A youth center for Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Ciudad Juarez has experienced a tremendous explosion of growth in the past 20 years. This is due primarily to its economic growth, and with it came an incredible influx of people. Ciudad Juarez was ill prepared for this influx and is still reeling from the effects. The most worrisome of these effects are the squatter settlements, the children growing up in the squatter settlements, and a lack of sustainable architecture.Because Ciudad Juarez could not accommodate the huge influx of people, they settled - most often illegally - on any land they could find. These are known as squatter settlements, and they are generally located on land that was deemed unsuitable for building. Utilities are not provided, and living conditions are poor. Children growing up in these environments have a rough life, and little space for diversion is set aside. The Salesian Society, a Catholic order devoted to the social, spiritual and educational welfare of disadvantaged children, has been present in Ciudad Juarez for four years now, and a measurable difference can be seen in the three areas where they are currently constructing youth centers. These centers always consist of four elements: areas for play, education, spiritual growth and an overall sense of home. The final concern is the lack of sustainable architecture. Sustainable architecture enriches its surroundings and resources - the ecological system, society, or local aesthetics - rather than take away from them. Before the arrival of the European, Mexico had a tradition of sustainable architecture built in tune with the climate and seasons with the help of local materials and labor. Along the line, this tradition has been lost, and the environment and urban fabric have suffered as a result.Statement of ThesisMy thesis proposal for architecture is to design a sustainable youth center for the disadvantaged children of Tierra Nueva, a designated resettlement area on the southern outskirts of Ciudad Juarez. This will be accomplished in conjunction with the Salesian Society, using their site, programs and spatial requirements as the basis for my design. The main questions I will be dealing with are: 1) How to create an architecture which will stimulate learning and social interaction. 2) How to design an environment which better meets the goals of the Salesian Society and 3) Sustainability.Establishment of U.S.factories (maquilas)in Ciudad JuarezUnexpected growthIllegal settlements(squatter settlements):-poor living conditions-little space for play-lack of sustainableprecedentEstablishment ofyouth centers bySalesiansGoalsDesign a youth centerfor Tierra Nueva which: 1. Stimulates learning & social interaction2. Meets the needs of Salesian Society3. Is socially & ecologically sustainableCollege of Architecture and PlanningThesis (B. Arch.