As part of the 2021 CNPP National Undergraduate Project Competition organized by Grupo Arquitectura Caliente and Graphisoft Archicad, a total of 127 proposals were submitted from 20 architecture schools across Chile. The jury highlighted three projects that, through their formal and conceptual diversity, achieved the highest recognition within their respective categories. Explore the winning proposals of this latest edition of the competition below.
Second Year Winner
First Place: Two Courtyards and a Vestibule
Authors: Sofía Garrido, Evelyn Vidal, Camila Valenzuela
Advisor: Pablo Rojas Bottner
Universidad de Chile
Description. The housing project originates from the idea of proposing a community-oriented lifestyle. It aims to create spaces of encounter where public and private life constantly complement and contrast with one another, arranging spaces with varying levels of privacy.
After an exhausting workday, you walk home, and the first thing you see when you arrive is the shared kitchen, where the neighbor's daughters offer you a piece of cake fresh out of the oven. Crossing the courtyard, you navigate around a group of children playing in the shade of a tree, walk to the lobby, and climb the spiral staircase to the third floor, watching children and their grandparents watching TV in the living room as you pass each floor. You enter your apartment and step out onto the terrace to take down the laundry you left on the balcony, greeting your neighbors who are having an afternoon snack next door. Back in your kitchen, while preparing a mortadella sandwich, you chat with your neighbor on the other side as they cook dinner for their family. Looking out the window, you see dogs playfully chasing children through the backyard bushes, while a group of young people enjoys the quiet afternoon reading. Each space is designed to serve multiple purposes, ensuring there is always a place to gather and interact.
Third Year Winner
First Place: Colectivo Habitacional
Authors: Franco Galli, Lissette Torres, Javiera Carrasco
Advisor: Ernesto Silva
Universidad San Sebastián (Santiago)
Description. Today, the country's most vulnerable sectors lack collective facilities that can support neighborhood growth. Consequently, these communities find their development stalled, leaving them exposed to greater risk factors and undermining the opportunities for community advancement. One such case is the Aurora neighborhood, located in the La Cisterna municipality. Due to its location, it sits within the municipality's primary risk areas—such as drug trafficking, juvenile delinquency, and child abuse. Nevertheless, various self-managed groups have appropriated the multifunctionality of local housing to provide services lacking in the neighborhood. One of the clearest examples is the "Escuelita Libre" (Free School), which offers not only values-based education but also community integration workshops, fostering strong ties among residents. The project defines a housing unit through the private areas of the home (bedrooms and bathrooms), while the "public" areas (dining room, kitchen, and living room) are designed collectively, opening up the spaces. The first floor addresses horizontality by integrating with the context, while the second floor connects the tower's more private program (the school and the neighborhood council), creating a mixed space between public and private. The tower provides the area with a landmark that connects both its residents and those living in the surrounding neighborhood.
Fourth and Fifth Year Winner
First Place: Liceo Mahuida Lihuen
Author: Francisco Toro
Advisor: Miguel Nazar
Universidad del Desarrollo (Concepción)
Description. Inspired by the surrounding landscape, the Mahuida Picún High School ("Northern Mountain" in Mapudungun) is positioned as a community piece for Villarrica. Grounded in the tourism trade, the high school becomes a place where woodworking and gastronomy are taught and directly applied on-site. This provides students with direct professional experience while generating an economic reactivation proposal for the city's northern edge, establishing a counterpoint for urban development. Its site placement is carefully designed to enhance its neighboring buildings, seeking to establish a new public space and educational landmark for the city.
The high school is organized around two large trade courtyards. The first is connected to the tourism waterfront: the "Patio Huerta" (Kitchen Garden Courtyard), which is tied to the culinary trade. Here, students grow the produce used in their training, while the space also serves as a recreational area for the school. The second is linked to the woodworking tradition: the "Patio Taller" (Workshop Courtyard). This space is divided into a work area temporarily open to the public and a recreational area planted with the same tree species used in the workshop. These two courtyards are configured within a completely public exterior that accommodates various events for both tourists and residents.
Designed at a local scale and constructed entirely of wood, the high school is wrapped in a screen of stained timber slats. These are crowned by roofs of varying heights that correspond to the spaces they shelter, expressing the interior activities to the outside. Large skylights in each room flood the spaces with natural light, shaping the interior atmosphere.
This article was written by Luciana Truffa. The translation is powered by AI.
