Grassroots Urbanism: New Leaderships in Architectural Practice | December 1, 2016
Building on the success of our first edition in 2014 with speakers like Nathaniel Corum an Teddy Cruz, the second edition of our Development by Design conference, organized by the Master of International Cooperation Sustainable Emergency Architecture with Roca, launched on December 1st, 2016 with a talk by Venezuelan architect Alejandro Haiek about how a democratic approach to placemaking can unlock the potential of marginalized communities and strengthen their agency in the process. Haiek is cofounder of LAB.PRO.FAB, a laboratory for projects and fabrication that collaborates on community-led initiatives in the informal barrios of Caracas. His bottom-up approach leverages existing participatory frameworks, reactivates underused urban spaces and crosses technical expertise with local intelligence to build socio-productive spaces in low-income areas.