Speculative Squatting.
location:
Baja California Peninsula, Mexico.
exhibited at:
Biennal de Argentina.
curators:
Jimena de Gortari, Rodrigo Velasco
with:
Diverse Projects.
date/status:
2015/proposal.
key points:
investigation, design research, adaptive re-use, speculative research, sustainable design, renewable energy, community-based design.
Our proposal involves a re-purposing of already speculative developer projects along the coast of Baja California, abandoned due to economic crisis. Instead of representing failure, the hope is that they may become symbols of resourcefulness and ingenuity, creating temporary infrastructure of production, innovation and education, based on the needs of the local communities rather than the desires of tourists and retirees.
Employing modules and an inexpensive commercial scaffolding system that is light-weight, easy to assemble according to a series of simple yet logical operations, and highly adaptable to unique conditions, we propose to “infest,” “intervene,” and “invade” these abandoned constructions in order to provide spaces for services that are appropriate both to the region and the community.
These assemblages — or collages of new/temporary with abandoned/ incomplete — create structures with the potential to generate fresh water, renewable energy, and agriculture (via hydroponics). Also included are educational uses (vocational training, environmental stewardship), health, recreation, or any other programming that might suit local necessities. Additionally, they serve as temporary art installations of invited artists and curators from the Baja region as a way of retaking the landscape and providing an intangible yet visible benefit for all who live and work in the region.