Senior Architecture Thesis: Integration
My undergraduate thesis, Integration, aims to propose a series of settlement improvements that foster social integration between the gated community of Las Casuarinas, and the settlement of Pamplona Alta in the Santiago de Surco district of Lima, Peru.
Lima, a city characterized by segregation, is further divided by a 10 km long barrier known as the “Wall of Shame” or “Muro de Vergüenza” in Spanish. This barrier not only physically separates the rich and the poor, but also represents social and political conflicts.
Drawing on my experience as a student-athlete, I have learned and witnessed that basketball has the power to bring people together. Sports and recreation can make meaningful changes that greatly impact vulnerable and divided communities.
The proposed design will incorporate playful spaces, sports and recreation, and transportation to enable a process of social integration between the two neighborhoods.