teddy cruz visualizes the impact of conflict on design

teddy cruz visualizes the impact of conflict on design
all images courtesy of estudio teddy cruz

architect and urbanist teddy cruz has spent a number of years studying the growing divisions and inequalities evident in the neighboring communities of tijuana and san diego in the region spanning the US/mexico border. speaking at the 2014 edition of WHAT DESIGN CAN DO!, cruz argues that highly evolved cities such as los angeles and dubai can learn important and relevant lessons from informally and spontaneous developments, asking the question: ‘can design been born from conflict?’

cruz relentlessly encourages the implementation of new urban policy alongside affordable housing working with non-profit organizations such as casa familiar. over time, this thorough investigation resulted in estudio teddy cruz, an architectural practice that integrates design production with theoretical research. in his work, guatemalan-born cruz closely examines the nature of top down institutions, such as governments and universities, in comparison with socio-economic organizations that function at a grassroots level.

the political equator project considers the growing divide between northern and southern territories

‘the future of cities today depends less on buildings but more on the fundamental reorganization of socio-economic relations,’ cruz states. ‘the best ideas for this renewal will not come from enclaves of economic power and abundance, but from sectors of conflict and scarcity. there an urgent imagination can really inspire us to rethink urban growth today.’

diagram indicating the ‘functioning core’ versus the ‘non-integrating gap’

the pixelated map highlights migration from south to north

cruz encourages the implementation of affordable housing working with non-profit organizations such as casa familiar

cruz’s work considers the resuse of existing materials

portrait of teddy cruz

in 1991, cruz received the rome prize in architecture; in 2005 he was the first recipient of the james stirling memorial lecture on the city prize. born in guatemala, he is currently a professor in public culture and urbanism in the visual arts department at university of california, san diego.