| This thesis builds on my fieldwork in the South Texas colonia of Los Arcos to develop a series of community minded interventions, while thinking about the ways that architects and communities might better work together. It speaks to issues of Mexican-Americans living, in poverty, in the border region.;Exploring one possible path of development, the work describes how a series of architectural interventions could emerge from existing patterns and result, ultimately, in the empowerment of residents.;Incremental growth is contingent on less familiar factors such as time, relationships, knowledge and availability of funding and materials. 'Site' is imagined as an extension of existing patterns. Interventions allow community members to build their own community, both the immaterial and the material.;In conclusion I present a guidebook, and while not exhaustive, it distills my process and, I hope, contributes to a more sensitive way of communicating and engaging with underprivileged communities. |
