Alejandro Aravena

Alejandro Aravena leads a new generation of architects who have a holistic understanding of the built environment and have clearly demonstrated the ability to connect social responsibility, economic demands, human habitat design and the city. Few have lived up to the demands of the practice of architecture as an artistic enterprise and the social and economic challenges of today. Aravena, from his native Chile, has achieved both and, in doing so, has significantly expanded the role of the architect.

Born in 1967 and practising since 1994, Aravena has consistently dedicated himself to architecture with a clear vision and great skill. He has completed several buildings for his alma mater, the Catholic University of Chile, such as the Faculty of Mathematics (1998), the Faculty of Medicine (2001), the renovation of the Faculty of Architecture (2004), the Siamese Towers (2005) and, most recently, the Anacleto Angelini UC Innovation Centre, Santiago (2014). Each building shows an understanding of how people will use the facilities, the appropriate and thoughtful use of materials and a commitment to creating public spaces that benefit the wider community. The Angelini Innovation Centre shows the maturity of this architect. A powerful structure from a distance, but remarkably human and welcoming. Reversing convention, the building is an opaque concrete structure on the outside and has a light-filled glazed atrium on the inside. With the mass of the building at the perimeter, energy consumption is minimal. The interior has many places for spontaneous encounters and a transparency that allows you to see the activity everywhere. Aravena has created an environment rich in lively, interesting and welcoming spaces.

He has produced works of architectural excellence in private, public and educational commissions both in his home country and abroad, including the United States - a residence hall and dining hall at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas - and as far afield as Shanghai, China for the pharmaceutical company Novartis. He has carried out projects of different scales, from single-family homes to large institutional buildings. In all his works, he approaches the task with a fresh approach and the ability to start without any predetermined idea or form. He understands materials and construction, but also the importance of poetry and the power of architecture to communicate on many levels.

What really sets Aravena apart is his commitment to social housing. Since 2000 and since the foundation of ELEMENTAL, he and his collaborators have consistently carried out works with clear social objectives. The company, which they call "Do Tank" as opposed to a "Think tank", has built more than 2,500 units through creative, flexible and direct architectural solutions for low-cost social housing. The ELEMENTAL team is involved in all stages of the complex process of providing housing for the most disadvantaged: working with politicians, lawyers, researchers, residents, local authorities and builders to achieve the best possible results for the benefit of residents and society. Understanding the importance of the aspirations of the inhabitants and their active participation and investment in a project, as well as good design, have contributed to the creation of new opportunities for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This inventive approach broadens the traditional scope of the architect and transforms the professional into a universal figure with the aim of finding a truly collective solution for the built environment.

The younger generation of architects and designers looking for opportunities to effect change can learn from the way Alejandro Aravena takes on multiple roles rather than the singular position of a designer to facilitate a housing project, and in doing so, discovers that such opportunities can be created by architects themselves. Through this approach, it gives the architectural profession a new dimension, necessary to respond to the current demands and future challenges of the sector.

Alejandro Aravena epitomises the renaissance of a more socially engaged architect, especially in his long-term commitment to addressing the global housing crisis and fighting for a better urban environment for all. He has a deep understanding of both architecture and civil society, as reflected in his writings, activism and designs. The role of the architect is now challenged to serve greater social and humanitarian needs, and Alejandro Aravena has responded with clarity, generosity and completeness to this challenge. For the inspiration he provides through his example and his contributions to architecture and past and future humanity , Alejandro Aravena is the winner of the 2016 Pritzker Architecture Prize.