Building Across Borders: Associate Professor Marcel Sanchez Prieto Empowers Communities Through Architecture

The USD College of Arts and Sciences released its second annual Arts & Sciences magazine this fall. In the pages of this magazine, you will discover exciting new programs and initiatives, meaningful and impactful stories, and inspiring student, faculty and alumni spotlights.

Building Across Borders
Associate Professor Marcel Sanchez Prieto Empowers Communities Through Architecture 

by Gaby Ortiz Flores

Borders are often described as liminal spaces — a type of limbo that can be permanent or transitory depending on who you are. University of San Diego Associate Professor of Architecture Marcel Sanchez Prieto has dedicated much of his career to understanding and exploring these unique spaces. Sanchez grew up in Tijuana and has witnessed the changes that have taken place in communities on both sides of the fence. Though his work has taken him around the world and garnered prestigious awards, Sanchez’s true passion lies in the Tijuana and San Diego border. It is in this region where he focuses his efforts on creating spaces of community and wielding architecture as a tool for empowerment and social justice.

Growing up in Playas de Tijuana, a neighborhood immediately adjacent to the border, Sanchez started noticing the ways in which living on the border impacted his family. “I started kind of noticing what the border is. And in more in the sense of because my brother was [a] U.S. citizen, I was not. And he was able to cross the border very easily and I couldn’t cross the border very easily,” says Sanchez. 

As he continued his studies and later through his work, Sanchez developed a broader understanding of how the border impacts communities on both sides. In particular, he noted the changes that have occurred over time — not just those represented by shifts in the physical structure of the border but also how Tijuana and its communities have changed as a result of the United States’ policies and practices.

Read the full article on page 6 of the Arts & Sciences magazine (Fall 2024 issue).