# Quarry Community Centers Adrian Yiu's Design Empowers the Poor in Rio de Janeiro By Joey Haar | Published 2016-08-17 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adrian-yiu References: [dezeen](http://www.dezeen.com/2016/08/14/graduate-adrian-yiu-quarry-rio-de-janeiro-bartlett-architecture-london/) & [bartlett.ucl.ac.uk](http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture) For his masters thesis, Adrian Yiu looked to repurpose a system that once drove the economy in a now poor area. The Morro da Providencia favela in Rio de Janeiro surrounds a decommissioned quarry that once provided jobs to the townspeople, but that quarry now sits defunct. Rather than letting it waste away, Adrian Yiu imagined turning it into a [community center](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/utt-empower-soweto) built into the deep canyon. The project would use the quarry as a [community-led cooperative](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spaced-agency), empowering the people in the area and giving them a way to earn funds through the quarry. Ultimately, the project would allow the poor people throughout the favela to have some [economic self-sustenance](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/85-social-dwellings-in-cornell), freeing them from what Yiu views as the economic oppression of the state. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 55% | Activity: 34% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: South America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/architecture) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Community-led Cooperatives:** Repurposing abandoned facilities as community-led cooperatives to empower communities and foster economic self-sustenance. - **Upcycling Architecture:** Incorporating underutilized spaces to construct community centers, solving social and spatial problems. - **Sustainable Micro-enterprises:** Creating micro-enterprises using sustainable practices and community resources to empower the poor and drive economic development. ### Who This Affects Most - **Architecture:** Opportunities for architects to upcycle and revitalize underutilized spaces into community centers. - **Social Impact:** Creating sustainable and impactful social solutions by empowering poor communities through locally-led initiatives. - **Sustainable Economic Development:** Disrupting traditional economic structures through community-led micro-enterprises that use sustainable practices and local resources. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Terracotta Concrete Community Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iztapalapa-pilares-community-center.md) - [Arched Concrete Community Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/centro-de-colaboracin-arquitectnica.md) - [Green Concrete Community Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studios-workac-and-ignacio-urquiza-architects.md) - [Upcoming Architectural Floating Parks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/centroparco.md) - [Sculptural Cultural Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aydc-public-art-centre.md) - [Oaxaca Concrete Community Centers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/centro-dif-comitancillo.md) - [Hidden Urban Oasis Cottages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/quarry-house.md) - [Community Water Access Points](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/luanda-waterpoints.md) - [Housing Collective Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/la-comunidad-habitacional.md)