First Draft: Children of the Maize

            Swaying of the stalk and the leaves that glide together with the wind, as the tassel pollinates itself to the ear, the Maize God has generously sacrifices itself to the birth and stability of the humankind until the next cycle comes again. He, who temporarily dies, produces a permanence of society to live. Regarding themselves as the "children of the maize," the Mexicans, has kept the traditions of corn production and quality of the kernels to its purity as a gratitude for their everyday diet like tortillas. However, the counter effect of the United States' massive quantity of GMO corns and ethanol will soon bring a lost in essence of Mexico's maize if change is not enforced.

            In consideration of time, the project reflects on the understanding that the existing people of the present would not have the direct and clear perception to the Ancient civilization's daily life. It is through estimated hypotheses and research studies from the archaeological grounds that led us to closely decipher their creations.  Thus, the proposal of the project is to re-emerge the once actualized importance of the "Children of the Maize" from the Ancient World towards the Modern context of an urban environment in Mexico City. Together, the values from the past will be drawn in and shape the present's importance of "Children of the Maize" by establishing a new market system through the 3D technology from corn. The site is specifically chosen at the Templo Mayor ruins and the area surrounding. Through the palimpsest of events of the ruin in Historic Center in Mexico City from Aztec Empire, Spanish Conqueror to Modern Mexico, the site is a challenge to superimpose the layers of the context with the proposal.

            The project is a system of processes starting from the rooftop cornfields surrounding the Templo Mayor ruins; load bearing through the superstructure design. This superstructure will become the bare minimum structure, in a continuous fashion, that will connect all the elements together for coherency. It will, not only be adapted for the weight for the cornfield and their activities, but also to be adapted to the envelopment of processing plants on the rooftops while turning corn to corn starch, and corn starch to PLA. This requires area for walkway for workers interaction with each phases of the production, but also walkway towards rooftop visitors' interaction areas as well. After the completion of PLA filaments from the processing plants, the 3D printing machines, also held by the superstructure on the rooftop will vertical led down to the ground level to print ornamented motif blocks and foods for the new market surrounding the ruins. The project will involve the formation of the market space through using the ornamented motif blocks fitted to the superstructure; this will produce the details of the market space that will in return shape the actions of the users. The use of 3D technological machines will also introduce a new way in shaping the ways of consuming for the market.