Educational homes for vulnerable children in Colombia

Abstract

The notion of citizenship has been a subject for many socialists such as T. H. Marshall as it is a broad notion and enhances many aspects. Some connections have be found and discussed in the Post- Modernism period, between the values defended by citizenship and educational architecture. Although this relation has been explained generally but has not been illustrated through tangible architectural means. Therefore, the narrative architectonical aspects remain unnamed. Through this research and design proposal, I intend to analyse tangible architectural means that are narrating the values of citizenship in order to apply some of them in my design proposal. This research consists first of literature studies to enlighten the broad and complex meaning of citizenship and reveal its different aspects. The second part consists of three case studies Burgerweeshuis (1960) by Aldo van Eyck, Parque educativo Saberes ancestrales, (2013) by Taller Sintesis and Ambiantes de Aprendizaje (2014) by Colectivo 720. These case studies will serve as analysis projects in order to point out the architectural means related to the citizenship’s notions. Through this research, I found out that by defending civil, political and social right, citizenship is a term which enhance degrees of activity and participation. Thus, the notions within the citizenship definitions are on different levels related to tangible aspects. Their safekeeping could even be depending on the spatial configurations and architectural means of the environment where these rights are being applied and put to practice. The notions that are tangible can be divided into two categories: the spatial identity and the spatial aspects. From the spatial aspects the boundaries or delimitations are the closely related to architectonical means. The values of citizenship are narrated through the range of existing delimitations. In the realised case studies, these delimitations are used as a pattern or code that contributes to the comprehension of the building’s program and the proportion of imposing delimitations is not superior to the amount of endorsing delimitations, which is important in order to generate a participative dialogue between the user and its environment, also called ‘realm of citizenship’.