Bright colors shine under the Latin American sun; people are characterized by the warmth with which they receive others, rhythm, and for always having a smile on their faces. Latin American architects have great climates and dreamy landscapes to work with; however, they face the task of working in places with social, economical, and political problems. A way of tackling such problems is through society-focused architecture, design, and urbanism. As good Latin people, for all architects in this list obstacles do not represent anything other than opportunities to improve and innovate. With such a mindset, projects turn out outstanding, and locally and globally recognized.
Here are 15 Latin American architects to look for
1. Felipe de Uribe de Bedout
Colombian architect, Felipe Uribe de Bedout directs +UdeB Arquitectos. His works on public areas and buildings and the renovation of urban spaces aim to tackle the problems of the cities by focusing on the user, their habits, local climate, and landscape. An example of his public spaces, which offers a gathering public place is the Pies Descalzo Park in Medellin, Colombia.
2. Rozana Montiel
Winner of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2019, the Mexican architect Rozana Montiel stands out thanks to her investigations, as well as projects that rescue residual spaces within housing units, an ever present issue in Mexican cities. “UH: Common spaces in Housing Units” is her book on the topic. The projects Common-unity in Mexico City and CANCHA in Veracruz transform unused urban spaces into common areas.
3. Tatiana Bilbao
Former Advisor in the Ministry of Development and Housing of Mexico City and recurrent teacher at Yale University, Tatiana Bilbao’s name is in everyone’s lips, and with good reason. Her studio’s projects cover various scales, from high-density buildings to education and affordable construction. Her artistic approach to architecture has brought her work to the Venice Biennale, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Pompidou Centre, among others.
4. Luciano Kruk
This Argentinian architect is the author of various housing projects, mostly single-family houses. The use of concrete, glass, and simple shapes creates an almost minimalist/modernist approach to housing. The solid concrete walls and floor-to-ceiling windows create rational compositions. His portfolio of projects is vast; the photographs are of Casa L4.
5. Miguel Montor
Miguel Montor is a Mexican architect. His portfolio includes housing, industrial, commercial, and educational buildings, such as the Nuevo Continente Highschool. He approaches design through mixed-technique sketching, which results in well-thought function and composition. He occasionally teaches sketching workshops.
6. Alonso&Crippa
This studio is confirmed by Argentinian architects Mariano Alonso and Ludmila Crippa. Some remarkable projects are multifamily housing buildings in Buenos Aires, in which they showcase great sensibility for space and surroundings creating valuable spaces in reduced plots. An example is the Superí Building.
7. Francisco Gonzalez Pulido
González Pulido in Mexico currently undergoes a significant project for Mexico City: a new airport. He was granted the project after the Mexican president cancelled the airport project by Foster & Partners for political reasons. As debatable as this decision can be, González Pulido’s work for the airport is proven outstanding. He is now a high-ranking architect in the country.
8. Macías Peredo
Macias Peredo Studio is a Mexican architecture practice. They represented Mexico in the 2018 Venice Biennale. While browsing their projects, you will encounter eye-catching subtle compositions with a magnificent choice of materials. They value the artisan-constructor and all their projects enhance this manual labor; this philosophy of their work is beautifully represented in the Privada Lomas del Valle.
9. Hector Esrawe
Hector Esrawe is a Mexican industrial designer who got into architecture and interiors. He has designed furniture, restaurant, and corporate interiors, but most recently, a house. Casa Sierra Fría is his first residential project. Thanks to his interdisciplinary approach, each project is very well thought out and successfully serves its purpose.
10. Leppanen Anker Arquitectura.
With base in Quito, Ecuador, the studio is directed by the Ecuadorian architect Gabriela Ankerand and American architect Aaron Leppanen. They have collaborators from the USA, Ecuador, and Russia, which makes them a global force. The sculptural facades of their projects are inspired by various concepts such as the movement of water in MareNostrum building, or the urban tissue in the project GAIA.
11. Productora
This Mexican studio is an association of the Argentinian architect Abel Perles, Belgian architect Wonne Ickx, and the Mexican architects Carlos Bedoya and Victor Jaime. In 2018 Productora won the Oscar Niemeyer Award. According to their biography, they are distinguished by the interest in precise geometries, clear, legible, and timeless projects. This is reflected in the Teotitlan del Valle Community Cultural Center.
12. Barclay & Crousse
This studio was first established in Paris by the Peruvian architects Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse but moved to Lima, Peru in 2006. In 2018, through her work in Paracas Museum, Sandra Barclay was named Architect of the Year by The Architectural Review. Their projects are more and more recognized in Latinamerica, and worldwide.
13. Estudio MMX
This studio was founded in Mexico by Jorge Arvizu, Ignacio del Río, Emmanuel Ramírez, and Diego Ricalde. Their residential projects and urban spaces show the identity of the place with a modern, yet traditional atmosphere. As an example: the Jojutla Central Gardens, which were built after the 2017 earthquake that affected the community. The brick arches mimic the traditional architecture of the region and provide a public space with climate protection.
14. Frida Escobedo
This Mexican architect develops various types of projects with her studio. Art and roots of Mexican tradition are a standpoint where all projects part from. This makes her a prominent Mexican contemporary architect. A remarkable cultural project is La Tallera, a museum that relates to its open spaces through jealousies and exposes rotated traditional murals.
15. Núcleo de Arquitetura Experimental
Brazilian studio whose designs go from furniture to urban plans. The conceivers of the studio are the Brazilian architects and urbanists Alexandre R. Prass, Filipe S. Santos, and Pedro C. Felix. From their wide range of projects, residential ones like Casa Calha stand out, a house designed on a budget.
