6 interviews to understand Latin American architecture
Multifaceted and complex, architecture and urban planning in Latin America presents unique nuances and challenges, given the challenges faced by different countries, such as social inequality, violence, and rapid urban growth. It’s highlighted. Within this context, architectural practice has an important role to play in creating feasible and appropriate solutions tailored to each reality, and in this process it is important to reaffirm local references and narratives. importance is emphasized.
In the face of established hegemony, particularly that of North America and Europe, there has often been a tendency to marginalize Latin American architectural and urban achievements, especially those that are not recognized as such, and any consideration of this region. Recognizing this diversity and complexity has become essential for development and intervention. . Below we have selected six interviews with him that help us understand Latin American architecture and contribute to a more contextual and nuanced approach to its needs, possibilities and riches.
Emilio López: Latin American architecture is an experiment with geography and resources
Emilio López is an architect from Ecuador’s Pontifical Catholic University and holds a master’s degree in history and architectural theory from the Polytechnic University of Catalunya. He says he still lives in Ecuador, one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. He says that the country’s geography, flora, climate and culture provide great inspiration, and argues that through architecture there is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the environment, to integrate with it, and to be transformed by it. He argues that the power of architecture lies in the fact that it is the product of an immersive effort to rethink architecture’s relationship to its resources and the world in which it lives.
Latin American architecture is one that experiments and explores with close reference to geography, materials, and the resources at hand. I am optimistic about the young architects in Latin America who are boldly taking risks. For me, this primarily has to do with distancing myself from the legacy of modernism. The legacy of modernism remains very strong in our environment, not only in our profession, but also in academia, where the main reference sources studied are primarily European. These are explorations that arise from emotional intimacy and long-term existence, not immediateness.
Gabriela de Matos and Paulo Tavares: We are trying to extend architecture based on other histories and cultures
Gabriela de Matos and Paulo Tavares propose to question the architectural canon and shed light on spatial practices that have long been overlooked. “This is our way of shaking things up,” comment the curators, highlighting ancestral ways of interacting with the land toward a more just and inclusive present and future possibilities. . By referring to land in all its meanings, the curators overlay issues related to soil and territory with those of the planet, bringing themes of restoration and decolonization that have emerged in the Brazilian context to decarbonization. We propose an approach that connects with broader themes such as climate change and global warming. The environment is of vital importance in contemporary global debates.
The history of architecture is incomplete because our focus has always been on architectural production in the Global North (Europe, the United States, etc.). I believe that our proposal presents an architectural production that is not even recognized as an architectural production. Therefore, in addition to proposing alternative ways of understanding these experiences, we also aim to extend architecture based on other histories and cultures.
Sergio Ferro: In the construction industry, perhaps the only solution is to “reconciliate history with reality”
Sergio Ferro is a Brazilian architect, artist, historian, and architectural critic who fled to France in the 1970s after being arrested for his political activities during the military dictatorship. Throughout his career, he observed and intervened in the production space of civil construction, developing a critique of the production of plastic arts and architecture based on the construction process and its agents (construction site, technology, materials, builders). .
In construction, perhaps the only solution is to “refresh history” and reinvent something akin to the lost encounter between technological eclecticism and revolutionary unionism. This means that autonomous, non-salaried, skilled labor is organized as a trade, while no longer on the “other side”, where it becomes a trade like any other trade, and the only missing part of an existing trade or existing trade. architecture. There is the possibility of re-foundation, which deals with the interface between existing or restorable things.
The Tall General: Our Definition of Architecture Shapes Collectively
Taller General serves as a gathering place for Martin Real, Florencia Sobrero, and other members and collaborators to pursue their passions every day. They express their creativity through architecture, integrating all aspects of their lives, from activism to education. The Ecuador-based team changes and often expands depending on the needs of the project, fostering collaboration that allows for the sharing of diverse perspectives, opinions, and practices. This enriches the environment and produces results that individuals cannot imagine.
We are suffering from a complex phase of urban expansion. On the one hand, there is uncontrolled urban growth, and on the other hand, there is a decrease in occupied housing and buildings within the same city. Therefore, much time is spent thinking and discussing how existing infrastructure can be repurposed for new uses. Through various exercises within the workshop, we explore mechanisms to rethink architectural practice in light of these concerns.
EseColectivo: The minimum we set ourselves in practice is not to waste
EseColectivo is an architecture studio founded by Belén Argudo, José de la Torre, Santiago Granda and Pablo Silva and based in Quito, Ecuador. Their interests focus on experimentation with alternative building materials, with an emphasis on technology and logic. In the design process, they aim to match low-impact sustainable strategies with the specific needs and constraints of each project, resulting in heterogeneous results and different types of methodological and technical approaches. Masu.
On the one hand, the recognition of local realities with concrete limitations and advantages, and the urgent need for a corresponding architecture. The pursuit of efficiency and careful management of resources has found a way to make our profession consistent in Ecuador. The country we work in, like most of Latin America, is high in poverty, informality, and generally disorganized architecture and urban management. For this reason, the least we impose on ourselves in our practice is to not waste.
Coletivo Levante: We experience a coexistence that calls for love, dialogue, values and inclusive and participatory change.
Coletivo Levante’s work, which focuses on the development of architectural projects in favelas and surrounding areas, shows a deep sensitivity to the characteristics and particularities of these situations. According to the group, it is this “awareness of landscapes, buildings, identities and relationships that are already present and imbued with the values that favela residents have lived and acquired” that they use as materials for their projects. He says it’s what he’s looking for. The Coletivo team currently consists of Alan Franca, Amanda Castillo, Anna Lobato, Fernando Macullan, Marcos Franchini, Natalia Bom Conselho, Giovanna Camissasa, Helder Machado, Cudu dos Anjos and María Soalheiro. , Marina Villela, Mateus Angel, Pedro Assis and Rafael Yani. Ricardo Lobato. But as LEVANTE’s work shows, the network of experts, suppliers, partners and collaborators is far-reaching. It has proven to be a valuable element in their projects beyond the group itself.
We recognize the importance of addressing recurring spatial and infrastructural issues in favelas. But we also embrace coexistence that fosters emotions, dialogue, values, and aspirations for inclusive and participatory change. Our approach prioritizes presence over absence and focuses on potential over scarcity. These principles guide us at every stage of our projects and work.
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