ArchDaily | Broadcasting Architecture Worldwide https://www.archdaily.com/ Sat, 19 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://assets.adsttc.com/doodles/archdaily-logo-feedly.svg 026CB6 https://www.archdaily.com/1024259/unpolished-narratives-exposed-materials-in-latin-american-affordable-housing Tue, 29 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000 Enrique Tovar & José Tomás Franco https://www.archdaily.com/1024259/unpolished-narratives-exposed-materials-in-latin-american-affordable-housing What makes a building architecture? The eternal debate over what distinguishes architecture from mere utilitarian construction has often included affordable and social housing as an influential topic, sparking different points of view. This question is particularly significant in the Latin American context, where unique conditions go beyond cost concerns, whether imposed or unavoidable. Limited access to financing, the prevalence of self-construction, and the spread of informal settlements are interconnected factors shaping the built environment. These dynamics foster an aesthetic that, for some, challenges notions of good architecture, manifesting in urban landscapes where exposed materials become a defining feature.

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