Conceived by the architectural firm, Jorge Rigau FAIA, Architects, the project was designed to garner support from government officials, institutions, and the general public for the development of Isabela’s irrigation channels as a key ecotourism attraction in Puerto Rico. The “canales” travel across plains, mountains, and forests of varying microclimate, flora, fauna, and views. Maintenance paths that run continuously next to them could today be refashioned as nature trails accessible to the general public, children, senior citizens, and handicapped people alike. This pilot project set out to prove the feasibility of this initiative.

After public access to these facilities had been denied for eighty years, one kilometer of channels was opened up for two days, attracting an audience of over 3,000 registered people, including key decision-makers like the Island’s Interim Governor. Environmental leaders and university professors joined the long lines of visitors from all over the Island.Advocacy is often linked to demonstrations, more than often committed to stop something from happening. In our case, we chose to demonstrate otherwise: How something can, in fact, happen. Letters of support have started to come and decision makers – already engaged – have invited us to sit and dialogue. This is what we planned for.

Participants were instructed about the history and design of the irrigation system, how it works, its cultural impact, and the changes endured by the neighboring rural landscape. Oversize words in environmentally-sensitive foam were “sprinkled” along the route to underline key questions concerning both the system and the proposed project: WHAT? WHERE? HOW? WHY? WHEN?

Professionals, academics, architecture and landscape architecture students – as well as volunteers – guided tours along the canal to make visitors aware of the potential of these trails from which the Island’s natural landscape and its early-20th century industrial heritage can be enjoyed.

The local Architects and Landscape Architects Foundation funded the pilot project, which included a day dedicated to K-12 schools within the canal region. Participants were requested to fill an assessment form, freely formatted to accommodate ideas, concerns, and recommendations. Upon completing the forms, each person received an informative brochure, specially designed to urge everyone to action.

Insertion of texts within the landscape owes much to the reinterpretation of precedents: Robert Smithson’s site-specific works; Jenny Holzer’s linkage of words to movement; Robert Indiana’s supersized treatment of typeface; as well as Dieter Kienast’s joint validation of typographic strokes and counters, using the latter as windows unto the landscape.

Elements that required a “footnote” from the interpreters were highlighted with an asterisk.

In endorsement of sustainable tourism practices, local involvement was integral to the initiative. Community members assisted in the organization, played host of the event, and offered bits of oral history. Local high school students that are enrolled in a tourism-guide training program led the walking tours. A map of neighboring restaurants and establishments was specially designed for the event and distributed among all assistants, urging them to sponsor them.

All photography by Gus Pantell.

PROJECT CREDITS

Executed with the support of the Foundation for the Association of Architecture and Landscape Architecture of Puerto Rico and the collaboration of the county of Isabela, the Energy Authority (AEE) and the School of Landscape Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico.

Concept and Project Design Jorge Rigau FAIA, Architects Project Coordination Miguel Ortíz Graphic Design Alberto Rigau, Estudio Interlínea Archaeological Consultant Gus Pantell Construction and Renovation Consultant Beatriz del Cueto Landscape Consultant Maria Isabel Rodríguez

The Mill Center for the Arts sponsored a national contest in 2005, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, for the design of a new center in Hendersonville, North Carolina. In a collaboration with Jorge Rigau, FAIA Arquitectos, I participated in the creation, conceptualization and design of the proposal. Several components, from a typographical walkway, a narrative historical wall, and a remembrance pond were left on my charge.

Presentation boards designed and submitted to the competition.

Sculptural detail for suggested typographic wall.

Render of suggested typographic wall to show scale of piece.

Detail of the two design typographic systems for the proposal.

The content expressed in the typography is differentiated by a system based on height differentiation.

Bird's-eye-view of remembrance pond suggested for the project.

Axonometric view of remembrance pond suggested for the project.

This collaboration with Jorge Rigau, FAIA Arquitectos required to find a solution to the client’s problem: he only received the newspaper at his home and he did not want it to get wet. The initial to the client’s last name served as inspiration for the design and specification of this newsbox made out of steel with a concrete base.

This collaboration with Jorge Rigau, FAIA Arquitectos aimed at providing a signature door to an already signature home. The Spivak family inquired for a graphic gesture to welcome their guests at the entrance of the home. Typography was used as inspiration for the design and specification of the finished solution. Wood, steel and cortén steel became the tools of process and exploration.

Process from sketching to fabrication.

Details of construction and fabrication. Steel, wook and aluminum are stitched together in this piece.

The New School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, with a grant from the American Express Foundation, produced an architectural map of old San Juan, the first of to identify both its structures and public spaces including its patios, nooks and other hidden spaces. The map –edited in Spanish and English- is geared to a wide range of audiences including children, tourists and those who know and have studied the city.

For too long the historical center of our capital city has lacked a guide that explains to the public the history and merits of the buildings within the walled district. Conscious of this need, Polytechnic University took on the task of documenting San Juan’s colonial heritage, drawing and photographing some of the best examples. Students and professors have developed detailed drawings and informative texts that are included in the map/guide. With the map, visitors to the city can walk through Old San Juan at their own pace and define their visit individually.

Map designed to inform the visitors of Old San Juan of important inner spaces that are not visible from the sidewalk or street.

Activity made to present the map and its contents to several schools in the area of Old San Juan.

A series of faculty members of the Architecture school of the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico provided tours, teaching about the importance of each of the spaces.

Marker designed to identify those building that inside have an open space.

This collaboration with Jorge Rigau, FAIA Arquitectos was handed down with the goal of hiding a cable box in the lawn of this particular client. It was decided to cover it with a removable mailbox that could be placed on top of the box. If the cable repair person ever had to reach it, the design intervention could be removed with the help of another person.

This collaboration with Jorge Rigau, FAIA Arquitectos circled around the design of the front façade for the renovated Vieques Archaeological Center. It was decided to treat it as a scroll, on which we were going to write the story of the building. Concentrating on archaeology, it was decided to treat the content in levels, using the original text still present on the building itself. The intervention beings on the main façade, and ends on the security fence of the door in the main entrance. Wood, bronze and laser edged steel are the materials specified for the job.

Specification plans made for the contractor.

Front view of door and façade system.