Students of the Oaxaca Valley Option Studio at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design visited the communities of San Martín Lachila, Agua del Espino and San Agustín Amatengo together with the studio sponsors, Bruxo Mezcal, and instructor Elisa Silva. The visit focused on understanding the mezcal making process, the community´s strengths and needs, as well as identifying opportunities for grounded interventions that can improve the livelihood, productivity, social inclusion and environmental conservation of the region.

The Asian School of Architecture and Design Innovation ASADI in Cochin India has invited an international and nationa group of prominent architects and cultural figures to form the schoo´s governance board. The shared vision is to build a renewed approach to design education that is committed to both social and environmental engagement in built ecologies. Board members include Sunil Dubey, Sheila Prakash, Sharukh Mistry, Chris Johnson, Navina Jackson and Elisa Silva. They met for several days in Cochin, India to learn about the school and suggest possible future initiatives.

The 2018 Guangzhou Award Technical Committee presented the 15 shortlisted cities at the 7th UCLG ASPAC congress in Surabaya Indonesia. Elisa Silva was part of the Technical Committee and also participated in a panel discussion on Urban Innovation together with Wandia Seaforth from Nairobi Kenya, Greg Budworth from Sydney Australia, Enrique Silva from the Lincoln Land Institute, Belinda Yuen from Singapore, Kristen Miller from Ecocity, Ali El-Faramawi from Cairo Egypt, Luigi Cipolla from Italy, and Carlos Zaballa from Buenos Aires Argentina. The discussions were moderated by Nicholas You of Citistates and coordinator of the Guangzhou Award.

On Sunday the community of Las Brisas in La Palomera, Baruta - Caracas, conducted an open assembly to vote on a playground and park. In early July, we proposed building a public space under a large mature possumwood “jabillo” where neighbors currently park cars to the community. Over a series of meeting the design changed and was strengthened by their concerns for security and flexibility. After a heated debate and a certain amount of tension, the community overwhelmingly voted for the park and so we will begin work in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to this new experience with the community of Las Brisas.

During the fall 2018 semester, Elisa will be teaching an option studio titled “The Agency of Mezcal in the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico” at Harvard University Graduate School of Design. The studio addresses the environmental, social and economic aspects that surround the growing opportunities for mezcal production in the Oaxaca Valley. Findings could serve as a thoughtful inquiry to guide the potential agency of mezcal in the region with viable holistic strategies. 

The publication “Downward Spiral: El Helicoide´s descent from Mall to Prison” edited by Celeste Olalquiaga and Lisa Blackmore will be presented at the bookstore Lugar Comun in Altamira Caracas, on Friday the 13th of July 2018. The event will be presided by Vicente Lecuna with the participation of several of the book´s collaborators including Elisa Silva

Event program:
Vicente Lecuna – Opening remarks
Jorge Villota - El Helicoide´s construction
Diego Larrique - San Agustín del Sur
Elisa Silva – informal settlements and their appearance/disappearance from maps
Iris Rosas – The relationship of informal settlements with El Helicoide
Sandra Pinardi – El Helicoide and the ruin
Vicente Lecuna - El Helicoide and Parque Central
Conversation among the panelists and the audience

Elisa Silva was invited by the journalist Graciela Beltran for an interview on her radio program on Onda Station 109.7 RM on June 22^nd 2018, to speak about the value of public space in the city. They also touched on the experience of the Sabana Grande Boulevard transformation, the potential integration of the city including its informal settlements through a network of public spaces, and the upcoming publication by Enlace Arquitectura on public spaces in informal settlements of Latin American cities titled “Pure Space”.

The 15^th and 16^th of June a formal presentation was made of the public space projects designed together with the communities of Chapellin and El Cardon in Caracas. The Swiss Ambassador in Venezuela was among the audience members invited to the event. The project emerges as a collaboration between the communities, Caracas MiConvive and Enlace Arqutiectura, with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Venezuela.

During the week of May 21^st 2018, Elisa was invited to participate in a workshop of the Master in Urban and territorial development at the Cataluna Politecnical University UPC together with Prof. María Isabel Espinoza. The ninth debate on “Latin American cities and territories” took place on May 22^ndand was moderated by Prof. Carles Llop.  Elisa presented the content of “CABA Cartography of the Caracas barrios” and the results of the AICA (Actions to Integrate Caracas) workshop sponsored by the Metropolitan Municipality.

Elisa Silva participates as invited guest at the event “La Caracas que Queremos” Wednesday May 4, 2018 at the Simon Bolivar auditorium complex. The initiative represents a space to promote debate and actualize a vision for Venezuela through concrete and current actions and programs that intervene in communities and the public domain from several perspectives.