Two Sides of the Border: Reimagining the Region

Under the direction of Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao, thirteen architecture studios and students across the United States and Mexico undertook the monumental task of attempting to capture the complex and dynamic region of the US/Mexican border. 'Two Sides of the Border' envisions the borderland through five themes: migration, housing and cities, creative industries, local production, tourism, and territorial economies. Building on a long shared history in the region, the projects covered in this volume use design and architecture to address social, political, and ecological concerns along the shared border.Featuring essays, student projects, interviews, special research, and a large photo project by Iwan Baan, 'Two Sides of the Border' highlights the distinct qualities of this place. Altogether the book uses the tools of architecture, research, and photography to articulate an alternate reality within a contested region.

Like so many publications these days, Two Sides of the Border documents an ambitious project...the book balances the project's many voices in a format that alternates sections of essays and photographs across its bulk, followed by the maps and student projects. With glossy paper for Baan's photos and matte paper for the essays, the book has an obvious visual and tactile rhythm, one that invites it to be read in any number of ways.--John Hill "A Daily Dose of Architecture Books"

TATIANA BILBAO is a Mexican architect. She developed the architectural project along the Ruta del Peregrino and is a recipient of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture by the LOCUS Foundation, Cité de l’Architecture in Paris, and the patronage of UNESCO.