Urban Regeneration of The Venegas Neighborhood | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

One of the city’s principal highways, the Paseo de la Republica, runs north-south across the city and connects the Pan-American Highway with the city’s historic centre. Unfortunately, the land for the final stretch of the highway was reserved in 1969 when the government decided to postpone completion indefinitely. Urbanisation around this location began to take shape in the following years. However, a portion of this territory was occupied by the low-density, humble neighbourhood of Venegas as a result of the city’s exponential growth.

Families must be moved and a neglected urban area must be consolidated since the highway construction must now be finished. In this situation, a housing project that can revitalise and integrate this neighbourhood with the city has a great potential to take advantage of the location.

Starting with housing for the families that now reside there as well as for the new ones who will finish off the ideal density of this significant region, this urban regeneration project has a comprehensive programme. A local commercial programme, a programme for public services like healthcare and education, and a programme for public places like recreation are also intended to meet the needs of this new neighbourhood.

Design Process

Finding the best concepts and objectives for the project was the first step in the development of the architecture thesis. Urban regeneration case studies identical to this one from around the world were thoroughly examined in order to complete this theoretical work. Site mapping and neighbourhood analysis were also done, along with proper documentation, photos, and interviews with locals.

Every aspect of this project had to be considered as a means of urban integration from the outset. As a starting point, the already-existing urban paths were utilised to envision the buildings as an urban framework that contains various pedestrian trails all throughout the structures and links them to the city.

With its fluid and attractive spatial transitions from public to private, the architectural proposal extends urban interactions to various levels of the buildings, in order to establish an image of a progressive urbanisation that could be merged with the existing neighbourhood.

Final Outcome

The goal of the project is to densify the old neighbourhood in order to relocate the original family and give more people the chance to take advantage of its proximity to one of the city’s main public transit networks, the “Metropolitano.” By combining the demolished blocks into smaller sections, urban activities and pedestrian traffic are given priority, and vehicular transit is more effective.

This resulted in the development of an urban circuit that takes users through a variety of urban settings, including squares, bridges, parks, and elevated pedestrian paths. These elements help tie the project together, linking the newly constructed buildings with the nearby public transportation hubs and the city’s existing built environment.

The project must also contend with the challenge of reuniting the city in this neighbourhood for pedestrians. The proposal involves a park bridge that completes the urban integration of the neighbourhood after the highway that passes through the city separates the region into two.

In order to be integrated into urban activities, the buildings traverse along the existing pedestrian pathways. Further, bicycle lanes link “The Metropolitano” bus terminals with the Venegas and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Another objective of this proposal is to find an architectural expression that can unite the old community with the bustling new one. Therefore, it won’t turn into a physical obstruction that further isolates the neighbourhood. The architectural expression of the building serves as a means of blending with the city, with increased volumetry fusing the metropolis and brick facades that reflect the character of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Conclusion: This architecture thesis achieved its goal of being an innovative urban regeneration strategy for Lima City that acknowledges the potential to take advantage of a small neighbourhood’s advantageous location within a major highway city project. With this, it also seeks a fresh urban expression for the future compact Lima metropolis.

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