Project by: Ziheng Zhao, Inhoo Seo, Raffy Putra, Wenxin Dai
This project rethinks water in the Tijuana maquiladora landscape as a continuous spatial and ecological flow. Instead of isolating pollution, it captures water along industrial edges and filters it through a combination of underground systems and surface processes. As water moves downstream, runoff is guided into a stepped landscape, where topography slows, distributes, and naturally filters it. This terraced terrain operates simultaneously as an ecological system and a public space, allowing water infrastructure to become part of everyday community life.
The filtered water is then collected into a central basin, forming a shared water landscape. This resource supports local farming and enables the development of affordable housing, providing long-term support for nearby informal settlement residents.
