Alejandro Aravena.
Image courtesy of Icon magazine.
Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena was recently announced as the Pritzker Prize winner for 2016. In addition to his energy efficient buildings at the esteemed Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago, he is perhaps most famous for his work as executive director of ELEMENTAL, a “Do Tank” known for producing Half Homes in downtown Iquique, Chile. The design for “half of a good house” leaves space for the residents to complete their houses themselves and thus raise themselves up to a middle-class standard of living, an approach called “incremental housing”. The results can be beautiful. The different colors, textures and buildings styles create an urban fabric that still feels cohesive.
The Pritzker prize is known internationally as architecture’s highest honor. Mr. Pritzker, Chairman and President of The Hyatt Foundation, has said “The jury has selected an architect who deepens our understanding of what is truly great design. Alejandro Aravena has pioneered a collaborative practice that produces powerful works of architecture and also addresses key challenges of the 21st century. Innovative and inspiring, he shows how architecture at its best can improve people’s lives.”
The formal award ceremony for the Pritzker prize will be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 4, 2016.
The Quinta Monroy Houses soon after construction.
Image courtesy of Arch Daily.
The Quinta Monroy Houses after resident expansion.
Image courtesy of Mother Jones.
Another view of the Quinta Monroy Houses after resident expansion.
Image courtesy of Wired.
Aravena believes this a better approach to use after natural disasters. Rather than waste money on temporary housing, he built another neighborhood of half homes following the 2010 earthquake and tsunami in Constitucion, Chile. After eight months, many residents had already customized their home.
A view of Villa Verde soon after construction.
Image courtesy of Retown.
Villa Verde after resident expansion.
Image courtesy of Elemental.