About The Project
The Garcia compound consists of several structures that accommodate three generations of one extraodinarily tight-knit family. In a first step, the architects interviews multiple members of the family, surveyed the existing building to establish, and then map the various problems with existing buildings to establish the various problems with existing structures and infrastructures. The architectural interventions to the buildings and to the site are minimal, mostly addressing the problem areas identified. The architects’ intention is to help make a livable place for this family by adding necessary living space for the second generation members who co-habit the family compound, and amongst other things, remodeling the bathrooms and kitchens to keep them in functioning order.
In addition to addressing these more mundane needs, the architects, in collaboration with the artists collective Slanguage, are looking to develop a distinctive identity for the family’s home through a series of interventions: one, a memory book tracing the family’s history in the neighborhood; two, an artwork in the form of a reliquary to enshrine the family book; and three, decorative architectural elements interwoven in the architectural fabric of the home. A new carport, doubling as an outdoor dining pavilion, serves as a communal gathering space for family festivities.
