Final+presentation


 * English Final Project **

My final project for the course of //aprovechamiento y conservación de ambientes terrestres// is to work with a place located in Caracas or its surroundings in which there is a new urban development; and based on the information of the constructions in the location, and the characteristics of the environment, make our own plan for the best use of the area, thinking how to maintain a good lifestyle for generations to come. Our plan must also include a guide that the citizens, supported by the local government, can follow in order to maintain in good conditions the natural environment that involves their community. My group and I have chosen the neighborhood called Solar Del Hatillo, which is located in Municipio El Hatillo, right next to the National Park Cueva del Indio. We are focusing specifically on the residential building called Villa Ávila, which is a project that started in 2008 and nowadays is in the process of building and lifting the infrastructure. It will be ready to use approximately in the year 2012. Villa Ávila is a project directed toward the middle and upper class. It consists of a complex of seven buildings that will contain one storey and two storey apartments, that will vary from 80 square meters to 123 square meters, a few will have a private backyard or a terrace. All these variations were thought to accommodate either a whole family or a single person according to their different needs of space distribution. It will have wide recreational areas including a pool, tennis courts, and many gardens, where people can develop a social life in a safe environment and this way avoiding traffic and city noises. The main structure of the complex, as you can see in the image, is made of three basic materials: brick, iron and reinforced concrete. The beams, columns and staircases are made of iron and filled with concrete, and both the load-bearing and non-bearing walls are built with bricks made of clay put together with mortar. As I said before, the new neighborhood El Solar Del Hatillo is located in Municipio el Hatillo. This area of Caracas is known for its warm temperature, which varies between 24°-28° Celsius. Near the construction site the “El Indio” stream is located; this stream will be receiving the rain water through the drainage system of the area. The territory has an irregular topography, with slopes around 40%. The slopes over 40% will need a retaining wall, and in the ones above 40% new forests will be generated in order to prevent possible slides (mass movements). Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the future inhabitants of this community and of the local government to maintain this neighborhood nice, clean, safe and especially pleasing for the next generations that will make it their home. The first aspect to consider is the amount of population that this sector can receive. It is crucial not to exceed it in order to assure a quieter life with no traffic congestion or shortage of public services like water and electricity. The local government must be especially careful with the garbage disposal since this neighborhood is right next to a National Park, a green area that must be preserved. As a conclusion one could say that even though this urban development has unfavorable conditions due to the irregular topography of the area, and the fact that it is next to a National Park, it is a reality that the housing demand in the city of Caracas is constantly growing, this entails to build in such spaces. So what the future inhabitants and the local government can do is to collaborate in order to make the community of Solar del Hatillo sustainable.

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