Last November, the Comptroller General of Chile ordered the halt of construction of the so-called vertical ghettos in the municipality of Estación Central (Santiago). In response, on Friday, December 14, a group of real estate developers filed a series of injunctions against the resolution, while the Chilean Chamber of Construction raised concerns regarding the suspension of projects, as reported by the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.
At the same time, the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile (Chilean Association of Architects), the Association of Architectural Offices (AOA), the Association of Works Directors and Municipal Works Department Professionals of Chile, the Association of Independent Reviewing Architects of Chile, and the National Association of Independent Reviewers issued a document obtained by El Mercurio. In it, they claim they "have seen [their] right to practice their profession with confidence affected [...] due to the legal uncertainty currently facing our field."
Along the same lines, on Monday, December 17, the financial newspaper Estrategia published a letter by prominent Chilean architect Miguel Lawner, director of the Urban Improvement Corporation (CORMU) between 1970 and 1973. Lawner questioned the stance of the Colegio de Arquitectos "against the rulings of the Comptroller General's Office, which have exposed, at least in part, the massive violations committed by major real estate developers against the rules and regulations governing construction practices."
Lawner cites a building permit in the municipality of Estación Central as an example: a 38-story tower with 540 housing units on a 1,031.21-square-meter plot of land, "reaching a density of 20,970 inhabitants per hectare and a floor area ratio (FAR) of 15.93." He notes that the average density in Estación Central is 79 inhabitants per hectare, citing an article by Cociña and Burgos published in 2017 by CIPER Chile.
"Does the Colegio de Arquitectos believe that in this case and 70 other building permits challenged by the Comptroller General, truth, beauty, and service to the community are being upheld, as our oath states?" Lawner asks. "Who is the Colegio de Arquitectos defending? Is it defending the community, as our oath states, or is it defending large real estate companies and investment funds, the drivers of unprecedented assaults in our history committed against a community that is fortunately more aware of its rights?" he adds.
Read Miguel Lawner's letter here.
Via La Tercera, El Mercurio, and Estrategia.
This article was written by Nicolás Valencia. The translation is powered by AI.
