"This project is an opportunity to showcase education as a constructive act," states the winning team regarding the CDI, whose program will focus on physical activity to contribute to psychosocial development, while also integrating values and life skills, prioritizing the promotion of holistic development, collaborative work, and creativity.
The CDI will focus on physical activity to foster psychosocial development, alongside the instillation of values and life skills, prioritizing the promotion of holistic development, collaborative work, and creativity. All of these elements are made visible through the center's architectural design, which features infrastructure tailored to continuously encourage play, exploration, and skill-building—critical aspects of early childhood that will allow children to explore their potential to become great athletes.
Organized by the Colegio de Arquitectos de Mendoza, the competition sought proposals to transform the city's former Zoological Park into an Ecopark. The objective was to reflect the paradigm shift in our relationship with animals, flora, and the environment at large, while also respecting the historic heritage of the site, both in terms of its immediate context and the elements that have shaped its built landscape over time.
The jury awarded first prize to Guillermo Lesch, Leticia Alfaro, and Santiago Belozerkovski, alongside collaborators Axel Tanner, Camila Erbin, and Pablo Vilas. Read on to explore the complete project below.
Cortesía de Jaramillo van Sluys Arquitectura + Urbanismo
The firm Jaramillo van Sluys Arquitectura + Urbanismo has won the design competition for a new project in the historic center of Quito, Ecuador. Named Edificio Iquique, the residential development features three different unit types—ranging from 52 to 118 square meters—all of which include at least one private outdoor space.
"We interpret housing as the primary space for socialization among the diverse family structures that inhabit it, each with different ways of living and coexisting," explain the designers of the winning proposal. "Therefore, transitional spaces between public and private realms are incorporated to foster encounter and interaction among residents and the surrounding neighborhood, emphasizing the creation of social networks," they add.