Social Infrastructure for Communities of Care

You are cordially invited to attend the lecture by David Barragán:

Date: 28 Oct 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Venue: SDE3 Level 4, LT424

Social Infrastructure for Communities of Care
Translating Practice-Based Action into Scalable Models for Southeast Asia

Grounded in nearly two decades of applied research across vulnerable peri-urban and rural territories, my research investigates how social infrastructure can cultivate communities of care: spatial frameworks supporting mutual aid, collective well-being, and climate resilience. Central to my practice with Al Borde, this approach positions the architect as a process facilitator who underpins existing community initiatives, mobilizing social capital and localized agency alongside strategic resources to establish the foundations for long-term habitability.

Positioned at the intersection of practice and academia, my work relies on a continuous dialogue where built experience constantly feeds research, and vice versa. Through this exchange, hybridizing vernacular intelligence with contemporary tectonic experimentation transforms site-specific field actions into a rigorous body of transferable architectural knowledge.

Rooted in shared tropical realities across the Global South, my work finds a direct geographic and socio-ecological resonance with Southeast Asia. Within a collaborative academic ecosystem, years of field-tested practice can be scaled and systematized across research clusters, paving the way for localized models of social infrastructure that position design research as an active, enduring extension into society.

David Barragán is an Ecuadorian architect, educator, and co-founder of the Quito-based practice Al Borde (est. 2007). His work focuses on social infrastructure, material efficiency, and localized agency in tropical and resource-scarce environments. Al Borde’s practice has been recognized with major international honors, including the BancaStato Swiss Architectural Award (2024), the Holcim

Acknowledgment Award for Latin America (2014), the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture (2013), and the Schelling Architecture Prize (2012), as well as selection for the main exhibition at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale (2016). Parallel to his practice, David has taught undergraduate and graduate design studios, seminars, and workshops at institutions such as Columbia University GSAPP (USA), ETH Zurich (Switzerland), Tongji University (China), and UNAM (Mexico). His research examines collective stewardship, territorial radiographies, and practice-based methodologies across the Global South.