Latino New Urbanism Comes To San Diego

Stacked wood and concrete frame boxes create new immigrant homes in a San Diego suburb. Squatter housing south of the border inspired Architect Teddy Cruz.

1 minute read

March 15, 2006, 8:00 AM PST

By David Gest

Teddy Cruz designed a 12-unit housing development in San Ysidro, an immigrant community near San Diego. It looks like a cleaned-up version of Tijuana's shantytowns with the Mexican town's mix of private and public uses. In San Ysidro, "The loggia will function as a shared communal space for markets, festivals and other social events...A row of delicate wood housing units on top of the frame will heighten the contrast between private and public zones. Each unit is conceived as a series of interlocking rooms that can be broken down into two one-bedroom units or pieced together for large families. And the entire site will be bisected by a semipublic garden that connects West Hall Street to an alleyway that serves as a thoroughfare for immigrants on their way to work." In the second phase of the development, Cruz plans for housing for seniors interspersed with semipublic gardens. (Article includes slideshow of Tijuana shantytowns.)

Thanks to Mary Reynolds

FULL STORY: Shantytowns as a New Suburban Ideal

Sunday, March 12, 2006 in The New York Times

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