Interviews
Alejandro Aravena Interview / ELEMENTAL / Part 1
08.03.09 / 2008 · Alejandro Aravena · Alejandro Aravena Architects · ELEMENTAL · Interview · Mexico · Mexico City
First part of the interview to Alejandro Aravena [1967 - ], executive director of ELEMENTAL, principal of Alejandro Aravena Architects. He studied at Universidad Católica School of Architecture, Santiago, Chile [1992]. His work, like the School of Mathemathics of Universidad Católica, has been awarded internationally. ELEMENTAL’s work have been recognised worldwide in the last years, winning the Silver Lion at 2008 Venice Biennale, for a promising young architecture practice.
In the works: social housing in Monterry, Mexico, the first ELEMENTAL project outside Chile. In São Paulo, 150 houses are being planned for the Paraisopolis favela. In the other hand, a US$US resort on Panama and the invitation to a design competition for a new museum in Basel. Not bad at all.
In this interview we asked Alejandro Aravena about the reference and support network behind his work in ELEMENTAL, pointing us to figures outside the architecture field and key institutions that back up a group of professionals to develop solutions in social housing. We also asked him about ELEMENTAL’s idea of sustainability, and how he thinks it is an overstimated term if you understand it just as energy saving [as average architects do]. At last, he explains his point of view on how learning to think with restrictions and look outside architecture for proper project related opperations, should be key in future architecture education.
Keep visiting the site for more original material.
http://www.vimeo.com/5921791Interview by Sebastián Paredes C.
Edited by Rodrigo Jara B. / Sebastián Paredes C.
Music “Well” by Matías Aguayo
Transciption by Rodrigo Jara B.
Translation by Sebastián Paredes C.
Format DVD
Date Mar 2008
