Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

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Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

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  • Project Name: Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques
  • Student Name: Edgardo José Gómez Rodríguez
  • Softwares/Plugins: AutoCAD , SketchUp , Adobe Photoshop , Lumion
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Excerpt: ‘Rooting Cities’ is an architecture thesis by Edgardo José Gómez Rodríguez from the ‘Departamento de Diseño, Arquitectura y Artes Plásticas – Universidad Simón Bolívar.’ This project aims to revitalize Gustavo Knoop Park by analyzing its historical, cultural, and ecological connections with Los Teques. Rooted in the legacy of the Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela, the park embodies memory, resilience, and natural heritage. Strategies focus on heritage preservation, environmental education, green infrastructure, and recreational design, fostering a symbiosis between city and nature.

Introduction: The city of Los Teques has been marked by the influence of the “Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela” (GFV), the railway between Valencia and Caracas, whose infrastructure not only transformed its urban fabric but also gave rise to the current “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as a reforestation response to the environmental impact of the tracks and natural phenomena. This park, initially conceived as a green lung and healing space, became a reference point for identity and collective memory.

The project focuses on analyzing the interconnection between the city, the park, and the natural heritage it represents, understanding how history, culture, and geographical context shape its unique value. Based on this diagnosis, strategies are proposed in four key areas: historically, the preservation and reinterpretation of heritage; scientifically, the promotion of research and environmental education; ecologically, the consolidation of green infrastructure that connects the city and the park; and recreationally, the design of multifunctional spaces that strengthen urban life.

In this way, a symbiosis between architecture and nature is proposed, aimed at revitalizing Gustavo Knoop Park as a catalyst for recognition, identity, and collective belonging in Los Teques.

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Site Context

Route of the Old Great Railway of Venezuela (GFV)
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Urban Composition of Los Teques
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
El Encanto railway station. Remains on the outskirts of Los Teques

The project is being developed in “Parque Gustavo Knoop,” an urban space in Los Teques historically linked to the “Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela.” Conceived at the end of the 19th century as a reforestation initiative in response to the environmental impact of the railway, the park is the country’s first botanical garden and a landmark green space for the city. Its strategic location makes it a meeting point between the mountainous topography, the expanding urban fabric, and the collective memory.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Gustavo Knoop Bust Square. Gustavo Knoop Park, Los Teques
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Paths in Knoop Park. Gustavo Knoop Park, Los Teques
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Abandoned house dating back to the railroad era. Opposite Gustavo Knoop Park, Los Teques

Currently, the park faces problems associated with the loss of heritage value, the fragmentation of edges, the deterioration of infrastructure, and disconnection from urban dynamics. These conditions have limited its potential as a space for social and ecological integration.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Remains of the rails still standing above the park valley. Gustavo Knoop Park, Los Teques
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Bottom view of the rails above the valley. Gustavo Knoop Park, Los Teques

The project provides a comprehensive vision that seeks to reactivate the park as a living infrastructure for the city. It proposes to reinforce its historical identity by recovering railway and heritage remains, while incorporating ecological management strategies that improve environmental quality and urban resilience. In addition, it promotes the creation of flexible facilities and meeting spaces that encourage citizen interaction, collective learning, and integration between natural and urban systems. The park is projected as a laboratory for city-nature symbiosis and a catalyst for sustainable development in Los Teques.

Design Process

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Macro analysis of potential elements and action nodes. Los Teques

The design process began with a historical and territorial analysis of Los Teques, focusing on its heritage and natural attributes linked to the “Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela.” This perspective positioned the park as a node between collective memory, urban infrastructure, and ecological lung, while revealing its current fragility due to fragmented edges, loss of heritage, and disconnection from the city.

The environmental and urban diagnosis highlighted problems of deterioration, real estate pressure, and reduced ecological continuity. The interpretation of the dynamics and flows of the site defined the key actions to preserve and reconnect natural systems. From there, a multi-scale integration strategy emerged: reconnecting the park and the city at the urban level, redefining boundaries with adaptable architectural installations, and incorporating pedestrian-scale interventions that encourage daily interaction.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Collage summarizing the approach and strategies for the project

The resulting framework of nodes and solutions allows for flexibility during and after the design process, ensuring adaptability to long-term needs, for which sustainable strategies are proposed that minimize ecological impact inside and outside the park. The search is a project that conceives the site as a living laboratory where nature, history, and urban life converge, shaping a replicable model of symbiosis between the city and nature.

Final Outcome

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Visual overview of the proposal, areas of intervention
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Macro sections of the proposal focusing on nodes that will serve as links between the city and the park
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Area of intervention 1: “Llano de Miquilen,” the area with the highest level of urban activity

The final result of the project is the revitalization of “Parque Gustavo Knoop” into an integrated landscape where history, ecology, and urban life  converge.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Zoom in on the intervention area immersed in the city. Expansion of green space between urban cracks, focusing on “Boulevard Bermúdez.”
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
New railway museum based on the remains of houses abandoned since the railway boom in Los Teques
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
New Park access hub, agricultural market square

Inspired by Knoop’s vision of rainforest preservation, the proposal reimagines the park as a living system that restores its connection to the legacy of the Great Railway of Venezuela. At the same time, it redefines the park’s role as both an ecological lung and a cultural landmark for Los Teques.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Proposal for a bio-fence over the Camatagua stream. Stream sanitation.
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Intervention sector 2: Edge of the park with informal settlements of “El Vigía.”
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Parque de la Naciente, area of Gustavo Knoop Park affected by spontaneous urban growth.
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Equipment for the edge. Connections between the neighborhood and the park

The design introduces a multi-scalar approach that works across different levels. At the urban scale, the park is reconnected to the city through ecological corridors and public infrastructure. Adaptable facilities are incorporated to recover heritage while also creating new spaces for education, culture, and recreation. 

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Intervention sector 3: Gustavo Knoop Park. Forest area and botanical garden
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Facilities immersed in the park
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Agricultural market. Open area and sales premises

Flexible nodes are added to foster daily encounters and reinforce a sense of collective identity, with sustainability, biodiversity, and community engagement guiding each intervention.

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Source of the Camatagua stream in Gustavo Knoop Park
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Bird watching tower. Equipment immersed in the forest area bringing visitors into contact with nature
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Gustavo Knoop Bust Square. Commemoration of the engineer who created the nature reserves in response to the impact of the railway line

Conclusion: Ultimately, the project demonstrates how historical memory and ecological systems can act as drivers of urban resilience today. Its approach suggests a replicable framework for reactivating the former “Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela” railway corridor. In doing so, it envisions neglected landscapes transformed into vibrant hubs of cultural, ecological, and social integration across multiple regions.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]

Site Context

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

Design Process

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

Final Outcome

Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization
Rooting Cities: Organic and Urban Integration Systems in “Parque Gustavo Knoop” as Catalysts for Recognition, Identity, and Collective Belonging in Los Teques | Architecture Thesis on Urban Revitalization

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