The Harvard University Graduate School of Design awarded its coveted 2017 Wheelwright Prize to Chilean architect Samuel Bravo for his proposal “Projectless: Architecture of Informal Settlements”.
Bravo will travel to dozens of sites in South America, Asia, and Africa to ultimately develop strategies that integrate vernacular, collective practices with the modern architectural project.
— Bustler
In his Wheelwright proposal, Samuel Bravo focuses on traditional architectures and informal settlements, revisiting the topic of “architecture without architects”, as described by Bernard Rudofsky in the 1964 Museum of Modern Art exhibition.
An alumnus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Bravo leads his own practice and has realized multiple projects throughout South America. Here are a few of his previous collaborative works:
ANI NII SHÖBO, Acayali, Perú. 2009. Architects: Samuel Bravo and Sandra Iturriaga. Photo: Juan Balazs. Courtesy of Harvard GSD.
NII JUINTI SCHOOL, Ucayali, Perú. 2014. Architects: Sandra Iturriaga, Samuel Bravo. Photo credit: Samuel Bravo. Courtesy of Harvard GSD.
HOUSE IN CHILOE, Chiloe Island. Chile, 2016–2017. Architect and photo credit: Samuel Bravo. Courtesy of Harvard GSD.
After making it as a finalist in the 2016 cycle, Bravo was named the 2017 Wheelwright winner out of four finalists — the other three being Lucia Cella, Andjela Karabašević, and Farzin Lotfi-Jam.
Learn more on Bustler.
1 Comment
Bravo!
At the same time, can we push back a bit at this faux-populist "architecture without architects" narrative that many times resembles the most toxic populism? There's a thin line between appreciation and fetishization. Somehow the "native technique" studied here ends up getting slapped on some hedge fund company HQ as the logical end point. Maybe we should be studying how architects are the only defenders of craft left.
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.