CRO Studio: Adriana Cuellar and Marcel Sánchez, Teddy Cruz, Alejandro D'Acosta, Howard Davis, A J Kim, Michael Mehaffy, Felipe Orensanz, Alejandro Peimbert, Andrea Torreblanca, and Lorenia Urbalejo.

Dedicated to discussing forms of vernacular and “craft” architecture and their implications in the production of housing and social spaces, as well as reimagining models for communal living.

Alejandro D’Acosta and CRO Studio: Adriana Cuellar + Marcel Sánchez. Moderator: Rudy Argote
Howard Davis and Felipe Orensanz. Moderator: Andrea Torreblanca.

Focused on the possibility of architecture as an ecosystem, in which the liveliness and complexity of the social, political, cultural, and spiritual fabric of places define the morphology of their inhabitants and their future.

Michael Mehaffy and Andrea Torreblanca.

Centered around public space as a receptacle for civic and urban life, where accelerated construction, scarcity, and the recycling of architecture affect housing policies, social justice, and the dynamics of inhabiting and circulating in the city.

A J Kim, Lorenia Urbalejo & Gina Cebey. Moderator: Alejandro Peimbert.
Teddy Cruz and Andrea Torreblanca.