September 22 marks the launch of the Architectural Skins competition: timber envelopes for existing buildings. This invitation from WoodArch is sponsored by the AOA (Association of Architecture Offices) and the Chilean Institute of Architects.
The jury will consist of Mauricio Léniz (Competition Director), Michel Rojkind (International Honorary Member), and national jurors Alex Brahm, Tania Gebauer, Martín Hurtado, Alberto Moletto, Carolina Portugueis, Andrea von Chrismar, and Matías Zegers.
From the modern era to the present, we have seen an increasing number of examples where building facades are separated from their load-bearing structures, with both elements following distinct design paths. In line with the research of Alejandro Zaera-Polo, while project structures and interiors continue to be defined from a "macro" perspective, facades—freed from their structural constraints—have become an architectural field of action through envelopes designed from the "micro" level (such as through specific construction solutions).
