Jasleena Sembi

Mapping Rio's Cultural Framework

This is a diagrammatic storyboard which has been created using both the novel and the conventional ways of measuring Rio’s urban landscape. This diagram acts as a way in which the current cultural framework and Rio’s response to disease can be visualised. Where behavioural cultural and systematic measures appear at different scale within urban, regional and global scales throughout Rio.

As cartography defines the geographical boundaries to land currently - the land can be redefined and remeasured through measures which currently drive the existence of the landscape, in this case, disease.

Mapping Rio - Site Drivers

Acting as a continuation of extending Rio's cartographic manuals - defining the chosen site through natural site drives acted as a way to do this. The site is driven by three main factors, surrounding settlements, such as favela’s, and low-cost housing, the site contours, and the electrical amenities which dominate the site. The elements of these maps have been extracted and strategically placed where they exist within, on and around the site.

Spatial Diary - Unit B

There are four units which make up the site, each one with reducing levels of passive ventilation strategies, and intensities of care. The spatial diary above showcases Marcos, a resident of the site, and his journey through Unit B.

Dichotomy Playground

Rio’s Urban Mysterium is defined by the violent acts which take place within it. Where people are driven either through life or to a sudden death by simply navigating through the city of Rio. Violent acts manifest themselves both physically and metaphysically within Rio, where in both realms, the moments between life and death play out continuously within its urban fabric.

Acts of violence are an important part of Rio’s urban fabric and its everyday running. It cannot exist without the dichotomy of life and death acting out. Life and death is part of any city, however in Rio it is the very essence of what drives it. It drives it politically, economically and socially. Whole communities are either disbanded or brought together through acts of violence.

It can be argued that violent acts are needed for the favela’s, survival, however what if violent acts were re imagined? Can violent acts be re-transcribed and ‘rehabilitated for good ? Not for the cause of death, not to acts as a mechanism to allow humans to be volleyed between life and death, but for a purpose entirely different? A purpose of joy and pleasure.

Dichotomy Playground - Rooftop Gardens

Very often children who are a victim of crossfire gun violence are simply playing, crossing the street or walking to school. By re-transcribing violent acts through play, it can aim to redefine the acts, intentions and consequences of crossfire deaths. Currently in the urban environment of Rio, children exist within this dichotomy constantly - however what if this ‘space’ between life and death was turned into a space where children can feel safe within it? As Rio’s streets can, without hesitation, quickly become the setting urban warfare.

What if a space existed where children can play between physical and metaphysical realms - creating a new dimension which is untouchable to acts of violence? A ‘playground’ which transcends perceptions of play, a place which acts as a safety net untouchable to acts of violence.

Dichotomy playground acts as a sanctuary for the children of Rio, where through play, their actions can re-define what it means to live within the dichotomy of life and death. The architecture is a direct manifestation of the cross-over between physical + metaphysical acts and spect-actors.