Historic Preservation/Advanced Design Studio Mexico: Travels to Oaxaca

Feb. 1 to 8, 2015, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A group of people pose outdoors in front of an old stone building, holding a colorful sign with Spanish text about cultural heritage and education. The weather is sunny with a clear blue sky.

In preparation for the Spring 2015 Advanced Design Historic Preservation Studio, students (led by faculty Benjamin Ibarra Sevilla) traveled to Oaxaca de Juarez, OAX, Mexico for a week at the beginning of the semester. The students were tasked with an intenstive restoration and adaptive reuse design of the Instituto de Ciencias y Artes Building in Oaxaca City. While on-site, students documented the building—collecting extensive field measurements and photographic documentation. Additionally, Professor Ibarra guided the students to precedent historic interventions throughout the city and surrounding countryside to serve as inspiration for the design of Ciencia y Artes.