New urban paradigm: On the mangrove edge

On the mangrove edge is made with a continuous series of appearances performed by architectural and urban strategies. A proposal to transform the economic, social and environmental performance of Buenaventura, a seaport city located in the pacific region of Colombia in South America.

The analogy of the paradigm comes from the symbolic pattern of the mangrove’s roots which are considered one of the most productive, sustainable, and biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. The mangrove’s root system analogues the phenomena of a new paradigm. It is structured by a main root that branches out into healthy cells, and represents the formula in different fields, finding its expression at every stage. The paradigm focuses on the regeneration of cities, neighbourhoods, buildings, humans and non-human species that make part of the whole.

The paradigm marks a renaissance of habitation and urban living by creating a strategic distribution of resources. On the largest scale the mangrove grid is articulated by self-sufficient cells creating a lively and inclusive archipelago. This dynamic goes again into each cell (neighbourhood) and again into each building, finding its way at every stage, the paradigm can go up to infinity.