Participation may be the new mantra among architects today, but it is still a rare thing for communities to play an active and, moreover, equal role in the design and construction of their own spaces. Through examples of his collaborations with barrio communities across Caracas, Alejandro Haiek illustrates how a democratic approach to placemaking can unlock the potential of marginalised communities and strengthen their agency in the process.

Alejandro Haiek is a Venezuelan architect and cofounder of LAB.PRO.FAB, a laboratory for projects and fabrication that collaborates on community-led initiatives in the informal barrios of Caracas. His bottom-up approach leverages existing participatory frameworks, reactivates underused urban spaces and crosses technical expertise with local intelligence to build socio-productive spaces in low-income areas. The lab won the International Award for Public Art in 2013 for the Tiuna El Fuerte Cultural Park, participated in the 15th Venice Biennale and most recently received several awards at the 20th Quito Architecture Biennial (2016).

Organised by the Master’s Degree in International Cooperation: Sustainable Emergency Architecture at the UIC Barcelona School of Architecture and Roca, the second edition of Development by Design aims to highlight the role of architects and planners in the context of poverty, disaster, confl¬ict and rapid urbanisation.

If “starchitecture” isn’t dead, then it has surely been rendered irrelevant in a world struggling to provide decent living conditions to at least a quarter of its population. A growing network of architects and urban planners are busy tackling the challenges posed by realities such as unprecedented urban growth, climate change and confl¬ict, grasping them as opportunities to build a more just and sustainable future. As such, resilience, sustainable urban development, the effects of mass migration on cities, community participation, post-disaster response and disaster risk reduction are key issues within our master’s programme that merit emphasis beyond the classroom and that today more than ever resonate with urban practitioners and the general public.

In a series of talks to be held between December and February, three guest speakers will talk about their work with affected communities across the world, highlighting new approaches to the provision of shelter, housing, spatial justice and resilience.

1 December 2016: Alejandro Haiek
16 January 2017: Clara Irazabal
2 February 2017: Eric Cesal

Roca Barcelona Gallery, Joan Güell 211-213, 08028 Barcelona
1 December 2016, at 7 p.m.
The session will be held in Spanish

Free admission, please register