Sacred + Profane

Abstract

In Iztapalapa, south of the Yuhualixqui volcano, lies an informal settlement of an estimated 2600 people. Informal settlements have with them the connotation of quick, temporary, unthoughful architecture that dissolves with the first pass of rain. In reality, most of the informal settlements that appear become permanent homes for those families. A community emerges through the rough architecture and the need for the basic necessities becomes a daily struggle. Religious faith is something that remains strong in slum communities, although water, the most essential element is missing. I attempt to address both the religious faith of the community and their need for water by providing a place where the most sacred and the profane meet.