Arquitecturas del Sur, one of the journal of the Department of Architectural Design and Theory at Faculty of Architecture, Construction and Design at University of the Bío-Bío (E-ISSN 0719-6466; ISSN 0716-2677), is published biannually in the months of January and July of each year. It is a serial, open-access, free for authors and readers throughout the process, publication that uses double-blind peer review. Since its first issue in 1983, its content has included original and unpublished research results that expand and strengthen knowledge of Latin American architecture and its related disciplines. The journal accepts submissions of scientific articles, unpublished research results, master´s and/or doctoral theses, and conference papers. It also receives current thematic reviews that contribute new knowledge about concepts currently in development, provided that they are within the journal´s general focus; occasionally it publishes monographic issues resulting from specific calls for papers that in those cases are announced via the online platform Arquitecturas del Sur is indexed in: ARLA, SciELO Chile, Avery Index, Dialnet, DOAJ, Ebsco, Clarivate Analytics´ Emerging Sources Citation Index, Journal TOCs, Latindex, Open Archives Initiative, Qualis/Capes A1, Rebiun, and REDIB. Arquitecturas del Sur adheres to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). Frequency: 2 Numbers per year. ISSN: 0716-2677 Print Version ISSN: 0719-6466 Digital Version
The content of the articles published in each issue of Arquitecturas del Sur is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the opinion of University of the Bío-Bío. The authors will maintain their copyright; however, they will guarantee the journal the right to first publication and dissemination of their work. The publication of the article in Arquitecturas del Sur will be subject to the Creative Commons International license (CC BY-SA) that allows others to adapt: remix, transform and build on the material for any purpose, even commercially; share: copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, as long as the authorship and first publication in this journal are acknowledged by citing them correctly, and their new contributions are under a license with the same terms.
Recent political events that have shaken international politics have left architecture as a factor apparently outside the structural changes the world is undergoing. Changes reflected in wars, invasions, and occupations that, most of the time, have omitted or simply transgressed what has pompously been called the "world order". The social optimism for a world that respected law and agreements between countries, protected by cumbersome international organizations, seemingly could transfer its solutions to architecture. A discipline that, in recent years, has never been more global, more varied, more lavish, and, in memorable cases, more discreet. This has occurred through a direct and simple link to technological progress, with new challenges posed by climate change, sustainability, new means of production, and, above all, the depletion of traditional energy sources, which has led to the search for new sources. These new explorations are now investigating new types of energy whose natural resources - lithium, rare earths – have awoken the most voracious political and economic appetites.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pablo Fuentes-Hernández, Gonzalo Cerda-Brintrup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Well-being in post-disaster shelters: the perception of the indigenous community, Santa Catarina, Brazil
This study analyzes the impacts of natural disasters on vulnerable communities, with emphasis on temporary shelters as spaces for physical protection, psychosocial restoration, and identity reconstruction. The objective was to identify environmental attributes that influence well-being and to propose design recommendations based on environmental perception. The research was conducted with the Xokleng Indigenous community in José Boiteux, Santa Catarina, Brazil, which is affected by recurrent flooding and the North Dam, using a qualitative approach that included interviews with Indigenous leaders and photography as a model. The results indicate that comfort and safety/security extend beyond material aspects, integrating symbolic, cultural, and social dimensions. The use of wood as an identity-related material, forms that symbolize collectivity (stars and beehives), cross-ventilation, natural lighting, galleries, and a spatial organization that balances privacy and community life, stand out. The findings also highlight the value of extended family living arrangements and active participation in planning, in contrast to standardized solutions. It is concluded that post-disaster shelters should be conceived as restorative, culturally contextualized, and participatory spaces that strengthen community resilience and promote the comprehensive recovery of vulnerable Indigenous populations.
Copyright (c) 2026 Andreia Grandi, Lisiane Ilha-Librelotto, Luana Toralles-Carbonari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Ensino de projeto no Brasil a partir do estudo de obras de João Filgueiras Lima
The article presents an architectural design teaching experience based on the study of prefabricated works by Brazilian architect João Filgueiras Lima, or Lelé (1932-2014). The design studio was carried out as part of an elective course in architecture and urbanism at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. The main objective was to present a method for studying architecture through an in-depth investigation of a building, using redesign as an analytical and critical tool, and applying the elements studied in a propositional design exercise. To this end, the course was structured around the understanding of a set of solutions developed by Lelé, used as a matrix for redesigning previously selected buildings and for formulating new project proposals aimed at a demand common to the students: a pavilion dedicated to students spending time together at the university. A pedagogical design resource was chosen to raise awareness of architecture through immersion in an architectural legacy strongly linked to the Brazilian context, incorporating socio-historical, environmental, and technological matters. The works presented show the adaptation of the prefabricated elements designed by Lelé to different situations, due to their modular coordination, adaptability, and flexibility. There is also the use of modulation and constructive elements in the buildings analyzed, as well as recurring design aspects such as internal courtyards, covered passages, definition of flows, and distribution of environments. These characteristics reinforce the fact that Lelé's work has a profoundly didactic character and that its study in undergraduate architecture courses favors the integrated assimilation of design and tectonic aspects. In this sense, it is up to teachers to provide students with learning experiences based on praxis, guided by the critical analysis of architectural works, the verification of hypotheses, and the performance of propositional activities.
Copyright (c) 2026 Eduardo Westphal, Fábio Ferreira-Lins-Mosaner https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Contemporary architecture and awards in the Americas
Through the winners of the Rogelio Salmona Latin American Architecture Prize (RSLAP) and the Mies Crown Hall American Prize (MCHAP), this article aims to reflect on contemporary architecture regarding what the winning works say about the two awards, but also to point out underlying issues that reveal the nature of the latter, especially the MCHAP. Using an observation protocol, the works were analyzed individually, and the results revealed five recurring principles that structure the projects, demonstrating an exemption from the ideological distinctions of the awards and highlighting the dominance of open spaces as a qualitative characteristic in architectural Latinity. This distinction between the awards is the antechamber to the Latin American reflection, conducted after analyzing the works, which revealed an initial contradiction and a subsequent Latin twist in the MCHAP, and a continued coherence in the RSLAP, which is little valued. From MCHAP's credibility, the reflection glimpsed a risky ambiguity in the awards, where recognition is disguised as merit, to be usurped by the geopolitics of knowledge that contemporaneity needs to unveil.
Copyright (c) 2026 Manuella Andrade, Ruth Verde-Zein https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Topographies of memory in a landscape of resistance and transformation: the case of the former El Morro Fort of Talcahuano, Chile
This article analyzes how the former El Morro Fort, a Site of Memory and Historical Monument located in the municipality of Talcahuano, in the Biobío Region, presents different historical layers of the territory over different historical periods, from its strategic military role during the colonial era and the dictatorship, to its use as a refuge for families affected by the 2010 tsunami, and its subsequent processes of monumentalization, heritage designation, and memorialization by the Corporación de Socorros Mutuos Bautista van Schouwen Vasey. The study, through an analysis of interviews and archives, examines how memory processes intertwine with the physical and emotional reconstruction of the territory and how the site displays different materialities of memory through architectural elements that function as living archives of their transformations and meanings, preserving narratives from different times. However, these narratives often emerge as counter-narratives that challenge dominant ways of understanding and giving meaning to the site. The article concludes that, despite its designation as a historical monument, the former El Morro Fort still faces challenges, primarily due to the meanings it evokes and the lack of funding and political will. This case demonstrates how heritage is re-signified and contested through its uses, which are tied to the attributes of heritage identified through the site´s political and historical memory, with the aid of the community, and the territory itself. It suggests that this site can be understood as difficult heritage, encapsulating not only the place's biography but also the stories of its protagonists.
Copyright (c) 2026 José Miguel Fuentes-Zuleta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Lighthouse in São Paulo: the ims paulista and contemporary brazilian architecture
The article investigates the genealogy of Andrade Morettin's winning proposal for the new headquarters of the Moreira Salles Institute (IMS) on Paulista Avenue, examining its insertion in the context of Brazilian architectural production – and, in particular, São Paulo architecture – between the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. To this end, it situates the project within the framework of contemporary ways of thinking about and producing architecture, marked by the productive coexistence of cross-references, both national and foreign. Drawing on the lessons of the so-called ‘brutalist tradition’ – considered a guiding principle for the generation of architects trained at FAU-USP in the 1990s – the IMS Paulista project is distinguished by significant transformations in the treatment of form and constructive logic, with an emphasis on the envelope, surface, and materiality. Through the historical method, supported by bibliographic, documentary, and architectural analysis, the articulations between domestic and international influences reflected in the case study were identified. The work of the Andrade Morettin firm is thus nourished by theoretical and design debates in contemporary international architecture, critically reinterpreted by the architects in a break with the self-referential character and closed dialogue with international production that characterised modern Brazilian architectural culture.
Copyright (c) 2026 Tatiani Amadeu-de-Freitas, Francisco Sales-Trajano-Filho https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Teaching Vernacular construction: a practical experience with earth in the training of architects in Bucaramanga, Colombia
In Colombia, several higher education institutions have incorporated the exploration of vernacular architecture practices and concepts into their architecture programs. In this case, the University of Santo Tomás, Bucaramanga campus, through its Architecture program, developed the Earth Construction Workshop, designed for students in their third to ninth semesters. This pedagogical experience focused on the techniques of rammed earth and adobe, as traditional construction systems rooted in the Santander region. Using a qualitative, descriptive approach, this article seeks to analyze the main strengths of this classroom experience. Five methodological phases of the training process were implemented, ranging from a conceptual approach to earth construction in Colombia to the exploration of regional and national experiences, and culminating in direct on-site practice with techniques such as adobe and rammed earth. These stages allow combining theory and experimentation, promoting comprehensive learning. Finally, the sustainability of the results opens the door to the applicability of these practices in the classroom. In conclusion, the need to strengthen this type of experience as a pedagogical strategy that integrates local knowledge into the training of future architects is identified.
Copyright (c) 2026 Néstor Guarnizo-Sanchez, Fernando Estévez-Suarez, Edna Machado-Miranda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Architecture and work: a flusserian analysis, from medieval monasteries to Smart Cities
The paper draws from two theoretical references – philosopher Vilém Flusser's reflections on the nature of work and the concepts of space and place developed by geographer Yi-Fu Tuan – to analyse three types of workspaces: medieval monasteries, industrial-age factories, and contemporary offices. According to Flusser, "To be able to work, it is necessary to suppose that the world is not as it should be and that it can be transformed", and architecture – from the process of conception to construction – presupposes a type of work that transforms the world in a very concrete way, articulating the dimensions described by Tuan as a mythical space, pragmatic space, and geometric space. The intersection between the Flusserian approach and Tuan's concepts reveals some structural aspects of the relationships between buildings and the cultures they express and support, indicating possible paths for interpreting the role of architecture in a world dominated by devices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Felipe Loureiro, Roberto Bartholo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Digital manufacturing taxonomy for architecture
This article presents the Taxonomy for Digital Fabrication (TDFab+Arch), a tool developed to categorize and compare projects materialized through digital fabrication. In this article, TDFab+Arch has been applied to the Homo Faber (HF) catalogs, which bring together digital fabrication projects in Latin America from 2015 to 2022, and a comparison has been made between the techniques used by these projects. The structuring of the taxonomy was based on systematic literature reviews that identified criteria in the design processes, resulting in four categories: "design aspects," "machinery," "materials," and "surface topology." The methodology used in this article is "constructive research" as described by Kasanen et al. (1993) and Lukka (2003), which involves three phases of the process: understanding the project, proposing a solution, and validating the taxonomy. This methodology facilitates an understanding of the application of the taxonomy as a mode of classification, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the field. The article presents the projects through text and images, making it easier to identify relevant aspects. TDFab+Arch stands out for its flexibility and versatility, making it suitable for cataloging project design. The taxonomy generates various visualization types, allowing designers to explore the criteria according to their specific needs. Qualitative content analysis and the structuring of the taxonomy were essential for organizing the techniques, materials, and equipment involved in digital fabrication, promoting a clearer understanding of the field. As a result, TDFab+Arch allows the designer to explore the criteria from different perspectives and gain a more comprehensive understanding of the projects. The taxonomy is an adaptable and customizable tool, allowing users to understand the criteria used in the development of each project.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bárbara Felipe, Carlos Nome https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
In the days following its founding in 1983, one of the first decisions that Arquitecturas del Sur magazine had to make was its name: architecture in the singular or plural? The decision to use the plural ultimately expressed a desire for diversity, to attempt to capture, even in its name, the infinite expressions of architecture in the southern part of the American continent. The name also marked a geographical and cultural territory: the south. In those years, the concept of the global south, common and established today, had not yet been coined, but something told us that it was natural to refer to the south as meaning all of South America, that this should be our field of architectural and urban exploration and research. Today, looking back, we realize that this is a constant that has been consolidated, that our gaze turned to the south, which set a course, a direction, and an orientation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Pablo R. Fuentes-Hernández, Gonzalo A. Cerda-Brintrup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Transport terminal - between intermodality and disconnection in Itaquera, São Paulo, Brasil
This article analyzes the construction of the Corinthians-Itaquera transport terminal, an important intermodal mass transit hub, located in a peripheral area of the metropolis of São Paulo, Brazil. To promote urban development, the neighborhood of Itaquera has received investment in housing and transportation consistent with the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) proposal; however, the implementation process has made it difficult to articulate these uses. As architecture, the terminal questions the boundaries of the building and raises important questions about urban context and design. This article addresses the architecture of transport nodes in two simultaneous dimensions: on the one hand, as a node in the network (access to a set of mass transport points), and on the other, as a place in the city, in a particular type of public space. Despite its numerous connections to the city’s transportation networks (train, subway, and bus) and its proximity to a major housing complex, the Itaquera terminal has a precarious connection to its immediate urban context. Through the description of the case study, production of graphic material, and historical contextualization of the site, alongside a bibliographic discussion, this article aims to assess the gap between parameters in urban planning and those on a local architectural scale. It is argued that considering transit nodes as public buildings and spaces for collective use requires urban design and is fundamental to face the most critical urban challenges of peripheral metropolitan conditions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Luísa Gonçalves, Cauê Capillé https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Ephemeral architecture as an instrument of urban transformation: a systemic analysis
Based on the findings of a Master's research project, this article examines the role of ephemeral architecture in contemporary urban transformations, exploring how its specific characteristics—temporality, flexibility, and ease of disassembly—can contribute to changes in public space. The primary objective is to analyze the potential of ephemeral architecture as a tool for renovating urban space from a systemic and complex perspective. Through a qualitative methodology based on literature review and document analysis, we examine a substantial set of projects and theoretical contributions, from the seminal works of Cedric Price and Archigram to contemporary interventions in Latin America. The research reveals that ephemerality, traditionally perceived as a limitation, can instead be a strategic asset, allowing for greater experimentation and requiring fewer commitments to the typical restrictions of permanent constructions. The discussion indicates that temporary interventions have significant potential to activate underutilized spaces, catalyze urban requalification processes, and promote new forms of use and appropriation of public space. We conclude that ephemeral architecture, when linked to a systemic approach, can be a relevant design tool for urban contexts that require swift and adaptable interventions, particularly in situations where permanent solutions would be unfeasible or inadequate.
Copyright (c) 2025 Caio Nunes, Marcelo Tramontano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
The changes and the paradigm 2025 opens the public debate, turning the world upside down. The stable has become unstable. One is entering murky waters. The compasses, nervously maddened, look for where to fix a north to which to cling. The truth became false, and falsehood became true. Important governments and markets have installed boldness and even fear. In the same way, at this time, wars on the other side of the world, once more, remain unfinished and prolong their spasms until they become a habit, a spectacle. Latin America, on the other hand, circulates along individual paths, without a collective project.
Copyright (c) 2025 Pablo Ramón Fuentes-Hernández, Gonzalo Andrés Cerda-Brintrup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Intrinsic juxtapositions on the façade of the Alhambra Theater, Taltal, Chile
Taltal’s Alhambra Theater has a relevant historical and patrimonial meaning for the city. Its façade has a heterogeneous architectural language implicit in its proportions, entrances, and ornamental elements, configuring a unitary volumetric expression. Several studies and publications have revealed its history, materiality, and urban image, generating technical reports about its current state, with critical surveys of the property and proposals for alternative uses with its rehabilitation. However, it is interesting to address its façade's specificities through an exploratory analysis. This research focuses on intrinsically unveiling, from its volumetry, a study of the layout and size of architectural programs juxtaposed on the same plane, such as a pastry shop and a family residence. Through observation, comparison, and analysis of the geometric expressions in the building’s facade, possibilities of investigating the architectural singularities that reveal and unify it are opened, which allows finding contents in the proportions and arrangement of the openings as the structural geometries of the building’s cross-section are redrawn and enunciated. Similarly, the integrated uses extend and amplify the image of its rectangular façade towards the surrounding public space, which complements the Theater’s activities, generating diverse vertical symmetries on the Georgian style façade, structuring a unit recognizable by its magnitude, which contributes to its valorization as a Historical Monument.
Copyright (c) 2025 Edison Gatón Segura-Arias https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Assessment of sustainability in earth-based construction and architecture
Earth-Based Construction (EBC) and Architecture use soil as the primary construction material. EBC is related to vernacular architecture, as it is contextualized and uses mostly local and natural materials. The main objective of this work is to evaluate EBC's sustainability. Six buildings on family agricultural properties in Santa Catarina, the southern region of Brazil, were chosen for the case study. The method was developed based on the VerSus Project and adapted to the local reality and Brazilian regulations. To this end, a system of indicators, applied to sustainability principles, was developed to assign points. The results are presented with an emphasis on the socioeconomic sphere. Four buildings complied with the adopted indicators in this assessment, and two partially did so. The analysis of the results allowed an understanding of the influence of factors intrinsic to EBC and the local reality.
Copyright (c) 2025 Cecília Heidrich-Prompt, Julio Cesar Lopes-Borges, Lisiane Ilha-Librelotto https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Modernization and rationalism in institutional architecture. The case of Public Services and the Antofagasta Regional Government Building, Chile (1889-1963)
The process of architectural modernization in Chile, particularly along the coast of the Atacama Desert, has reflected a transition from eclectic styles to the principles of the Modern Movement. The Antofagasta Regional Government Building, now housing the Regional Presidential Delegation and the Regional Government, serves as an emblematic case of this evolution. This article examines the architectural transformation from its origins in 1889 to the modern building inaugurated in 1963, designed by Edwin Weil. Through a historiographical methodology and a diachronic analysis of primary sources, mainly newspapers, three key aspects are identified: first, the building's evolution as a manifestation of urban policies and state modernization in the 20th century; second, the reconstruction of the building after the July 1955 fire as part of a state strategy to strengthen regional institutions, incorporating modern and functional architectural criteria; and third, the role of the new building in consolidating Antofagasta’s civic center, projecting an image of modernity and administrative efficiency.
Copyright (c) 2025 Damir Galaz-Mandakovic https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Centennial Theater Halls in San Juan, Argentina: Between Lyrical Typology and Alternative Spaces
This article provides original results about theaters in San Juan, Argentina. The unpublished research was exploratory and focused on a repeated event in San Juan. It was agreed to build an important theater for the city to celebrate the country's centenary. In 1910, the Coliseo was going to become the most important stage. Its construction, though, was cut short and was never finished. However, one hundred years later, the Bicentennial Theater was inaugurated. In the intervening period, these two state-led projects have evident divergences and curiously noteworthy similarities that motivate us to discuss the theoretical aspects of the typology. In both cases, the article investigates local theater activity, which remained active for over a century, relying on cinemas and other alternative buildings (clubs, libraries, schools, homes), which were not identified with a traditional theater image. Thus, two architectonic forms, part of the cultural and material heritage of the art of urban theater, are presented.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marcelo Vizcaíno https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Universal design and active methodologies: a practice in postgraduate studies
The optional course DAU 848, offered by the Postgraduate Program in Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape Architecture (PPGAUP) at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), focuses on teaching methodologies in Architecture and Urbanism Courses. In collaboration with the postdoctoral research project “Digital Fabrication Applied to Universal Design and Ergonomics” within PPGAUP, the course explored topics of Universal Design (UD) and prototyping during the second semester of 2023. Emphasizing Active Methodologies that promote student engagement in the learning process, the course culminated in the development of a quick practical exercise designed for undergraduate students and aligned with the semester’s topics. This article aims to present the final exercises, structured around the course's methodological framework, which is divided into three stages: (1) Foundations of teaching in Architecture and Urbanism Courses; (2) Teaching Universal Design; and (3) Design and application of exercises. As a result, four teams developed four exercises focused on furniture design, gamification, tactile maps, and signage. These exercises included discussions on the use of prototyping and suggestions for improvements to facilitate future implementation in undergraduate courses.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sabine De-Paris, Vanessa Goulart-Dornéles https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Reinforcement using reinforced concrete at the beginning of the 20th century in a simple masonry neo-gothic temple within a seismic context
The high seismic vulnerability of historic simple brick masonry structures requires searching for the most appropriate intervention techniques based on the theory behind and empirical experience of their seismic performance. However, if a given technique does not meet some of the intervention criteria presented by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), such as authenticity, how can we validate its use? This research studies the effect of the reinforced concrete reinforcements incorporated after the 1928 Talca earthquake (MMI 8.3) in the Santa Filomena Church, which is an example of the simple brick masonry neo-gothic temples in Santiago de Chile, one of the most vulnerable typologies to earthquakes. Using its historical seismic performance and analysis of intervention criteria for heritage structures, this article seeks to provide an answer behind the validation of using reinforced concrete, which has been used for at least 100 years in Chile as reinforcement, as a viable intervention technique within a highly seismic context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Santiago Sáenz-Muñoz, Gabriela Muñoz-Sotomayor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Adapting existing school buildings to new pedagogical approaches
The changes in teaching methods currently being discussed, whether in Uruguay, Latin America, Europe, or the United States, demand a new spatial paradigm different from the traditional conception of a school. Faced with this scenario, it seems necessary to offer intervention models for existing buildings that respect economic and sustainability restrictions and respond to the changes of this new pedagogical agenda, facilitating and promoting the implementation of these educational innovations that school scenarios can often limit. This article aims to identify and analyze modes of intervention in existing school buildings based on manipulating the interior space as a strategy where design and architecture interact. In each case, the emphasis is placed on the systematization of architectural project strategies as tools needed for the architect's intervention in their interactions with the educational communities and project teams. Three basic approaches have been identified: manipulation of boundaries, insertion of macro-object(s), and reorganization based on the shape and arrangement of furniture.
Copyright (c) 2025 Alfredo Peláez-Iglesias, Maximiliano García-Vairo, Fabricio González https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
What colour considerations could be used for architectural restoration?
This article looks at the choice of color on the surfaces of the built heritage as an image problem in the context of architectural theory and criticism. The image is approached as a mechanism for human perception and memory. The arguments defended regarding the use of color by the leading exponents of restoration theory are presented, comparing this theoretical production against the chromatic reality of three urban centers in Brazil. These sites reflect the image of the built heritage fixed in the memory of the Brazilian population, making it possible to understand them as paradigmatic examples. The work observes the inconsistencies between discourse and practice in chromatic interventions and brings to light the importance of restoration theory in creating alternative solutions. Demonstrating possible scenarios and possibilities of different interventions in the colors of architectural surfaces, the result brings to the debate the importance of theoretical knowledge for a practical production coherent with the notion of cultural heritage.
Copyright (c) 2025 Luciana da-Silva-Florenzano, Rosina Trevisan-Martins-Ribeiro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Documenting Republican architecture in Arequipa,Peru. spatial, constructive, and stylistic assessment of three emblematic "casonas"
More than 50% of the buildings in the monumental area of Arequipa are from the Republican period. Close to 500 buildings, primarily domestic architecture -hence they are commonly referred to as "casonas" (big houses)- have facades that can be classified within the neoclassical, neo-Renaissance, eclectic, neo-Gothic, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau styles. Of these, 240 have been declared as Cultural Heritage. Given this reality, this research seeks to interpret the spatial, constructive, and stylistic evolution processes of significant buildings from this period to contribute to their understanding and preservation. The research has applied a methodology to classify, select, evaluate, and analyze the main characteristics of three "casonas" that currently house the Alliance Française of Arequipa, Center for the Arts of the Catholic University San Pablo, and the Arequipa Regional College of Architects of Peru, all of them significant examples of Republican period architecture that have adapted their spaces to new uses, and which were chosen based on the qualification of a larger sample. The analysis results show aspects such as the preservation percentage of the building's original fabric, above 50% in all cases, and the proportion of open space. At a constructive level, the preservation of ignimbrite ashlar structures with box walls stands out, covered with barrel vaults in two of the cases studied, and flat roofs with iron rails in one of them, with structural additions where contemporary materials comprise up to 30%. Regarding stylistic qualities, the main compositional features that assign them a stylistic value have been identified, with neoclassical language predominating.
Copyright (c) 2025 Daniel Málaga-Montoya, Fernando Cuzziramos-Gutiérrez, Tatiana Medina-Sánchez, Sergio Coll-Pla, Denis Leonardo Mayta-Ponce https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Art Déco architecture in educational institutions: the dichotomy between a religious private school and a secular public school
In 1930s Brazil, new design guidelines were introduced to educational institutions, highlighting health and nationalist issues, which represented progress. Within this social, educational, and political context, it was necessary to build new schools that included a new program with a new architectural language, both in public and private educational buildings. Knowing that the constructive characteristics of a school building exert influences on individuals, this work aims to compare and identify the variations and proximities there are between the designs of a private and a public school through a bibliographic, documentary, and architectural analysis, in a comparative case study between the Ginásio Santa Margaria (1935) and the Instituto Estadual de Educação Assis Brasil (1942), located in the South of Brazil, in the city of Pelotas/RS. Through this paper, it can be observed that although the use of language is related to the materialization of the construction, its interpretation depends on the sociocultural context where the work is located.
Copyright (c) 2024 Lisiê Kremer-Cabral, José Henrique Carlucio-Cordeiro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Copyright (c) 2024 Pablo Ramón Fuentes-Hernández, Gonzalo Andrés Cerda-Brintrup https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Numerical harmonies in architectural education: Villard de Honnecourt’s grid
The analysis of the grid designed by Villard de Honnecourt and its role in medieval architecture offers an enriching perspective for contemporary architectural education. This historic tool was successfully implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The strategic choice of the grid as a starting point allowed exploring medieval construction techniques integrated with digital tools. This approach not only highlights the connection between architecture and music, evidencing the influence of the Pythagorean and Platonic schools in the Middle Ages, but also demonstrates the versatility of the grid in academic training. Through practical analyses and case studies, analytical and creative skills were promoted among those who dedicate themselves to studying architecture. The transformation of architecture teaching in current university environments, moving away from the traditional model, poses challenges. The dilemma between digital tools and access to information allows for reinterpreting compositional methods. Analysis of the academic use of the Villard de Honnecourt grid and its predecessor, the Van Der Graaf grid system, highlights their historical relevance and distinctive geometric characteristics. The grid has become an essential pedagogical tool from its medieval origins to its contemporary application. This study, which was carried out at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, reflects upon the model proposed by the grid. It analyzes its implications in academic teaching-learning processes, revealing its impact in physical, documentary, and technological dimensions. In summary, it highlights the adaptability and continued relevance of the grid as an essential pedagogical tool in the training of architects.
Copyright (c) 2024 Elian Coral Moreno-Sánchez https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Articulation of design processes, computing, Cybernetics, and BIM: A retrospective
This article explores the historical and theoretical developments of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and the associated design processes. The study stems from ongoing doctoral research and aims to build an expanded understanding of the informatization process of architectural thought that led to BIM, considering contributions from the Cybernetics and Computing fields. The paper looks into the historical context of the 20th century and highlights the parallel and interdependent developments in Architecture, Cybernetics, and Computer Science. Based on a bibliographic review, retrospective, and theoretical analysis, this article emphasizes the contributions of works that systematized design processes and introduced systemic methodological approaches. Those works acknowledge the value of declaration and structuring of design information and contribute to incorporating computing into design processes and their development. The work presents the contributions of research institutions from the United Kingdom and the United States in developing computer programs for architecture, emphasizing that the geographical diversity of advancements in the field goes beyond these two lines. These computer programs were influenced by cybernetic theories, which were crucial for BIM development, and were created to produce models and systems to describe information. Finally, the importance of translating architectural thought into structured data that might be processable through computer programs, including BIM software, is highlighted, concluding that although BIM and developments of the current digital design processes followed the goal of assisting the production of North Atlantic architectural models, they originated from a broad and diverse historical and geopolitical context of the 20th century, involving theoretical, military, and professional research.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mario Andres Bonilla-Vallejo, Marcelo Tramontano https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Modern Architecture for the Brazilian Dictatorship: Ambivalences in the São Paulo Military Headquarters, Ibirapuera Park (1965)
This article examines the relationship between modern architecture and the Brazilian Military Dictatorship (1964-1985) in the case of the military headquarters designed by communist architects for a violently anti-communist regime: the Second Army Headquarters in Ibirapuera, a project by a team led by the architect Paulo Bastos, a case with strong symbolic entanglements in the heart of São Paulo. Although the architects were against the regime and were the target of the dictatorship’s repression, a close look at this case reveals nuances in the actors' reactions to that context, as well as a more complex relationship between architecture and authoritarianism, which goes beyond the binary lenses of resistance or collaboration. This case is an important node to reflect on the complex relationships between architecture and politics, especially under authoritarian regimes. It also helps to reflect on modern architecture itself, the immanent contradictions of its objects, and the ambivalences of the epistemological investments that underpin it.
Copyright (c) 2024 Victor Próspero https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Micrographs of intangible space. Triptychs, paintings, and glass-graphs of habitable architectures
The Garden of Earthly Delights (1490-1500) is a triptych with three panels depicting paradise and hell. These panels require the viewer to fold and close them to obtain a new perspective: the creation of the world. In this work, Bosch portrays small air pockets that suggest encapsulated architectures and introspective spaces, where conventional laws seem to have vanished. This essay highlights these tiny spaces inserted in the architectural environment. Triptychs, instead of being painted, have acquired a third dimension to form part of works such as Coderch’s Casa Ugalde (1953), Soane’s Casa-Museo (1820), and Gaudi’s Casa Vicens (1885). It is an architectural immersion in three living projects that enables us to compile catalogs of micrographs showcasing "architectural droplets": bubbles trapped within the stained-glass mass, revealing cartographies of an intangible and undiscovered space. Micrographs of intangible space suggest a change in scale, immersing the inhabitant in a micro-world searching for new expressions that enable them to conceive a more vivid and creative form of architecture.
Copyright (c) 2024 María Isabel Fernández-Naranjo, Isabel Cuerda-del-Valle, Tomás García-García https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Documentary collection of José Vial: Contributions to the study of the School of Architecture of Valparaíso
This article presents the work on the personal documentary collection of the architect José Vial Armstrong (1926-1983), part of the founding group of the School of Architecture of Valparaíso. This was based on identifying, reviewing, organizing, and classifying almost a thousand unpublished theoretical documents, providing new insights into his individual work and role within the group. Considering the proposal to revisit the sources of modern architecture, according to Panayotis Tournikiotis (2014), this article aims to demonstrate how the study of Vial's documentary collection would make the author visible in the historiography of modern architecture in Chile, as well as to understand the role of the architect within the School to which he belonged, and, therefore, to review new information about this institution.
Copyright (c) 2024 Magdalena Dardel-Coronado, Olimpia Rossetti-Krauss https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
The project of Magdalena Gutiérrez: the poetics of living in the Atacama Desert. The four modes of climate management
This study addresses the issue of living in fragile ecological environments, such as oases in deserts. Currently, the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama is experiencing a decrease in its agricultural area due to urbanization and tourism, affecting the sustainability of traditional farming practices and putting at risk the ecological and cultural balance of this Atacamenian locale. The article presents sustainable design strategies for contemporary living in fragile environments, examining thermal qualities and climate control strategies applied to the “Workshop House” or Casa Taller of Magdalena Gutiérrez. Using the principles of Lisa Heschong and Eva Horn, the review also includes Reyner Banham's climate management modes. The methodology combines architectural and ethnographic analysis, structured in three stages: selection of works, construction of the conceptual framework, and analysis and systematization. Models, photographs, maps, and diagrams were used to contrast theories and thermal and cultural qualities with evidence from the work. Classification criteria included evaluating characteristics such as the degree of privacy of areas and rooms, ventilation, lighting, thermal insulation, and heating methods, with a binary rating employed for systematic evaluation. The results highlighted that Casa Taller manifests poetic living in the exteriority of the Atacama Desert, suggesting a vocation for community activities. The lighting qualities revealed a strategic design that maximizes controlled daylight, utilizing openings and skylights. It was concluded that the Casa Taller represents an expression of "Revisited Critical Regionalism." The "site-form" relationship is fundamental in this approach, balancing local techniques with cultural and natural surroundings. This work offers a sustainable model for living in fragile environments, where architectural design is appropriately integrated with the place’s climatic and cultural conditions.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sergio Alfaro-Malatesta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/