Alejandro Aravena
Halina Costello Architecture
A-Day Carlisle
Timeline
I
Alejandro Aravena was born June 22nd, 1967 in Santiago, Chile
Birthday
Aravena got a degree in architecture in 1992 from the Pontifical University of Chile
Education
In 2001, Aravena created the “do tank” firm ELEMENTAL, which specializes in “projects of social impact”1
ELEMENTAL
In 2016, Aravena became the first Chilean to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize
Pritzker Prize
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1 Blumberg, Naomi. “Alejandro Aravena.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 June 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Alejandro-Aravena.
Pictures of More Important Work
The Siamese Towers (2003) in Santiago
The Quinta Monroy Housing plan (2003), which provided low cost housing for families that could be expanded later
Pictures of More Important Work
The Villa Verde Housing Plan (2010), which had a similar design and intention to the Quinta Monroy Plan
Description of Style Used
Aravena and ELEMENTAL designed and constructed affordable “incremental housings” that were small but provided areas of empty space that could be used to expand the houses when financially possible for the owners. This allows for the values of the houses to increase rather than decrease, which is what happened to most affordable housing projects.
Aravena uses a lot of repetition within housing plans and they are asymmetrical due to the expansion space but if the space were to be used, the houses could be symmetrical. He uses vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines and few curved ones. He uses modern designs in most of his works.
Bibliography