scs: galapagos, the wall: scout’s centre
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The   Ecuadorian   Government,   through   its   Consejo   de   Gobierno   de   Galápago ,   invited   The   Scarcity   and   Creativity   Studio   (SCS)   with   the   aim   of   providing   facilities   for Galapagos   communities   who   had      not   yet   benefited   from   the   development   of   the   tourist   sector,   which   is   the   main   source   of   income   of   the   Galapagos   Archipelago.   By recognizing   that   Galapagos   is   a   unique   place   in   this   planet,   the   Galapagos   Administration   wished   to   ensure   that   the   facility   provided   not   only   met   the   functional requirements of the local community, but also contributed to the prestige of Galapagos through its artistic merit.
The    Galápagos   Islands   are   an   archipelago    of   volcanic   islands    distributed   on   either   side   of   the   Equator    in   the   Pacific   Ocean,   906   km   west   of continental    Ecuador ,   of   which   they   are   a   part,   with   a   population   of   around   25,000.   The   islands   are   known   for   their   vast   number   of   endemic   species   which   were   studied   by   Charles   Darwin    during   the   voyage   of   the   Beagle    in   1835   and   contributed   to   the   inception   of   Darwin’s   theory   of   evolution    by natural selection . In   1978   Galapagos    was   designated   a   UNESCO   World   Heritage   site,   signifying   its   “outstanding   value   to   humanity.”    Unlike   other   oceanic   archipelagos, the   ecological   and   evolutionary   processes   characteristic   of   Galapagos   have   been   minimally   affected   by   human   activities,   and   the   archipelago   still retains most of its original, unique biodiversity. The   main   traditional   economic   activity   of   Galapagos   was   fishing.   Since   around   1980   tourism   has   surpassed   fishing   to   become   the   main   industry,   employing   almost   40%   of local   residents   and   contributing   65.4%   of   the   archipelago’s   gross   domestic   product.   Despite   the   estimated   annual   influx   of   $150m   from   tourism   into   the   Galapagos economy, poverty remains a serious problem. Tourism is restricted to a few sites, and consequently benefits some, but not all, of Galapago’s residents. The   site   for   the   project   was   located   in   Puerto   Baquerizo   Moreno   that    has   a   population   of   5000   and   is   the    capital    of    Galápagos   Province.   It   is   located on the southwestern coast of   San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago.
Since    1998    the    Galapagos    Scouts    Program    has    been    educating    local    underprivileged    children    on    the    importance    of    creating    a    sustainable community   for   their   future   health   and   welfare   and   that   of   the   Galapagos   Islands.   This   education   gives   them   the   opportunity   to   consider   careers   in the Galapagos National Park, the tourism sector, and the local Navy. The Scouts owned a site in the upper part of Baquerizo Moreno that was earmarked for a building to accommodate their diverse activities. The   program   for   the   building   consisted   of   a   classroom   for   30   people,   workshops   for   craft   teaching,   a   small   office,   accommodation   for   3   visiting teachers,   and   cooking   and   toilet   facilities.   Sustainability   is   another   major   concern   of   the   Galapagos   Administration   so   we   chose   bamboo,   which   is local and renewable, as the main building material.
To   ensure   the   success   of   the   project   SCS   staff   travelled   to   Galapagos   in   April   2016   to   agree   the   procedure   and   responsibilities   for   the   different   parts of   the   project.   SCS   staff   traveled   to   Galapagos   in   April   2016   to   meet   with   the   Consejo   de   Gobierno   de   Galápagos ,   Mr   Juan   Chávez,   Director   de Producción   y   Desarrollo   Humano,    to   organise   the   project   and   agree   on   mutual   responsibilities   and   tasks   which   would   ensure   the   successful completion   of   the   project.   Unfortunately   the   Consejo   de   Gobierno   de   Galápagos    did   not   fulfill   their   part   of   the   agreement   and   the   project   for   a Scout’s   Centre   had   to   be   cancelled,   as   there   was   not   enough   time   to   complete   those   parts   which   the   Galapagos   Administration   had   commited   to doing and to finish the building process.
SCS, The Wall, Galapagos, Plans.
SCS, The Wall, Galapagos, Elevations.
Student Team: Åsmund Amandus Steinsholm, Cecilia Sundt, Guro Langemyhr, Jan Kazimierz Godzimirski, Magdalena Georgieva Alfredova, Magnus Hermstad, Synnøve Solberg, Jørgen Joacim Høy, Therese Andrea Nygaard, Torunn Oland Stjern, Vilde Vanberg, Viola Ulrika Kristin Svens, Wilma Hiemstra, Yaohan Yu. Teachers: Christian Hermansen, Solveig Sandness and Joseph Kennedy Colaborators: Torgeir Blaalid and Finn-Erik Nilsen. Sponsors: Lund & Slaatto Nordic MAD 4B ARKITEKTER AS ØKAW ARKITEKTER Byggindustrien Astrup og Hellern LPO Lund Hagem Flakk
SCS, The Wall, Galapagos, The Design Team.
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