Health care clinic Riveras del Bravo, Ciudad Juarez

The problem statement concerns the emerging phenomenon of abandoned housing. It is estimated that more than 5 million houses are standing empty throughout the country. Ciudad Juarez is an ideal case study with one of the highest levels of abandonment estimated between 25 and 30%. The reasons for this are multiple and point towards a complex mesh of forces that transgress the scope of the built environment. They encompass entangled dimensions of political economy and socio-economic developments, which only touch the built structure of actual housing at the very last stage. Major issues on the basis of abandoned housing are the drug trafficking and the resulting violence. Inhabitants experience insecurity, extortion and human rights violations due to the ongoing drug war. The government has proven to be inadequate to solve the problems, and even worsened the situation. The ongoing problematic social and economic situation is only increasing the existing poverty. Site research in Juarez furthermore revealed a city that is struggling with lack of urban planning, municipal infrastructure and an economy that is heavily dependent on global investments in the maquilla production industry, which is at present in a state of decline. In addition to poor urban planning, there is a fundamentally flawed system in the manner in which social housing is conceived, designed, produced inhabited and devaluated in Mexico. These factors create a cycle of decay and dysfunction, from which abandoned housing becomes one of many spatial consequences. The studio developed architectural counter-proposals that seek to break these cycles of urban blight and decay. The site which is used as an example expressing the issue of abandoned housing is ‘Riveras del Bravo’. The issues mentioned above all account for Riveras as well, furthermore, Riveras is experiencing more site-specific problems. Due to its isolated location, lack of civil amenities, the municipality not taking responsibility, flooding problems, open sewerage, mono-functionality resulting in lack of employment opportunities, lack of public transport and the small size of the houses. The demographic problems concern a concentration of population with low income and low education. A group strategy has been developed that seeks to reconfigure the area spatially, socially and economically in a way that disrupts the mono-functional planning and urban isolation. More specific to my research question is the need for access to health care and education. The research question concerns how a health care clinic department with educational facilities can architecturally contribute to the needs for civic amenities, which in turn might decrease the issue of abandoned housing.Urban AsymmetriesDSDArchitectur