Tag: semillas | ArchDaily

When the School Becomes a City: 6 Projects in the Global South That Strengthen Their Communities

Camilla Ghisleni — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:30:00 +0000

Education and culture have long stood as strategic pillars for driving profound social transformation. In this context, the quality of physical infrastructure is not merely a functional matter, but a structuring element for the implementation of consistent public policies—particularly in areas marked by urban precarity, historical inequality, and institutional fragility. Against this backdrop, school architecture can take on a role that goes far beyond the classroom, becoming a catalyst for social transformation.

The European Cultural Centre Announces the Winners of the ECC Awards 2025 in Venice

Reyyan Dogan — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The European Cultural Centre (ECC) has announced the winners of the ECC Awards 2025, selected from participants of the seventh edition of Time Space Existence and unveiled during the exhibition's Closing Day on 23 November 2025 in Venice. Bringing together 207 practices from more than 52 countries, this year's edition highlighted a broad spectrum of architectural and design approaches responding to the themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse. The awards recognise four projects that stood out for their originality, execution, narrative clarity, and forward-looking engagement with questions of sustainability, community, and the future of the built environment.

The European Cultural Centre Announces 21 Shortlisted Projects for the 2025 ECC Awards

Antonia Piñeiro — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The European Cultural Centre Italy has organized the ECC Awards since 2010 to recognize artists, architects, designers, and academics in their respective fields. The Awards highlight projects featured in the Time Space Existence exhibition, which runs in parallel with the Venice Architecture Biennale and showcases tangible approaches to building more sustainably, aiming to position architecture as a force for environmental and social repair. The seventh edition of Time Space Existence is a group exhibition spanning three Venetian venues: Palazzo Bembo, Palazzo Mora, and the Marinaressa Gardens. This year, the exhibition focuses on the themes of Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse, emphasizing the essential role of architects and designers as agents of positive change in shaping sustainable, inclusive, and regenerative ways of living.

Rural Lab: Latin America's Countryside as a Space for Experimentation

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

What if the future of architecture lies not in the cities, but beyond them? For decades, urbanization has dominated both discourse and statistics. We are constantly bombarded with data confirming the prevalence of urban life, but we rarely ask the opposite question: what did those who moved to the cities leave behind? What remains alive and evolving far from urban centers?

Architectural Acts of Repair: Critical Themes from the 2025 ECC "Time Space Existence" Exhibition

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

The 2025 edition of the European Cultural Centre's (ECC) Time Space Existence exhibition in Venice is guided by the mandate to "Repair, Regenerate, and Reuse." Aiming to move beyond surface-level solutions and overused terminology, the exhibition showcases a cohort of practitioners who interpret architecture as an active agent of repair. The most compelling works presented in Venice demonstrate that "repair" is a multifaceted practice, operating across material, social, and historical registers. The varied approaches showcase a shift in the role of the architect, from a master builder and designer of physical objects, to that of a mender, able to combine technology, community, and material intelligence to restore narratives and build stronger cultural systems.

More than a Classroom: The Multifunctionality of Educational Spaces in Global South Communities

Paula Pintos — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Educational infrastructure is key to any community. The better the quality of these spaces, the better the learning experience for those who use them. However, these facilities often serve a much broader purpose than just education. In Global South communities, in countries like Peru or Vietnam, where a significant portion of the population lives in rural areas far from urban centers, there are few educational spaces and a lack of places where the entire community—not just the students—can come together.

Building Outdoor Learning Spaces: 5 Community Projects by Semillas in Peru

Agustina Iñiguez — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

How is it possible to open educational spaces to the outdoors, and what are the appropriate conditions for their development? What bioclimatic strategies can be implemented to contribute to environmental comfort and the cultural preservation of communities? By conceiving outdoor learning spaces and blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, the educational infrastructures projected by the Semillas association in the Peruvian jungle invite reflection on the opportunities for gathering, meeting, and community participation among students, families, and local residents. Linked to the site's uses and customs, this conception of space represents a way of living where the implementation of bioclimatic strategies, along with the use of local materials and construction techniques, come together to create an architecture connected to its environment and history.

Building Stronger Communities: The Role of Regional Identity in 7 Multi-Purpose Projects

Hadir Al Koshta — Mon, 26 Aug 2024 05:00:00 +0000

A region's identity is deeply tied to its community spaces. These spaces—whether parks, public squares, or community centers—reflect their users' culture, history, and values. They don't just preserve regional identity; they actively shape how communities engage with their environment, fostering a dynamic relationship between place and people. Community spaces are more than just physical locations; they are vital social hubs that foster engagement, cultural expression, and a sense of belonging. These spaces symbolize a shared identity and purpose.

The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize Announces 2024 MCHAP Emerging and Outstanding Projects

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) at the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology has announced the shortlist of 53 Outstanding projects. The 5th cycle of awards celebrates built works completed in North, Central, and South America in 2022 and 2023, striving to bring visibility to those projects that best address the demands of our time and work towards building resilient communities.

Marta Maccaglia Receives the DIVIA Award: Diversity in Architecture 2023

Fabian Dejtiar — Thu, 11 May 2023 04:30:00 +0000

The Diversity in Architecture Prize (DIVIA) was awarded to Italian architect Marta Maccaglia, founder of Semillas, for her commitment to educational construction in Peru. This international recognition of 20,000 euros aims to promote the visibility of women in the architecture industry. Among the five finalists of this edition were Tosin Oshinowo (Nigeria), May al-Ibrashy (Egypt), Noella Nibakuze (Rwanda), and Katherine Clarke and Liza Fior (United Kingdom).

"Projects Cannot be Carried Out Without First Feeling and Understanding the Place": Marta Maccaglia of Asociación Semillas

Paula Pintos — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 05:30:00 +0000

Talking to architect Marta Maccaglia about her work is not just talking about architecture. Each of her projects derives from a participatory way of working, based on the approach and deep understanding of its users in their social and local context, their needs, the territory and the available resources, resulting in works that acquire a meaning beyond that of the function itself.

The Mies Crown Hall Prize Announces Finalists for 2022 MCHAP Award for Emerging Practice

Nicolás Valencia — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 04:30:00 +0000

The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) has announced four finalist projects designed by emerging practices in the Americas for the 2022 MCHAP.emerge, the fourth cycle of the award.

In Times of Need: Architects Stepping Up in Humanitarian Crisis

Bianca Valentina Roșescu — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 04:30:00 +0000

Hard times bring people together. In recent years we have seen how collective work can be a driving force to help those affected by natural or man-made disasters. After a disaster or displacement, a safe physical environment is often essential. Therefore, the need for coordination becomes a key factor in assisting people in times of need.

The Mies Crown Hall Prize Announces Shortlist for 2022 MCHAP Award for Emerging Practice

Nicolás Valencia — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 07:30:00 +0000

After a two-year suspension due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize has announced that 10 projects designed by emerging practices in the Americas have been shortlisted for the 2022 MCHAP.emerge.

Accessibility and Equity of Opportunity in 7 Educational Spaces

Susanna Moreira — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 07:30:00 +0000

As democratizing catalysts, educational spaces play a fundamental role in shaping individuals and entire communities. These places, where students spend a significant amount of time developing their capabilities, skills, and competencies, are more than a background for the promotion of a fundamental right, they are key elements to providing equal opportunities for all.

Mazaronkiari Multifunctional Classroom / Semillas + Paulo Vale Afonso

Cristian Aguilar — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Sometimes, unexpected situations disarray planned and approved projects. In these cases, one can limit itself to comply with the establishment; or can season the proposal with a little bit of creativity, look for alternatives or propose something slightly different that can adapt to the new situation. This is the case of the project developed in Mazaronkiari, a Nomatsiguenga native community located in the district of Pangoa, in the Peruvian central jungle.