IN-PERSON: Prague – Section B

Abstract

La Fragua is the first documented self-built neighborhood constructed under the orientation and guidance of an architect in Colombia. German Samper (architect) and her wife Yolanda Martínez (social coordinator) were the main leaders of a process between 1958 and 1962 that originated the Neighborhood La Fragua. It was meant for accommodating 40 plots but ended allocating 94 households. More than six decades later, this neighborhood has transformed and evolved keeping an enviable sense of community, translated into tangible and intangible cultural heritage that has been transmitted generation after generation along the past years. In a time of history where cohousing and multi-age oriented ensembles are in demand, la Fragua rises as an example that values identity and community networking, as a way to resists the forces of high density in real state neighboring areas. This presentation will share not only the effort behind the organization of low-income families to get their own dwelling, but most important, the path to construct a common and shared vision of what a neighborhood should provide for every household. The study includes some interviews and field work results from the direct interaction with the Civic Cultural Association of Mutual Aid La Fragua.