Interview: Sharlinee Ceniceros Toscano
Luca Curci talks with Sharlinee Ceniceros Toscano during FUTURE LANDSCAPES, third appointment of BORDERS Art Fair 2020, at The ROOM Contemporary Art Space.

“Se Hace Arquitectura” seeks to create projects that are conscious of the context in which they are located, emerging from an environment as chaotic and contradictory as the Tijuana–San Diego region has given us the opportunity to generate designs in adverse conditions. Simultaneously, through the academy we study current and future needs, exploring possibilities of interventions and the attention they require. Because of geographical conditions, the practice of the office has focused on the needs we consider imperative in the region, proposing what is common for other contexts, but non-existent at a local level. The protection of historical heritage, urban design, and general guidelines for better living conditions in the city are priorities, always understanding and applying them to the reality and challenges that our Latin American socioeconomic context represents. Also, tending to emerge and future needs at a global level such as sustainability and various socio-cultural factors.

Luca Curci – We were attracted by the project you have shown, has it been created for the festival or is it a part of preexisting works?
Sharlinee Ceniceros Toscano – This is a work that was born as an idea in 2011 as one of the proposals of urban interventions in my master’s final work. This idea has been developing through this time, last year I had focused more on developing it because it was selected in an academic event in the US and in a congress in Barcelona.

LC – What are you currently working on?
SCT – We just finished a Master Plan for Tijuana municipality, starting to develop 2 residential projects, giving 2 assignments in the architecture school in Tijuana and pushing a couple of urban projects for the city of Tijuana.

LC – Which project has given you the most satisfaction thus far?
SCT – I think all projects give satisfaction in a certain way, the ones where you can improve the conditions of the user are the ones that give me more satisfaction. Besides I also feel good at the end of the semester, looking at the final projects of my students, I think that inspiring and guiding gives me a lot of satisfaction. And definitely, the one that I’m presenting at this festival is also pretty satisfactory because it has been presented 3 times and all different ways this year, it has been very satisfactory look my work been selected to be shown.

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
SCT – I’m an architect and urbanist, definitely, my studies, professional background and my passion for the city subjects define my work. Besides, I also think that the fact I was born and raised in this contradicted region and that I study and travel in other places helped me to understand the needs of my environment.

LC – How would you define your responsibility as an architect?
SCT – At this time in history, see many. As an architect, designing responsibly with the context of the city and with the environment. As a researcher thinking about how from our practice we can anticipate future problems and know how to respond from our area of knowledge. As a professor forming professionals conscious and committed with their context, environment and with humanity. And nowadays as a woman in architecture, being the motivation for the younger women in Latin America of not surrender to our passions and our professional dreams.

LC – Are you concerned about environmental and social sustainability in your buildings? If so, what role does green building play into your work?
SCT – Of course, I believe that designing friendly buildings for the city is a way to contribute to sustainability, thinking about the near future of cities and seeing how through architecture we will contribute to urban ecology and new city models.

LC – Did you feel comfortable cooperating with us?
SCT – Totally, I really appreciate the subject of the exposition and feel your interest in my work, and besides that, I always received immediate attention and response to my doubts so it made it easier the collaboration

LC – What do you think about our organization of the event?
SCT – I see that you have a great organization, I always got an instant response and I’m very satisfied with your work.