UA News

Undergraduate and graduate students are developing a design project for the 1,500 residents of Fronteras, Sonora, Mexico.

University of Arizona associate professor of architecture and landscape architecture Mark Frederickson thinks big. Through the Tejido Group, his students are afforded the opportunity to do the same in an apprenticeship-style professional learning environment that puts them in the driver's seat and under pressure.

The Tejido Group is a hands-on research project that offers an interdisciplinary internship opportunity to faculty and students to help communities, in and outside of the United States, with urban developmental planning and design strategies. The group has tackled projects in Panama, British West Indies and projects as close as Summer Haven, Ariz.

This semester, the undergraduate and graduate students working in the Tejido Group are developing a design project for the 1,500 residents of Fronteras, Sonora, Mexico

The town sits 30 minutes south of Douglas/Agua Prieta and looked to be headed for ghost town status after a maquiladora closed. A maquiladora is a factory where imported parts are assembled into products for export.

Thanks largely to the efforts of two UA alumni – Alice Valenzuela, a local rancher and activist, and her husband Roberto – the town is fighting to survive even in the face of insurmountable odds.

"The town is deteriorating. Every three years we have a new mayor and that means no long term vision – they only deal with the now," said Valenzuela. She said corruption and a lack of hope limit opportunity there.

The town's revitalization efforts began when Valenzuela committed her time to a local women's organization, sharing her life experience and providing motivational talks. After a year of sharing and swapping stories with the town's women, Valenzuela decided it was time for action and helped the women form the Cooperativa Rural de Fronteras, a women's collaborative effort that focuses on bringing jobs to the area.

The women ruffled the political status quo by securing rent-free access to the closed down maquiladora despite being told it was not possible, bringing in jobs in electronics and recycling and holding the newly-elected local government accountable to honor the rent-free agreement.

The battle has earned them the name Las Chicas Bravas (the fierce gals) but neither the name nor the intimidation has stopped the women from pursuing economic stability for their town.

With help from the Valenzuelas, the town has formed a non-profit organization, Patronato por el Futuro de Fronteras and pursues the goal of generating prosperity for the region.

"This little town is going through tough times. And Roberto and Alice have been revolutionary in their approach. They, together with these ladies, they are socio-culturally shaking the trees," Frederickson said.

With the Tejido Group, Frederickson works to connect client need with the group's mission, committing to projects based on three criteria.

"Is the project good for students? Is it a cool, juicy project that is complex and will help them develop into exceptional professionals? Is the project a good thing for the environment and the people living in it? And we look at client need – is the client need worth the commitment of faculty and student time – how greatly does the community need the resources the UA brings to the table?" Frederickson said.

He sifts through a dozen or more Tejido proposals from potential clients each month. Only three will make the cut for the year.

Projects will be assigned to students who are enrolled in the UA School of Landscape Architecture master's level, second-year design studio class or undergraduates who are taking the class as an elective during their final year of study.

Frederickson was intrigued by the needs of the Fronteras community outlined by Valenzuela in the original request for assistance she sent out via e-mail to 10 architectural schools in the United States.

He considers the merit of ideas based on several levels of sustainability.

• Functional: Is it safe, easily maintained and does it circulate well?
• Environmental: Does it rehabilitate and preserve existing habitat?
• Social: Does it encourage learning and meaningful social interaction?
• Economic: Are the planning solutions economically sustainable?
• Aesthetic: Are the design outcomes aesthetically appropriate and sensitive to the cultural and natural heritage of the region?

The master plan Valenzuela proposed for the community had all the elements Frederickson looks for and the students began their work with site visits and interviews in Mexico in January.

"You can drive straight through and not notice there is a town there, basic services are not there – for instance, there is no trash removal – they burn it on the side of the street. Our work is to create designs that are feasible but also culturally and environmentally appropriate," said Nicole Sweeney, an architecture senior working on the Fronteras Project for Tejido.

"The experience has been very humbling. I have never worked or designed in this type of setting – with clients, a budget and with the added component of trying to make a difference in a community with such tremendous need."

Landscape architecture graduate student Dan Bradshaw said one element the group is proposing is to develop a Web site with design schemes for the town to use as it pursues funding.

"The approach for this project is unique. Generally a design team works with a client who has funding and is looking for design plan to get started. In this case, we are creating the tools the town will need to obtain funding," Bradshaw said.

The students involved with the Tejido Group will commit 15 weeks to the project in addition to keeping up with their rigorous coursework. Much of their work involves research, such as finding case reviews on how similar projects were accomplished. And because their work is in Mexico, they must understand Mexico land laws and other environmental and socio-political elements specific to the area.

"We want everything to be connected – culture, customs – and we want a foundational document that will do more than improve the infrastructure, but also will have an interpretive vision for the town that will drive economic development," Valenzuela said.

Frederickson said that design professionals often get criticized for arbitrary debutantism – placing aesthetics over practicality or need. He aims to train students to think in a more multidimensional way.

"We want to make the town visually attractive but also we need to keep in mind that the recommendations need to primarily work on all levels of consideration and to bring in money for those living there," Frederickson said.

Later this month, the students will present their designs to representatives from Frontera and then move forward with design plans that are agreed upon at the meeting.

"It has been great fun seeing things through the students' eyes. Having them here is making everyone dream a little bigger," Valenzuela said.