Ecosystemic interscalarity

The case of the “Cerros Isla” of Santiago de Chile

Abstract

In the current context of the environmental "crisis," the Anthropocene as an existential model represents humanity’s greatest limit. This makes it essential to rethink the purpose of the urban-architectural project from an ecological perspective, one that addresses the contradictions between nature and the city, between the natural and the artificial.

Given the vast geographical and landscape scope of Latin America and the deep-rooted ecological inequality that has marked it from its origins, the contemporary project is inherently interscalar. This involves architecture strategically placed at critical points in the territory, redefining boundaries, edges, and separations, transforming from a mere object into an integral medium.

This approach suggests a tactical interpretation of the territory and a reinterpretation of the biological and methodological concept of the ecotone, seen as a transition zone between structurally and functionally distinct landscape units.

The project put forth by the "Cerros Isla" Foundation embodies this concept through a landscape integration initiative aimed at rehabilitating 26 "Cerros Isla" located in the metropolitan region of Santiago, Chile. These hills are envisioned as the primary biological infrastructural system, linking the extreme scales of the urban landscape.

To realize this vision, a design strategy is proposed, spanning from the metropolitan macro-scale to the architectural micro-scale. The critical component is the definition of an edge structure or "buffer," conceived as a gradient of naturalness between the urban fabric and the perimeter of the hill. This semi-natural buffer zone is programmatically designed to serve both as a recreational space for the community and as a boundary for conservation areas.

In addition, the ecological planning of the hill itself is based on a patchwork connection strategy, determined by slope, low contour, the needs of native species, and soil water conditions.

Due to their operational and ecological potential, both strategies can be extrapolated to other contexts, envisioning the city as an integrated mosaic of ecosystems within a network of smaller interconnected green spaces, forming a unified system.