Organized by the Association of Architects of the Province of Buenos Aires (District I) and promoted by the Association of Land Surveyors of La Plata, the Provincial Preliminary Design Competition was launched for a new headquarters building for the Association of Land Surveyors of La Plata. Seeking to transform the workspaces of the Professional Council of Land Surveying of the Province of Buenos Aires – District V, the initiative aimed to rethink and design new spaces that foster exchange across multiple activities, opening the Association to both professionals in the discipline and the community.
District V comprises the municipalities of Berisso, Brandsen, Chascomús, Ensenada, General Belgrano, General Paz, La Plata, Lezama, Magdalena, and Punta Indio within the province of Buenos Aires. Aiming to strengthen the social role of land surveying, the goal is to increase the profession's presence in society, fostering its participation in community development and civic equity, among other missions. Through an adaptable, contemporary architecture that responds to social, cultural, and demographic shifts, the new building must accommodate current activities while anticipating potential future growth. This is to be integrated alongside social programs, such as a multipurpose room (SUM)/auditorium and gathering spaces to enrich the life of the institution, its professionals, and the community.
Guided by advisor Constanza Saldias (CAPBAUNO), the jury—composed of Eduardo Crivos representing the participants; Horacio Morano and Ana Güimil for CAPBAUNO; Diego Morrone for the Association of Land Surveyors; and Rodolfo Frolik for FADEA—awarded three prizes and several honorable mentions. Discover the winning projects below.
First Prize
Project description provided by the authors. We believe the essence of the brief involves considering the lasting relevance of the volume and its spaces, a concept closely tied to the idea of formal synthesis. This synthesis is expressed in the proposal, where the simplicity of the volumes presents a prism that is progressively carved out, and where the modular and geometric strategy defines the project's composition. The complex is organized through a clear sectional strategy, with the dynamic circulation system playing a central role. It establishes an inclined plane composed of tiered seating that links the public sphere with the social areas of the complex. The translucent-roofed atrium defines the heart of the building and serves as a point of reference in its spatial organization.
The design treats the void as an inseparable counterpart to the closed body of architecture. In the project, it structures the morphological complexity and forms the open body of the discipline, becoming a direct protagonist of the urban and architectural spatial proposal. It opens into elevated terraces, shifts, appears, and breaks apart; it advances and recedes, dynamically connecting the work areas and leisure spaces.
The organizational strategy defines the functional stratification. The first level on the ground floor connects with the city and differentiates access points. It establishes distinct entrances, links to public areas, and houses a daily operations sector for the Association to serve its registered members. The front-facing core allows the building to operate both during institutional hours and independently, accommodating medium-scale activities and events at any time without disrupting daily operations.
The second level contains the most heavily trafficked areas, featuring the multipurpose room, cafeteria, and terrace, defining the transition between public and semi-public spaces. The third level accommodates the private areas (executive offices) and the Main Hall (for assemblies and meetings), where the terrace serves as the primary outdoor extension.
The rooftop terrace is conceived as a garden roof and outdoor activity space, crowning the building. It serves as the culmination of the design and an expression of sustainable strategies (green roof, photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting). The project is designed to accommodate potential future growth by taking advantage of local zoning regulations. The flexible floor plan and the position of the core allow for the addition of new floors that could function as rental offices or coworking spaces.
Second Prize
Third Prize
Project description provided by the authors. The Association of Land Surveyors was established by law in the 1980s, following Argentina's return to democracy. Reflecting on that historical period—which opened the doors of universities and guaranteed the right to study—we find a close connection to the current need for spaces to accommodate a membership that has grown continuously for nearly forty years. The Association thus serves as a home that welcomes university graduates and accompanies them throughout their professional careers. This fosters an intergenerational gathering—a meeting of diverse experiences that ensures reflection and the growth of the discipline.
The building is integrated into a city where the "public sphere"—characterized by university life and its status as the provincial capital housing the branches of government—has a high impact on urban life. Consequently, the concept of the public must be interpreted through this institutional program, recognizing that the city's inhabitants share common values and visions.
Public spaces are not necessarily open. A space is private or public based on the type of sociability it promotes. Rooted in this concept of the public, the building proposes a small entrance plaza as an extension of the sidewalk, defining the ground floor as an urban lobby or foyer that connects with the heart of the block and the open sky beyond. From there, it also engages with the street as a way of perceiving the city and establishing a presence within it—a theme repeated throughout the building's spatial system.
The ground plane creates an entrance plaza, keeping vehicle access at ground level while raising the main entrance on a plinth at +0.75 meters, accessed via a ramp. This new level creates a single shared entrance, hosting only the Association’s public activities, such as reception and accounting. By removing parking from the building's footprint, the design adds a medium-sized tree to the parking area alongside the two existing ones. The proposal is both restrained and highly efficient.
Conceiving a flexible program goes beyond creating spaces that adapt to different uses or change over time; it means understanding them through a sustainable lens, yielding a three-story building that ensures comfortable habitability while maximizing the allowable lot coverage (FOS). The design for the new C.A. building addresses two key aspects. On one hand, it develops a facility to host purely social activities focused on gathering, training, recreation, and exchange. On the other, it reinterprets the workspace through an office program that incorporates flexible layouts, outdoor extensions, terraces, and rest areas to enrich interpersonal relationships and enhance work outcomes.
Honorable Mentions
Author: Leonardo Boccardo
Collaborators: Facundo Carrasco, Joaquin Coll, Juan Chaar
Authors: Gabriel Oscar De Leon, Carlos Alejandro Jones
Collaborators: Lucía Garnica, Jonatan Coniglio, Martín Gonzalez, Valentina Tentti, Lucía Balmaceda, Ángela Jiménez, Guadalupe Cuevas
This article was written by Agustina Iñiguez. The translation is powered by AI.
