By Cesar MurilloLocked out from our scheduled lecture room on a Saturday morning, we gathered, instead, around a corner-table of the Wurster Hall lobby. Using a nearby board as projector, a thread of power-cords to provide energy--the setting for Teddy Cruz's presentation was not as formal as expected. We adapted to the needs and space, while improvising our gathering space in the middle of a hallway and making use of everything. Something similar to what Teddy Cruz might do, improvising/creating architecture that addresss the issues and politics of the border cities between San Diego and Mexico.
Ironically, the informal setting created an informal lecture; a more-conversation with Guatemalan-born architect and founding principal of Estudio Teddy Cruz in San Diego. Cruz introduced his own dissatisfaction for architecture's high and blind value of aesthetics. Working in Downtown San Diego has allowed him to be close to neighborhoods trapped in the extremes of wealth and poverty. Like most designers, Cruz wishes that a "sexy building"(as he called it) could transform these cities of waste-and-recycling."I had to make a detour to set the ground for this type of architecture by providing the research to mobilize new technologies for these areas," he realized. Cruz explained that the new urbanism triggered by corporations becomes the greatest threat to our cities. Their lack of support for small communities creates an architecture only about scale, facade, or style. "New urban development has become superfluous to what use to make the fabrics of a city interesting," says Cruz.
"There's a seduction for the shanty towns, a seduction for the informal as a topic," Cruz described his work as a "re-collage" of materials. His main objective is to create graphics that convey issues beyond the scope of his architecture; reflecting political ideas, or perhaps issues of homeland security. The images illustrate laboratories; the creation of individual units into systems. "What is behind the drama of these images?" he asks.
Humorously, Cruz recognizes himself as a "Cultural Pimp," as he hopes to become a translator of procedures by producing systems of designs of collaboration, and designs for economic and political trends configured into architectural spaces.
"How do we camouflage housing economies? How do we control political apathy? How can we engage social activism?" Cruz knows that these complexities must be understood for designers to reactivate cities. "In expanding our modes of practice, we can rebuild ways of thinking.." he stated. Teddy understands that each city has different issues and requires specialized research, but unfortunately research becomes marginalized in poor cities like San Isidro. Research is taken for granted, as it requires time and does not create the immediate results of sociopolitical change that the Border population might expect. People then become easily amused and content by the creation of a lavish building that will visually mimic their culture.
His work becomes a collection of materials, a recycling of uses, a re-collage of images that speak of the greater political and socioeconomic issues that should be addressed by designers.
In building cities for Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, or Latinos, the debate of aesthetics and style always emerges. When entering certain neighborhoods, the public expects a packaging of identity through a said-style. "People want to see a Costco wrapped with an Aztec temple or Spanish colonial facade," Cruz admits. Innovation in some communities becomes a struggle, as people want to perpetuate stereotypes and create icons around their cultures.
"Let's not talk about style... We should ask: what does a facade do, not what does it look like?" Teddy believes that there exists a tension between style-image and procedures created by Latino designers. He asks that designers dwell deeper to find metaphoric relationships by investigating contradictions. "Rather than an object, create space..only certain cities need an iconic building--others require transitional or gathering spaces," Cruz battles against the iconography represented in Latino culture.
"We need a negotiation between the formal and informal..a stitching of systems. The trash of the suburbs can become the building material for new cities," he explained. "Neighborhoods should become a site of production and display... and we can only do this by acknowledging the unrecognizable...the voids." Finally, Teddy Cruz recognized that only architects can be the facilitators to provide recognition of these social gaps. "Filling in the social voids will create density--and density means people and neighborhoods working in collaboration," he understands that only as a whole can we enable change and take on the challenges created by sociopolitical systems that will probably take a long time to instill change.
Cruz has been committed to advancing architectural and urban planning projects that address the global, political, and social problems existing in the cities like Tijuana and San Diego. Cruz is known for his articles and research that inspire a practice and theory emerging from the singularities of these impoverished and bicultural cities. He is part of the Visual Arts Department at UC San Diego, recipient of a Rome Prize, a P/A Award, the Robert Taylor Teaching Award from the ACSA, and numerous AIA Honor Awards.
