Every morning I ascended to the surface of the centre of London at the 'Aldgate East' tube stop. A stop at the edge of ‘the city’, which is Old Street and its surrounding area. The area where the greatest number of offices are grouped together in the city, dedicated to different services. Banks and multinational corporations of different types are the most appealing to workers. As a result, day after day there is a heavy concentration of people.

Photo © Lara Fernández González

A few metres away is the studio where I worked. In a few minutes on foot I could observe the flow of citizens. On the one hand, the users of public services: train, underground, bus and even boat. Others who are more privileged used their own cars or motorbikes. But the most surprising thing for me was how another group of people took advantage of their commuting time to keep fit. It wasn’t seasonal or occasional, but rather totally routine and methodical. Many were on bicycles, others were running. It was amazing for me to see how many of my workmates arrived at work totally ‘disguised’ as bike tourists or as if they were professional runners. But of course there was a change room and showers at the office where each worker had the space to ‘transform himself or herself’ and begin the workday. A locker to leave your work clothes every evening and a place to stuff yourself into your leggings again and go home. I’m talking about work policies that promote the famous 'MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO'. Otherwise we have the society that goes to the gym by car, a big problem.

Photo © Lara Fernández González

The bicycle changed my life in London. I finally listened to my good friend and great cycle tourist, Sergio, who since my arrival in ‘the city’ never stopped pressuring me to buy one. He was right. Seeing the city on ‘2 wheels’ gave me another perspective. Not to mention the freedom and savings. Galeano said it: ‘the bicycle doesn’t pollute the silence or poison the air.’ I could go for a ride, go shopping, as well as de-stress and get fit. I enjoyed crossing the city from east to west and as my confidence grew, so did my possibilities. New roads, new routes. Slipping between two busses into the ‘cyclers’ lane was exciting…..

Every urban nucleus has its own rhythm, its own character. The mobility of individuals is one of the factors that has the most influence on the personality of the city. Through its roads and lanes, citizens enter the metropolis to be the undisputed protagonists and to push the car out of its position of privilege.

Being a conscientious citizen, fleeing the schizophrenia of traffic and parking problems is a huge challenge in the times we live in.

Promoting the conversion of the citizen into a consumer of this space-time that is the neighbourhood, the city or the nation where the individual moves as a resident that turns into a citizen that consumes the city.

Foto © Lara Fernández González.

 

IN TREATMENT - METALOCUS

DIRECTOR: JOSÉ JUAN BARBA. COORDINACIÓN: INÉS LALUETA. ORGANIZACIÓN: INÉS LALUETA, PEDRO NAVARRO. VERSIÓN INGLÉS: KAREN SIMPSON. INVITADOS 1ª TEMPORADA: JOSÉ JUAN BARBA, MARINA DIEZ-CASCÓN, SERGIO DIEZ-CASCÓN SOLER, LARA FERNÁNDEZ GONZÁLEZ, CARLOS GERHARD PI-SUÑER, MONTSE PLA GARCÍA-CASTANY, XAVIER NICOLAU CUYÀS, FERNANDO RIAL PONCE, VERÓNICA ROSERO.

 

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Lara Fernández González, Arquitecto y Arquitecto Técnico. Nacida en Santander en 1980. Licenciada en Arquitectura Técnica, en 2003 y en Arquitectura Superior, en 2008, por la Universidad Alfonso X de Madrid. Máster en Vivienda Colectiva por la ETSAM, Madrid en 2009.

En 2010 colaboró con la firma Stock-Woolstencroft, Architecture + Urbanism, como arquitecto asistente de diseño y desarrollo urbano. Del 2007 al 2008 en  J.C. Moncalean & A. Cea Arquitectos, en Santander, tanto en el área de diseño como de project management. Ha trabajado de modo independiente como perito judicial para el Juzgado de Primera Instancia de Santander, redactando dictámenes e informes técnicos, como project manager así como en labores de dirección técnica y asesoramiento de construcción en reformas y remodelaciones.

Realizó prácticas profesionales de 6 meses en DUNL (Agencia de planeamiento urbano de Nuevo León) en Monterrey, México.

Desde entonces ha vivido en México, Londres y Roma, donde reside actualmente y colabora en FUKSAS.

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Published on: June 1, 2011
Cite: "ON 2 WHEELS. In Treatment [W]" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/2-wheels-treatment-w> ISSN 1139-6415
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