The city as an opportunity

Latin American cities have grown under “development” models that promote the construction and speculation on the outskirts rather than consolidating what already exists. In many cases the result of this practice has depopulated the central area of many cities. As citizens, we have not questioned how the city is being built, nor who benefits from this growth. We just copy models of “supposed development” and do not stop to see new and innovative answers in what already exists. Orchestrated Squatting finds in the city a new way to inhabit: settle down parasitic housing on flat terraces, making use of countless underutilized city spaces, creating a new habitable layer at very low cost and without involving large urban economic investments.

Spreading the virus

This new layer of “available land” should be controlled by public policies that stimulate city densification by new ways of inhabiting. The replicability of the idea not only generates an alternative to the urban sprawl growth, but it will let identify and empower people with economic, social and environmental awareness who seek an alternative option to the status quo. As one of the architects is the prototype’s user, we understand the importance of customization due to familiar composition, habits, personal stuff, desires, and so on, in such tiny spaces. The architectonic project is meant to be modified and customized for each user and the idea is to be replicated by anyone anywhere safely and freely, that’s why everything is open source free to copy.

Lightweight lifestyle

Are all the square meters that we built to live comfortably necessary? Are we building only for fulfilling a status quo imposed by the consumption society? The planet has reached its breaking point, the environmental crisis reaches a non-return status. Our lifestyle should change, stop consuming as much as possible and live with what we need to. Orchestrated Squatting is an option of conscious, efficient and responsible consumption. A small-scale action that adds up to the global actions to tackle the environmental crisis. It is a mindset change in society: live well with less, and stop being consumption prisoners. It is a question for every human being about how much each one needs to inhabit. Paraphrasing Seneca: poor is not the one who has little but the one who needs a lot.