I have known about this publication for a while thanks to an architecture graduate student from the University of Idaho (thanks Andy), but I wanted to check it out before passing the info along.

The book is a bricolage of projects- some more interesting than others- that are thinly tied by various aspects of informality (contrary to the title, not all projects are directly related to “favelas”). Projects range from physical interventions in informal settlements (public space, transportation, public equipment, infrastructure), to  studies on the informal urban fabrics, to incremental housing projects that allow a strong component of auto-construction. Mostly, the book includes a list of usual suspects- JR, FavelaPainting, Marjetica Potrč’s art installations, U-TT with their very publicized metrocable in Caracas, and Mazzanti’s Library of Spain in Medellin,  amongst others- but there is also a showcase of less-publicized projects such as the Nairobi Project by ETH studio Basel, and Stairology by Arqui 5, Celula Urbana in Rio de Janeiro, as well as a couple of surprises of  ”new”  projects like Frederic Druot’s studies of Rocinha (Rio de Janeiro). It is a very graphic publication showing little analysis but many “results.” There is also limited writing apart from project descriptions, and I would say, one good article at the beginning.

Bref, although not too theoretical nor analytical, I think the publication remains a good visual illustration of a wide range of projects, and worth checking out.

BOOK LINK

I apologize for being so absent in the last months. Between preparing, presenting and writing my thesis, there has been much time to do anything else. Nonetheless,  FAVELissues will soon open up to new writers, bringing new information and updates on different contexts, projects and programs around urban informality.

For now, I wanted to mention the up and coming AD issue, “Latin America at the Crossroads.”  (CLICK FOR THE LINK) – as there are some very interesting articles in the publication.  In it, you will also find an article I wrote based on an interview with Alfredo Brillembourg from U-TT.

Following  is the link for a feature on Archinect.  The article begins to frames the direction in which the research is going… Check it out!

FAVELA CHIC FEATURE ON ARCHIECT

Looking Down from the Metro Cable Arvi, Santo Domingo, Medellin (Colombia)