Sueños Recuperados: Designing Safe and Nurturing Spaces for Children and Community in Colombia | Bachelors Design Thesis

Site Context

Within this framework, the intervention is located in San Cristóbal Sur, a neighborhood characterized by a high density of child population, both due to children linked to ICBF programs and those residing in the area. Following an urban analysis, it was identified that the neighborhood contains numerous educational institutions that serve not only the local population but also children from surrounding areas, resulting in a diverse range of users within the area.

The block where the project is developed acquires particular relevance, as it houses a heritage building, which originally functioned as a school for the working-class neighborhood established there. Opposite this building is a large park, the only public space of its kind in the neighborhood. Consequently, the proposal is conceived as an integrated intervention that articulates the park, the heritage structure, and an adjacent building, strengthening their urban and social relationships.

Design Process

The project’s development is guided by a design concept that promotes interaction and connection between users and their surroundings. This idea is expressed through a spatial layout organized around three interconnected courtyards that structure the overall functioning of the complex. Based on this concept, three main design strategies are established.

1- Formal strategy: This strategy aims to create a visual relationship with the existing architecture and the heritage building through the geometry of the roofs. At the same time, it introduces a contrast between the solid, heavy character of the historic architecture and the new intervention, which is designed as a lightweight structure.

2- Programmatic strategy: The program is arranged in longitudinal bands that group functions related to personal development and education, recreation, culture, and services. These bands are organized around the central courtyards and integrate the existing park as an additional courtyard within the spatial system.

3- Operational strategy: This strategy addresses the project’s social objectives by incorporating the Waldorf methodology, ensuring user safety, appropriate spatial conditions, and meaningful use of the spaces by a diverse range of users.

Final Outcome

The implementation of the Waldorf methodology focuses on human development, understood as the emotional, intellectual, and creative formation of individuals, which directly influences the definition of the program, the design of spaces, and the selection of materials. This approach leads the project to prioritize recreation and culture, allocating spaces for the arts and allowing the building to function as a canvas for these activities. 

In addition, natural materials are used in both the structure and the surrounding environment, green areas are promoted within the buildings and courtyards, and flexible structures are incorporated to facilitate spatial adaptability.

Conclusion: “Sueños Recuperados” has as its main objective the creation of a safe and stimulating space where children can gather. Through this initiative, the project seeks to introduce a new dynamic within the neighborhood, encouraging renewed interaction among its inhabitants and fostering a sense of community, with the aim of helping children recover the dreams that were once interrupted during their childhood.

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