The conference "Architecture Shaped by Place: Espacio Común on Practice, People, and Context," led by ArchDaily Editor-in-Chief Christele Harrouk, will take place on Wednesday, October 14, at 3:30 p.m. in the main auditorium of Obra Blanca Expo, featuring Paula Villa Pastor, co-founder of Espacio Común, a Peruvian association co-directed with Daniel Canchán.
Starting with the Muyunafest 2025 Main Floating Stage designed by Espacio Común—winner of ArchDaily’s 2026 Building of the Year—this conversation explores how architecture can emerge from the conditions, knowledge, and ways of life present in a specific place. Designed in response to the fluctuating waters and local construction cultures of the Peruvian Amazon, the project serves as a starting point for a broader discussion on architectural practice: how architects read a context before intervening, how local knowledge and collaboration influence design decisions, and how ingenuity and adaptation can become architectural tools. Moving from this project to the broader work of Espacio Común, the discussion will examine what it means to practice architecture from and within a particular context, among other issues. The conversation will also reflect on what happens when a local project reaches a global audience, and what its selection by ArchDaily readers through the Building of the Year awards can reveal about the architecture that resonates with people today.
