CASA MARA

The Casa Mara system, conceived by Venezuelan architect Jorge Castillo in the 1970s, remains a crucial milestone in modular, prefabricated residential architecture. Half a century after their initial assembly, these structures now exist deeply integrated into the dense, tree-lined landscape of San Félix. During a 2023 expedition alongside the Dislocal collective, this photographic series was undertaken to document the structural resilience and enduring spatial intelligence of Castillo’s original vision as it stands today—partially reclaimed, yet fundamentally sustained by its natural surroundings.

Approaching these historical modules required a strict two-scale structural philosophy to faithfully translate the interplay between the rigid built environment and the organic overgrowth. At the macro scale, the images frame the enduring geometric volumes of the Casa Mara units against the chaotic, enveloping canopy of the local trees. At the micro level, the lens isolates the surviving tectonic details, material aging, and modular proportions that defined Castillo’s innovative system.

Navigating this highly dynamic and overgrown terrain demanded quick-capture camera techniques to seize the authentic, fleeting interactions of dappled light and modular structure without artificially altering the scene. By prioritizing strict, two-dimensional perspective lines and an objective geometric framing, this series actively rejects passive, romanticized nostalgia. Instead, it offers a rigorous architectural examination of a modern Venezuelan legacy, capturing exactly how a 1970s structural experiment holds its ground fifty years later.