B.Arch Thesis

lines
walls
the dynamic human spirit
Patrick Cordelle
B.Arch Thesis 2014-2015
Studio 400, Karen Lange
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo

Patrick Cordelle
B.Arch Thesis 2014-2015
Studio 400, Karen Lange
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo

lines
walls
the dynamic human spirit
Patrick Cordelle
B.Arch Thesis 2014-2015
Studio 400, Karen Lange
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo

Contents
8 Prologue
11 Statement
14 Transforming a Line
17 Masterplan: Urban Generators
18 Where the Line Meets the Ocean
22 La Línea Borrosa
41 Lines Thesis Research
60 History
71 Inspiration
75 Process Site, Development, Experiments
94 STUCK Thesis Book Installation
98 Blackboard
105 References

Paul Klee, The Angel of History. 1920

7

PROLOGUE
Once, a land was divided by an imaginary line. The north and
the south were created.
The northerners had wealth. They lived in large merchant
built houses in sprawling suburbs. Together, they commuted to
work, millions of individual bubbles on a vast choked freeway.
There were pool parties in the summer and green lawns tended
by invisible gardeners. Food, electronics, automobiles, and
clothing were overabundant. Life was seemingly easy for the
northerners. They were fat, but they were not happy. Many were
fearful.
The southerners were poor. They lived in small, handmade
homes that, in many cases, barely provided them with the basic
elements of shelter. They worked hard to survive and their diet
was basic. These people lived a simple yet complex existence.
What they lacked in monetary wealth they made up for in
culture and the arts. In some ways, they were happier than
their counterparts to the north, but decent jobs were difficult
to find. In search of work, there was always the temptation of
the north.
In the beginning, crossing was easy and safe because
northerners needed cheap labor. As the population of
southerners in the north grew, the northerners feared that
their lives of excess and privilege may somehow be threatened.
The north resorted to a brutal use of architecture. They built a
wall to deter northern migration.
The wall was a symbol. It was a line between wealth and poverty.
It stood 14 feet tall crowned with menacing swirls of razor
wire. It stopped and started infrequently. The construction was
shoddy and the materials were cheap. The wall indiscriminately
split and destroyed communities along its path.
The psychological power of the wall was both its greatest
strength and its greatest weakness. Ironically, the wall
ultimately encouraged migration north.
With dreams of a better life, the southerners climbed over the
fence and they tunneled under it. They went deeper into the
wilderness and crossed the border where the fence did not exist.
On their journey to cross, the migrants encountered thieves,
harassment, extortion, murder, the Border Patrol, and exposure
to the elements. Many failed and many died, but more succeeded.
The rate of illegal crossings directly correlated to the
northern demands for inexpensive labor.
After decades, the northerners became a minority in their own
land. To protect their interest, they manipulated the laws
and compromised democracy, assuring their electorate. They
withdrew into conservative, deaf tribes. Religious views were
manipulated to validate their contempt. The northerners lost
the ability to perceive their southern neighbors as fellow
human beings.

Perspective Shift digital
9

My thesis is a study of people and the lines and walls that separate them.
Specifically, I am interested in the border condition between the United
States and Mexico.
I grew up in San Diego with a distant appreciation of its sister city, Tijuana. I
loved my home but I also loved the fact that a new world was always close. It
is a special kind of freedom to be able to enter a new realm when you wish.
I study this issue because I believe the border can be an armature for
change and an example for the rest of the world. My project seeks to transform
lines of duality to lines of connection and inclusion.
I want to encourage a new paradigm of democracy through architecture.
This democracy is not patriotic or limited to political boundaries. This is
true human democracy.
11

The field describes a space of propagation, of
effects. It contains no matter or material points,
rather functions, vectors, and speeds. It describes
local relations of difference within fields of clarity,
transmission or of careering points, in a word,
what Minkowksi called the world.
Sanford Kwinter
The Plea of Our Ancestors. digital collage
13

Transforming A Line
This project seeks to transform the line of duality that is the US/
Mexican border to a region of inclusion and urban prosperity.
As the border becomes more and more militarized, it remains a
region of hyper movement and porosity. This cultural, intellectual
and social energy pools at the busiest border crossing in the
world, the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana, Mexico. The
border is not only a border between two countries, but a gateway
between North and South America.
As security along the closed border is heightened, the northern
migration becomes increasingly treacherous. Transgressors face
harassment, extreme environments, extortion, rape, and murder.
They take this risk in search of a better life. In many cases, they
make the journey to be united with family and loved ones.
The negative aspects of a closed border are not only felt south of
the border. Every year, the US pours billions of dollars in public
resources to secure a border that is impossible to secure. On
top of this, the US policy of isolation and separation threatens the
country’s economic survival in a globally interdependent world.

15

Revolucion, Tijuana, Mexico

Renewable energy 10%
Natural Preserve 10%
Transitional Services 10%
Border Commerce/Market 10%
Center for Arts and Culture 20%
Sports and Recreation 10%
Intra-America University 20%
Pacific Ocean
Border View Deck
Proposed Trolley Line
US/Mexican Border
San Ysidro Border Crossing
Masterplan: Urban Generators
Library 10%
The first part of this project is a master plan that aims
to harness the humanistic energy of the region to generate
urban prosperity. These “Urban Generators”
would consist of cultural infrastructure that fosters
and encourages creative and intellectual pursuits,
allowing for the society to prosper from the ground
up. Examples of this infrastructure would include educational
institutions, art centers and venues, sports
facilities, and markets of exchange.
N
Because the border line itself is the core and unifying
entity of the region, it makes sense that this infrastructure
is connected by the line. To promote the
movement of ideas and make these public institutions
accessible, a trolley line running along the border is
proposed. The infrastructure would oscillate above
and below the wall like a wave, rejecting the dualistic
and separatist implications of the line to create a
region of prosperity on both sides of the border.
top: Program Diagram. bottom: Foklorico, Juan Fernandez
17

Where the Line Meets the Ocean
While studying the border region, I became
intrigued by the moment where the line meets
the ocean. Less than 100 yards off shore, the
wall disappears into the ocean. Conceptually,
this site illustrates the fundamental problem with
a closed border; No matter how much we invest
in securing the border, there will always be a
way around.
I decided that this would be the ideal location
to propose a pedestrian border crossing. The
current pedestrian crossing, located at the San
Ysidro checkpoint, lacks human scale and is
not a positive experience. People are lined up
next to a sea of cars and their pollution and
noise. The gateway to the Americas is deserving
of a better experience.
top:looking down the border wall westward. bottom left: San Ysidro Border crossing .bottom right:Bullring by the Sea

19

The Fence at Friendship Park
Moore, John. Getty Images

Louie Palu/ZUMA. Mexico, 2012.
21

In 1971, Friendship Park was created
CA
along the US/Mexico Border as a
binational meeting place. The park
Mexico
was located at a joint San Diego/
Tijuana beach and was a place where friends and
family separated by border politics could meet and
spend time together. In 2009, a secondary border
fence was built severely limiting access to the park.
La Línea Borrosa or the line blurred, is a project
that gives the community a new binational meeting
place without the separation of a fence. The project
consists of a pedestrian border crossing, the Spiral
Pier, and the Americas Gateway Bridge. It is located
at the original site of Friendship Park. There is also
a proposed trolley line, which runs along the border
and connects with the trolley stop at the San Ysidro
border crossing 5 miles to the east.
The Spiral Pier is a wooden and concrete structure
located offshore just beyond where the border fence
disappears into the ocean. The new pier would be
considered a legal gray zone, neither US nor Mexico,
allowing visitors to meet on common ground without
fear of deportation. The Spiral Pier would have access
by trolley or from two pedestrian bridges, one above
the trolley line, and the Americas Gateway Bridge.
The Americas Gateway Bridge is a suspension bridge
that spans from the Spiral pier across the border to
Plaza Monumental de Tijuana, an existing bullring that
has a capacity of 21,000 spectators. By wrapping the
bridge around the bullring, pedestrians are given the
opportunity to view the activities within the bullring.
The pylon for the bridge located in the Spiral Pier
features an elevated view deck, giving visitors a new
aerial perspective on the border region.

E
23

25

Metal Screen
Wood Screen
Spiral Ramp
Truss System
Concrete Platform
Pier Ring

The Americas Gateway Bridge
The Americas Gateway Bridge
Pedestrian Walkway
Pedestrian Walkway
Trolley Line
Trolley Line
Circulation Diagram
Circulation Diagram
27

The Americas Gateway Bridge and the path of the
Spiral Pier could be considered an unconventional
walking promenade. Along the outside of the
spiraling ramp are a series of gathering and
meeting places that could be reserved in
advanced by visiting family and friends. People
could send in pictures before their scheduled visit,
which would be displayed on a large welcoming
screen located at the border crossing on land.
La Línea Borrosa would create a new place
removed from political bias. The Spiral Pier
provides the opportunity to reflect on current
immigration policies and the people that it
impacts.
29

EXIT
EXIT
EXIT
EXIT
1
2
7
6
3
8
9
United States
1 The Spiral Pier
2 Elevator
3 New Perspective View Deck
4 Stairs
5 The Spiral Pier Trolley Stop
6 Amphitheatre
7 Elevator
8 Pedestrian Border Crossing
9 Crossing Trolley Stop
10 Plaza Monumental De Tijuana
(Bullring by the Sea)
11 The Americas Gateway Bridge
One Way Turnstile
5
4
Blur Zone
Mexico
Pedestrian Border Crossing/
Trolley Stop
Floor 1
11
10
Border
Ground Floor
Trolley Line
Border
Floor -1
Av Del Pacifico
Border
50’ 100’ 400’
31

1 The Spiral Pier
2 Gathering & Dining Units
3 New Perspective View Deck
4 The Americas Gateway Bridge
View Deck
116 0”
1
Pedestrian Access
48’ 0”
Trolley Stop
30’ 0”

3
2
4
33

35

37

39

lines
Thesis Research Fall 2014
Studio 400 Karen Lange
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
41

The Treachery of Images. René Magritte

wikipedia on lines:
Definitions versus descriptions
All definitions are ultimately circular in nature since they depend on concepts which
must themselves have definitions, a dependence which can not be continued indefinitely
without returning to the starting point. To avoid this vicious circle certain
concepts must be taken as primitive concepts; terms which are given no definition.
In geometry, it is frequently the case that the concept of line is taken as a primitive.
In those situations where a line is a defined concept, as in coordinate geometry,
some other fundamental ideas are taken as primitives. When the line concept is
a primitive, the behavior and properties of lines are dictated by the axioms which
they must satisfy.
43

A line is a flat wave
The concept of a line is a human invention that serves as a foundation for our visual
communication. Observation tells us that a line is the shortest distance between two
points. Using this simple concept, we can measure our environment and have a
better understanding of our world through mathematics. But it is not a complete and
rational understanding. As an example, π (pi) is an irrational number. This means that
it is impossible to perfectly resolve the relationship between a circle and a line. This
is also true for planes, defined by three points. It is impossible to resolve a sphere by
using one equilateral triangle.
In the natural environment, our concept of lines does not exist. This linearity we perceive
is an illusion. The horizon is a line that we perceive in nature. The illusion of that
line is defined by the edge of an imperfect sphere and infinity. Even a single ray of
light is not straight. It follows the path of an electromagnetic wave.
Waves are dynamic. Waves have amplitude, frequency, and period. They represent
cycles of change. Waves do not generate a duality as lines do. Lines can be perceived
as a wave with an amplitude of zero, or a flat wave.

45

Richard Long. A line made by walking. 1967

Dictionary of the English Language of 1755
Line:
1 Longitudal extension
2 A slender string
3 A thread extended to direct any operations
4 The string that sustains the angler’s hook
5 Lineaments, or marks in the hands or face
6 Delineation, sketch
7 Contour, outline
8 As much as is written from one margin to the other, a verse
9 Rank
10 work thrown up; trench
11 Method, disposition
12 Extension, limit
13 Equator, equinoctial circle
14 Progeny, family, ascending or descending
15 A line is one tenth of an inch
16 A letter; as in, I read your lines
17 Lint or flax
47

Lines are fundamental to our understanding
of the physical world. We communicate
our observations with lines. To know the world is
to know the concept of lines at various definitions.
A Taxonomy of Lines
It is easy to get lost in the sheer depth of the matter.
In order to make the topic of lines more manageable,
it is necessary to create a system of categorizing the
different types of lines. In Tim Ingold’s book Lines:
A Brief History, he places the majority of physical
lines into three groups: threads, traces, and cracks.
Ingold defines a thread as “a filament of some kind,
which may be entangled with other threads or suspended
between two points in three-dimensional
space.” Examples of threads: a spool of string, a
spiders web, veins in a leaf, and an animals fur.
These threads have a surface but they are not drawn
on surfaces.
Traces are defined as “any enduring mark left in or
on a solid surface by a continuous movement.” A
trace is either additive or subtractive. Lines drawn
on a chalk board are additive; the trail of chalk
leaves a new layer of white dust on the board,
producing a mark. A subtractive trace would be a
surface that is etched or scratched. The formation
of the line is created by a subtraction of material.
Animal tracks, hiking trails, and the wood etchings
of Albrecht Dürer would constitute as traces, where
material has been removed to produce a line.
breaking or bending of a surface. There is no addition
or subtraction, and without the surface these
lines would not exist. The furrowed lines of the farmers
field would fit into this category, the plow splitting
the surface of the soil. There are also the lines of
origami figures, where the surface of the paper is
bent to produce creases defining the subject.
Outside of the physical world exists lines that are
intangible. Ingold refers to these lines as ghostly
lines. Humans utilize this type of line in all fields of
study. They are conceptual, abstract and metaphorical.
Dominant in Western culture is the Euclidian
concept of a line, infinitely thin and stretched between
two points on an equally thin and immaterial plane.
The lines we imagine to connect the stars, constellations,
are ghostly in nature.
All lines on a map are within this category. This is
obvious with the geodesic lines of latitude, longitude
and the equator, lines that exist with no physical
counterpart. The lines that describe seafaring voyages,
as seen to the right, are also nonexistent. Even
the lines that define landmass are intangible. They
can only approximately represent the shape of land,
which constantly changes with the ebb and flow of
tide and the rising of oceans.
Many of the lines on a map are the results of politics
and bureaucracy, the lines that define airspace, fishing
waters, and territorial boundaries. Though they
are not physical, they still have real consequences.
Outside of these categories are the lines of cracks,
cuts, and creases. These lines are realized by the

Patrick Ryan Bourgeois, Akshay Mehra. Around the World - Voyages Into the Unknown
49

Ruedi Homberger Canadian Border Swath

Borders
Borders exist continually in flux. They depend on
a never-ending political story and evolve with the
outcome. The lines themselves are decided by
bureaucrats. Planners, surveyors, and policymakers,
“experts” who act not from a perspective of experience,
but typically in the interest of capital. Their work
depends on a measurable and static understanding
of space.
There are essentially two types of borders, mutable
and closed. Mutable borders are associated with prosperity,
energy, and life. Closed borders are associated
with crime, poverty, and ethnic division. Open borders
are demarcated typically with signage or by manipulation
of nature. The Canadian border, for example,
manifests itself with a 40 ft. swaft that cuts through the
natural landscape.
For the last century, closed borders have commonly
been solidified with the construction of a wall.
The Wall An original element of architecture
The wall is defined as a structural plane. Its most
poetic function, defining the space of dwelling, the
home. As man acted upon his instinct of possession,
the destructive possibilities of walls were revealed.
Dividing, controlling, imprisoning, the wall forgot its
noble origins.
As walls are built on closed borders, they promise
security and protection. In reality, regions surrounding
the walls are plagued with violence and death.
The border barriers harden social edges and serve
as obstacles to the movement of humans and their
ideas. Because of their scale, the walls are expensive
to construct and maintenance is consuming.
Why are they built? The reason is that the true power
of walls goes far beyond their ability to secure. Political
walls are symbols that have global power. They are
used as tools to create national identities. Ironically, by
creating the other, walls allow us to identify ourselves.
Though border barriers are associated with destruction,
it is possible to imagine a positive transformation.
This change could be powered by the social, intellectual
and cultural energy in these regions. Lebbeus
Woods envisioned change for the Israeli border wall
in his essay and drawings titled “Wall Games.” He
describes the potential for a closed border to become
the instigator of cooperation.
51

Case Study: Wall Games
In an essay entitled Wall Games, Lebbeus
Woods calls upon Israel to abandon
construction of the wall as an act of self
preservation. By building the wall, they
only serve to isolate themselves which “ultimately
threatens any nation’s survival in a
globally interdependent world.” Lebbeus
continues, “The power of even the strongest
nations can be wasted by their own misplaced
exertions of power, even to the point
where weaker, jealous or vengeful nations
can, by concerted effort, overcome them.”
The wall only serves to hurt its builders,
separating Israel from the world that supports
it. “Israel is creating, in a grotesque
historical twist, history’s largest ghetto.”
Through the act of play, Woods envisions
a new relationship for Israel and Palestine
where competition is used for good.
Woods imagines that Israel comes to a realization:
a wall is not the answer. Construction
of the wall is halted. The free-standing sections
already built would remain, allowing
porosity of the border. These pieces of the
wall would serve as relics of the past and
the site of the wall games.
The field is two sided. The Israelis and
Palestinians create teams consisting of
builders, architects, artists, and performers.
The game progresses as each team builds
on their side of the wall. The sole support
for this construction is the wall and balance
plays a critical role. If the cantilever is not in
balance, the wall falls and the game is over.
Because of this, both sides must play or
there is no point, no winner. Like all games,
the point is to win.
There are three levels of winning in this
game. The first level of winning is simply
keeping the game going. In essence, both
teams win against the wall itself and in the
process a new energy is activated.
The second level of winning pertains to the
constructions themselves. Because each
side represents different cultures, histories,
and aspirations, the constructions
will be different. The architecture of each
side uses different materials, systems and
construction methods. If construction is
similar on each side, the teams cannot win
beyond the first level. Second level winning
requires that one side of construction convert
the other. Conversion of construction
is achieved when its system of order, the
basic system of spatial reference, is transformed
to the system of order on the other
side. As construction progresses, there
will be points in time when one construction
is left open, susceptible to construction
This drawing by Woods illustrates the different spatial orders developing on
each side of the playing field.

Play is a uniquely adaptive act, not subordinate to some other adaptive
act, but with a special function of its own in human experience.
Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens
infiltration from the other side. A successful
attempt at infiltration is clear, strong, and
succinct enough to reorder the opposing
sides system of order.
The highest level of winning is naturally the
most difficult. The third level is achieved
when each side of construction is converted
not by the opposing side, but by an
entirely new system of order. Both sides win
because they have transcended together
to a more multivalent state. Competitors
become co-inhabiters. States of opposition
are superseded. A new, greater hybrid
system is created.
This game is meant for the new generation
of Israelis and Palestinians, those who
are tired of the destructive self-defeating
nature of the previous game. By using the
approach of games, hostility and hatred are
diminished. Woods points to the Ping-Pong
matches between China and the United
States and the Olympics, where, “Even
the most bitterly opposed adversaries who
learn to play together find it difficult to kill
each other.”
Various illustrations of the Wall games
in progress.
The following pages are a series of drawings
continuing where Lebbeus Woods left
off. These games take place on the U.S.-
Mexico border wall.
53

Above: Each side begins with balance in mind. They utilize whatever materials they can find. Right: As the games progresses, the structures grow and
engage the opposing construction.

55

Above: Attempts at spatial conversion would appear as a poetic structural dance in slow
motion. To the left, third level winning is achieved. The result is a new order of space, a
hybrid of the two original spatial constructions.
57

Walls of Change
In another essay entitled Walls of Change, Woods continues
to explore the idea of walls as armature for change.
He looks at Havana, Cuba, which has the interesting condition
of a city within a city. There is the area frequented
by tourists, where money continually flows in and the
architecture is sustained to preserve business. The city
within this city is La Habana Vieja, the old town, which
exists in a state of decay. Because no tourists visit, there
is money flow to maintain upkeep of the district. Wooden
trusses span across streets, bracing buildings to prevent
them from collapsing.
Because foreign investors have no incentive to help La
Habana Vieja, the only possibility for saving this historical
area is from the ground up. Woods proposes a series of
walls be built that act as infrastructure to re-generate the
city. These walls would be technological, providing services
like water purification and energy production, what
Woods calls “urban batteries.” Living units could plug
into this system of walls, and slowly the endangered old
city would self-generate by cultivating various sources of
energy, social and otherwise.
Left: wooden trusses spanning across streets to prevent collapse of buildings. Right:
a section drawing of Walls of Change by Lebbeus Woods.
Initially, there would be a need for outside professionals
to build these mechanical walls of change. Their services
would be a donation to preserve a unique history of the
greater city. Over time, this infrastructure would generate
its own growth. The community would foster its own group
of designers and builders, whose skills and techniques
with improve over time. They would build spontaneously
as needs arise and these buildings would exist in the
voids of previously destroyed buildings. Ultimately, La
Habana Vieja would become self-sustaining and an
important piece of history would be preserved.

This mixed media drawing explores what a Wall of Change might look like at the US/Mexican Border. The wall would appear
spontaneous, built as needs of the community arise. The main source of power would be the collective effort of local people.
59

History
61

Historical Confrontations
63

A Brief History
To understand the current situation at the Mexican
American border, one must understand major historical
events of the region. The earliest remains
of human civilization in Mexico date back 23,000
years ago. The first major Mexican settlement was
by the Aztecs, who established a city on an island
in the lake of Tenochtitlan in AD 1300, modern
day Mexico City. This settlement would become
the capitol of the Aztec empire and would prosper
for over 200 years until the arrival of the Spanish
explorer Hernan Cortez in 1521. Hernan Cortez
razed the city in name of Spain’s Reconquista. In
its place, Spain built a new city that served as the
capital of their south american colonies.
For 300 years the Spanish ruled Mexican territory
until Mexican revolutionaries under Agustin
de Iturbide reclaimed power over Mexico City.
Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821.
At this point, Mexico struggled to maintain unity
within the newly unified country. One issue they
were united on was refusing to recognize the
United States ownership of Texas. At this time
Mexico included a region from California to Texas.
The military and diplomatic capabilities of Mexico
declined after it attained independence. The
northern half of the country was vulnerable to the
native Americans. The Indians took advantage
of Mexico’s weakness and undertook large-scale
raids hundreds of miles deep into the country.
They stole livestock for their own use and to
supply the market in Texas and the United States.
The Indian raids left thousands of people dead
and devastated northern Mexico. When American
troops entered northern Mexico in 1846,
they found a demoralized people. There was
little resistance to the Americans from the civilian
population. The result of this war was the treaty of
Hidalgo in 1848, where America acquired more
than 500,000 square miles of valuable territory
and emerged as a world power in the late nineteenth
century. This land included all or part of
ten states: California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona,
Texas, part o f Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma,
and New Mexico. The remaining parts of
New Mexico and Arizona were peacefully purchased
under the Gadsden Purchase.
From this point on there has been a consistent
flow of latin migration to north america. The first
examples of this were encouraged by the United
States. In 1883 Chinese labor was reduced
because of the Chinese Exclusion Act and railroad
companies were in desperate need of cheap
labor. They recruited Mexican workers by the
thousands. The first border patrol on the Mexican
border was established in 1904, but not to
stop the migration of Mexicans. It was used to
stop Asian workers from entering through Mexico.
In 1910 the Mexican Revolution began. It was
a bloody civil war that lasted 10 years and cost
the lives of over a million people. During this war
tens of thousands of Mexicans fleed to the United
States for safety. After the revolution ended, the

M. Bonne. North America. 1780
65

Louie Palu. 2012
immigration act was signed in the US, which was
designed to halt the flow of immigrants, particularly
of asian descent. During this year more than 89,000
Mexican immigrants came into the United States on
permanent visas.
From 1942 to 1954 the United States ran a program
that allowed Mexican workers to temporarily work in
the United States. In 1954 Operation Wetback began.
3.8 million people of Mexican Heritage were deported
back to Mexico. This event marked a turn in the American
sentiment towards Mexican immigration.
Probably the single biggest influence on the flow of
latin migrants north was the signing of the North American
Free Trade Agreement. The agreement became
an unmitigated disaster, costing the United States
millions of jobs and billions of dollars in exports. The
worst effects of NAFTA were felt south of the border.
The country’s annual per capita growth flat-lined to an
average of just 1.2 percent, one of the lowest in the
hemisphere. Its real wage declined and unemployment
went up.
As heavily subsidized U.S. corn and other staples
poured into Mexico, producer prices dropped and
small farmers found themselves unable to make a
living. Over two million Mexicans have been forced to
leave their farms since NAFTA. As a result, 20 million
Mexicans live in “food poverty”. Twenty-five percent of
the population does not have access to basic food and
one-fifth of Mexican children suffer from malnutrition.
Transnational industrial corridors in rural areas have
contaminated rivers and sickened the population.
NAFTA was responsible for unprecedented Mexican
migration north, over half a million people a year. This
massive increase in migration lead to a new series of
acts that aimed to stop immigration from the south.
The first in this series of events was started with Clinton’s
re-election campaign in 1996, which focused on
securing the borders. The next big step was in 2006,
after 9/11 and fears of terrorism gave George Bush the
perfect platform to enable the secure fence act, a law
that would build 700 miles of fence on the 2,000 mile
southern border. There was an annual budget allotted
to the border patrol amounting to over 3 billion dollars
that still exists today. It is estimated that to maintain
the border for another 15 years will cost american tax
payers 49 billion dollars.
Since all of this effort, it is estimated that migration north
has more or less stayed constant since the signing
of NAFTA. In 2009, over 650,000 Mexicans crossed
the border. There have also been no decrease in the
amount of drugs smuggled across the border, another
major agenda of the secure fence act.
Today people of Mexican descent make up 32% of all
foreign born citizens in the US. This population is concentrated
in southwestern United States. It is forecast
that the United States will become the largest Spanishspeaking
country in the world by 2050 and Spanish will
be the second-most-spoken language on the planet,
surpassed only by Chinese.
67

La Linea
The Mexican American border is unique situation in that
it serves as both a connection and a barrier between a
country of excess and a country of wants, a world super
power and a developing country. It is the busiest border
in the world. Over recent decades, American militarization
of the border has consistently increased. Despite
this, the border remains permeable with over one million
border crossers daily. It is anticipated that the endurance
of immigration will remain strong in the future.
The Interdependent Border Region
A Country of Its own
There is a reciprocal relationship between sister cities in
the border region. The area has its own character and
its own problems that aren’t seen elsewhere in either
country. The capital cities of both countries are located
far away from the border and this distance is representative
of the federal governments general involvement
in the region. This has left local governments largely
responsible for the management of issues that arise
with the border dynamic. Because of a lack of federal
involvement, the border region has essentially become
a third country.
Examples of this interdependence are numerous. In
the US city of Brownsville, Texas, firefighters routinely
cross the border to respond to emergencies in the towns
sister city of Matamoros, Mexico. All across the border
region there are hospitals that have developed shuttles
to move patients across borders for different medical
treatments. The cities of Juarez and El Paso share a
common ground aquifer which is the primary source of
water for both cities.
Labor is a major aspect of the border regions interdependence.
The maquiladora program, established in 1960,
was a way for US companies to take advantage of cheap
operation costs in Mexico. The program allowed companies
from America to bring manufacturing and assembly
work to Mexico, and ship back final products without tariffs
or export taxes. The program grew exponentially after
the signing of NAFTA, which dropped virtually all trade
barriers between Mexico and the US and also caused a
steep drop in the cost of Mexican labor.
Another major aspect of immigration is America’s
dependence on the cheap labor of the undocumented
Mexican community. The economic success of places
like California and Illinois is largely credited to this labor
force. The migrant community is also fundamental to
America’s access to cheap goods and services. Illegal
immigrants have provided a cheap affluent lifestyle for
Americans. Cheap gardeners, babysitters, busboys,
cooks, cleaners…
The American agricultural system, worth over 28 billion
dollars, is completely dependent on undocumented
laborers. It provides Americans with a low cost of food
that they have grown used to. Because of this, the
American government has unofficially tolerated the
undocumented population in order to maintain the economic
benefits of cheap labor.
In 1950, there were 16 workers per retiree in America. In
2050, it is estimated that this ratio will be 1.3:1. Without
a consistent flow of migrant workers in America, it is
undoubtable that America would face huge shortages
of labor.
Our [federal governments] treat us like a third
country, so we might as well act like one.
former mayor of Juarez, Gustavo Elizondo

This issue of labor is reciprocal. Mexico has consistently
had difficulty providing its population with work throughout
history. Without work, the flow of Mexicans north is
inevitable. This exodus of people is not discouraged
by the government. An example of this is the Guia del
Migrante Mexicano (The Mexican Migrant Guide), a 22
page illustrated document explaining the safest way to
cross the border illegally, filled with tips and strategies
to evade immigration authorities. The guide was posted
on the official website for the Mexican Ministry of Foreign
affairs.
is the fact that the majority of Mexican and American
tourists never travel beyond the border region. In 2003,
out of 10 million Mexican visitors, only 3 million traveled
to the interior of the US. In this same year, out of 18 million
foreign tourists in Mexico, 8 million went south of
the border region.
In 2005, immigrants sent over 50 billion dollars back to
Latin America. Of this money, Mexico received 20 billion
dollars, which is more than all the money received
through tourism and 71% of Mexican crude oil exports,
Mexico’s two biggest money revenues. In 2006, the
amount of remittance in Mexico rose to $24 billion. As
one can imagine, many communities throughout Mexico
are hugely reliant on this external money for survival, as
well as the Mexican economy itself.
As much as America relies on cheap Mexican labor,
Mexico relies on its population migrating north to provide
its people with jobs.
Like the economic relationship between Mexico and the
US, the tourism economies are also reciprocal. Mexico
is the number one tourist destination for Americans and
vice versa. Along with crude oil and remittances from
America, the tourism industry is extremely important to
the economy of Mexico. Americans almost single-handedly
drive this industry, accounting for over 88% of all
foreign tourists that visit Mexico. One interesting aspect
of this tourism relationship between Mexico and America
69

Inspiration
71

White Arkitekter, CPH. Denmark, Kastrup Sea Bath
Photo:

Amager Stranvej
73

Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Photo: George Steinmetz

St. Petersburg Pier, Michael Maltzan Architecture
75

Process
77

Site: Joint US/Mexico Beach
CA
Mexico
San Diego, California
Secondary Border Fence
US/Mexico Border
Tijuana, Mexico
Plaza Monumental De Tijuana
(BullRing by the Sea)

Plaza Monumental De Tijuana (BullRing by the Sea)
site diagram sketches
79

Ideas
I chose the joint US/Mexico beach for three reasons. First, the site is
a naturally beautiful landscape with the Pacific and the mountaneous
terrain in the background. I also thought it was amazing to see how the
density of mexico pushes up right against the border fence, visually
illustrating the immense energy that pools along the US/Mexico border.
The moment where the border fence disappears into the ocean was
also an important aspect of the site. It illustrates one of the fundamental
problems with trying to create a closed border, people will always have
a way around. By placing a binational space offshore, it is beyond the
reach of the border fence and all of its connotations
The Bullring was the third aspect of the site that I knew I wanted to
incorporate into my project. I saw the Bullring by the Sea as an object
representing the vibrant and rich culture of Latin America.
Elevation Diagram

81

The Spiral Pier
Monument to Latin immigration
section
section
The pier structure spirals up into the air and down into the water. By
going up, people would be given a new perspective on the border
region. By going down into the water, the structure would interact with
the water and its changing tide. I then connected the spiral pier to the
bullring via a suspension bridge, which also spans over the border.
I thought about creating a binational garden space in the buffer zone
between the border fence and the secondary border fence. I ended
up moving this space out to the Spiral Pier, which is a more desirable
place for people to spend time together.
shadows

A
B
83

Spiral Pier Section
85

A 1
Checkpoint Wrecking Ball
Detail Concept
This detail consists of a pedestrian
turnstile, a system of gears, and
a wrecking ball. As people pass
through the checkpoint, a wrecking
ball is slowly lifted and then suddenly
released, smashing into the border
wall. Powered by the action of people
crossing, the checkpoint would ultimately
destroy itself.
2
3
4

A
87

Site Relic
When exploring connections within an environment
a prescribed process produces
prescribed results. The complexity of
ecologies is deep and vast. By use of intuitive
manipulation, sculpture, the subject is
rendered unfamiliar. It is possible for new
interpretations and understandings. New
axis, extensions, localizations and potentials
are realized.
The subject in this case is the US/Mexico
border. A place of exceeding complexity
due to a relatively simplistic condition: the
wall. Intended to separate and divide, it has
become an environment of hyper movement
and intense porosity. Here the effects of local
and global forces converge and magnify.
The wall, an obstacle to human movement
and survival, drives the innovation of new systems
of movement. These systems go under,
over, and through the wall. Tunnels, ladders,
and holes are utilized. Authorities constantly
attempt to secure these weaknesses, driving
the innovation farther. It is a game.
In order to study the systems of movement,
the architectural section is employed. The
physical presence of the wall is quiet relative
to its metaphorical implications. This becomes
apparent when the sections are cut and relationships
can be observed simultaneously.

89

Process
Starting with subterranean systems, the
structures of tunnels are constructed. These
structures are as alive as their creators;
moving, growing, and adapting for survival.
Growth is limited by resources, in this case,
a box of model scraps. The paths weave
and turn to avoid rock, infrastructure, and
above all, detection.
The structures are wrapped with plastic film
in order to preserve the spaces of tunnel
structures. The earth, represented by plaster,
is poured and built up into a terrain.
The wall indescriminately runs through this
terrain.

91

93

STUCK
Installation // Thesis Research Book Show
Created by Studio 400, STUCK is a
web like structure created to house the
thesis research books of the studio. The
installation, consisting of 600 rolls of tape
and two steel box frames, was located in
the Simpson Strong Tie Building on the
California Polytechnic Campus in San Luis
Obispo. The tension tape structure had
over a dozen tendrils shooting out from the
core and latching onto the structure that
the installation occupied. These tendrils
became more intimate spaces where
visitors could sit and read the research
books. In the evenings, STUCK changed
character by turning off the lights and
projecting various videos onto the tape.

95

97

Blackboard
Vellum Furniture Competiton entry 2014
Blackboard adds a new dimension to
the typical chalkboard. The double
sided chalkboard surface has two
positions, vertical and horizontal. In
the vertical position, two people can
work separately and simultaneously.
By means of a pin connection, the
surface rotates in its frame, turning
into a chalkboard table where multiple
people can stand around and share
their ideas together.
When upright, the chalkboard stands
close to the ground so users of all
heights can use the surface without
adjustment. In the horizontal position,
the chalkboard is at typical table height
so users can sit at the table if desired.
In order to make the transition from
vertical to horizontal fluid, blackboard
features a pulley and counterweight
system integrated into the frame.

99

HOW DO
YOU FEEL I FEEL ISOLATED AND
ONNECTED PASSIVE NOT AND RESPONDING, NOT UNTIL NOW I
participate in life falling into
EMENTS
a
ipate
f Tenochtitlan in AD 1300, which is modern day Mexico City. Tis settlement would become the capitol of the Aztec empire and would prosper for
GUESS COMMUNICATING ON SO MANY LEVELS SIMULTANEOUSL
of fow was by the Aztecs, who established a city on an island in the lake of Tenochtitlan in AD 1300, which is modern day Mexico C
e this is the most in my self I’ve been so far the of the information im receiving, its like somethat
static a workshop for experimental literature be attentive to the accident the possibility of play leave
nterest in how it works unpredictable meanings and efects specifc meanings are less mportant than
orms of spatial segmentation allowing freedom remake the habitat vertical circula
es are conceptual and metaphorical. Tey trace the constellations
the accident the
N OF CONTAINER INFORMATION LANDSCAPE WEAVING OPPORTUNISTICALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF E
e dead and devastated northern Mexico. When American troops entered northern Mexico in 1846 they found a demoralized people. Tere was little resistance to the Americans from the civilian population. Te result of this war was the treaty of Hidalgo in 1848, where America acquired more than 500,000 square miles of valuable territory and
tion what passes may be a message parasite and static prevent it from being heard be attentive we are concerned with the formation and distribution what passes may be a message parasite and static prevent it from being heard be attentive
its like the dream
its like the dream its like im being prepared for something a fgure in another persons dream life is not a dream and beware and bewar e a nd so many the
the iguana will bite those who do not dream that is self awareness lines walls and dreams you might fnd yourself walking through a dream parking lot
this entire thing we are involved with life is
its like im bein
its like im bein
g
g
its like the dream
its like the
its like the
its like
its like
its
its
its
its like the dream its
its like the dream its
its
its
its
its
its
is happening now i do not exactly disagree bug me i go salsa dancing with my confusion
vast sprawling houses like a well tended crop swirl of houses
tion is the event felds of encounter his
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ive got the singular of a constant perspectiv
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e open to change a
do you drive a boat car? Tis must be like parallel universe
entation allowing freedom remake the habitat vertical
a propagation of efects careening points distinguish tactical sense of the notion of feld constraints systematic ways of doing things simple structure open to change a propagation of efects careening points distinguish tactical
happening vast sprawling houses like a well tended crop swirl of houses and streets astonishing clarityoutward patterns a hiero
undecipherable forces nothing was
ic
glyphic sense absolute clarity of relationships and structures
its like the dream its like im being prepared for something a fgure in another persons dream life is not a dream and beware and beware and so many the on going wow
d programing into a non specifc fow of events dissolving boun
necessarily react containing no m
ants sent over 50 billion dollars back t
Permeable boundaries, fexible internal relationships, multiple pathways and fuid hierarchies are capable of responding to
ace
Even the lines that defn Even the lines that
what are these strange intermediate zones strict demarcation systems, networks, intermediate zones micro tonality
i do not exactly disagre
Te lines in this category are human
sdfsdf
geod
be dif
ive got the singular of a constant perspective
√ Even the lines that defne landmass are in-
Permeable boundaries, fexible internal relationships,
Te lines in this category
Te lines in this category are human constructs. Tese lines are
conceptual and metaphorical. Tey tr
cult to say is this art or a diagram for art l
e bug me i go salsa dancing with my
felds of
reedom remake the habitat vertical circulation is the event felds of
liqu
an abstract machinE feedback moves reiterative processes systems of fow informatio n e x c h ange these types
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ou drive a boat ca
i do n

ing f
evee the
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o Latin America.
uld be difcult to say is this art or a diagram for art levee the degree of f
person who you appear to be is not who you really are amental model at the station at the pay phon you looked
dries between interior
of networks the message may not be communicate
BEEN A CONSISTENT
d with absolute smoothness it wo
LEMENTS FIELD CONDITIONS LOOSE ENVELOPE, CREATING INTERSTITIAL SPACE ABSOLUTE FORMAL CONTROL
ormal control is loose absolute formal control pay attention to the material properties of elements set
how do you feel i feel isolated and connected passive not and responding, not until now i guess communicating on so many levels simultane-
r major aspect of immigration is America’s dependence on the cheap labor of the undocumented Mexican community. The economic success of pl
its like the dream its like im b
ify rigid programing into a non specifc fow of events dissolving boundries between interior and outside —- sound familiar? how does koolhaass do this
elds of encounot
exactly disagree
g me i go s
bu
alsa danc
an abstract machinE feedback moves reiterative processes systems of fow information exchange these types of networks the message may not be communicated with absolute smoothness
-
101
g freedom remake the habi
Re

Architecture and war are not incompatible.
Architecture is war. War is architecture.
I am at war with my time, with history, with all authority
that resides in fixed and frightened forms.
I am one of millions who do not fit in, who have no home, no family,
no doctrine, no firm place to call my own, no known beginning or end,
no “sacred and primordial site.”
I declare war on all icons and finalities, on all histories
that would chain me with with my own falseness, my own pitful fears.
I know only moments, and lifetimes that are as moments,
and forms that appear with infinite strength, then “melt into air.”
I am an architect, a constructor of worlds,
a sensualist who worships the flesh, the melody,
a silhouette against the darkening sky.
I cannot know your name. Nor can you know mine.
Tomorrow, we begin together the construction of a city.
Lebbeus Woods

References
Images
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Silberman, Till & Ward. Walls, Borders, Boundaries. 2012
Romero Fernando, Lar. Hyper-Border: The Contemporary U.S.-
Mexico Border and Its Future. 2008. Princenton Architectural
Press
Dunn, Timothy. The Militarization of the U.S.-Mexico Border
1978-1992. 1996. Center for Mexican American Studies
Spener, David & Staudt, Kathleen. The U.S.-Mexico Border:
Transcending Divisions, Contesting Identities. 1998. Lynne
Rienner Publisher Inc.
Woods, Lebbeus. Wall Games. November 9, 2009.
lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com
Woods, Lebbeus. Walls of Change. May 28, 2010.
lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com
Gargiani, Roberto. Rem Koolhaas OMA: The Construction of
Merveilles. 2008. Routledge
Linklater, Richard. Waking Life. 2001
Jacobsen, Claire. XYZ: The Architecture of Dagmar Richter.
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Allen, Stan. Field Conditions 1985
Kwinter, Samuel. La Cita Nuova: Modernity and Continuity.
Zone no. ½
p 8. Klee, Paul. The Angel of History. 1920
p 10. Cordelle, Patrick. Perspective Shift. 2015
p 13. Cordelle, Patrick. The Plea of Our Ancestors. digital collage. 2015
p 20. Moore, John. Getty Images
p 21. Palu, Louie. Mexico, 2012.
p 40. Magritte, René. The Treachery of Images. 1929
p 43. Cordelle, Patrick. Waves. 2015
p 44. Long, Richard. A Line Made By Walking. 1967
p 47. Bourgeois, Patrick. Mehra, Akshay. Around the World - Voyages Into the
Unknown.
p 48. Homberger, Ruedi. Canadian Border Swath
p 28-29. Woods, Lebbeus. Wall Games
p 52-55. Cordelle, Patrick. Wall Games: US/Mexico Border 2015
p 56. Woods, Lebbeus. Walls of Change
p 57. Cordelle, Patrick. Section: Wall of Change 2015
p 60-61. Cordelle, Patrick. Historical Confrontations 2015
p 41. M. Bonne. North America. 1780
p 42. Palu, Louie. Border Fence. 2012
p 44. Romero Fernando, Lar. Border Region Diagram
p 68-69. Cordelle, Patrick. Inspiration 2015
p 70-71. Stranvej, Amager. Kastrup Seabath, CPH, DK.
p 72. Steinmetz , George. The Spiral Jetty
p 103. Cordelle, Patrick. Research 2015
105