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Architects: Departamento de Arquitectura UTFSM, Dum Dum Lab
- Area: 30 m²
- Year: 2022
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Manufacturers: Concón Maderas Impregnadas
Text description provided by the architects. Originated from the architecture office Dum Dum Lab, with the financing of the Fondart 2022 Artistic Creation contest and the Department of Architecture UTFSM, the Pabellón 25 project had as its premise to design an interpretive pavilion that would allow the recognition of the ecosystemic and landscape values of the Federico Santa María Cliffs Sanctuary while commemorating the 25 years of the Department of Architecture of the Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.
The project was developed within an academic experience, by the teaching team composed of Francisco Calvo, Katherine Cáceres, and Amaya Glaría, together with the students of the third-year Workshop of the UTFSM architecture program, during the second semester of the year 2022.
The methodology of the workshop proposed to investigate the development of design strategies from the study of wooden construction systems, understood as nodes and vectorial frameworks capable of being transformed from an iterative logic of repetition and differentiation. Giving rise to a set of architectural proposals integrating the tectonic limitations of wood and the spatial conditions of the current use of the Sanctuary.
The final proposal, the result of an internal competition of the workshop, is characterized by the radial organization of 7 wooden trusses that vary in height from a perimeter of 3.5mts to the central section that reaches 6.8mts, seeking to crown a new point of reference within the Sanctuary's route. A ring of floors is incorporated that accompanies the descent of the terrain, as a way of steps to congregate both educational meeting activities and simply stopping to rest during recreational walks in the Park.
The structural elements that make up the trusses and floor beams are projected in sections of 2x6", while the diagonals that assemble the trusses are 2x3" and the planking of the steps is composed of sections of 1.5x5". The landings consist of concrete point foundations, with steel connectors that were designed and manufactured in the department's materials laboratory.
Conditioned by an environment of high landscape value, the pavilion is oriented towards the edge of the cliffs, thus prioritizing the views of the Pacific as a privileged place for bird watching and recognition of endemic flora. An ecosystem that can be explored thanks to the incorporation of scientific illustrations developed by marine biologist Sol Pacheco, integrated into the pavilion as interpretive infrastructure of the most characteristic species that inhabit the Sanctuary.
This academic experience allowed involving students in an interdisciplinary initiative, which was fundamental for the materialization of a work that aims to go beyond an architectural element in the landscape, as a public educational infrastructure from which to promote the value and preservation of an endangered ecosystem.
To guarantee the durability and resistance of Pabellón 25, especially in an extreme landscape environment typical of the cliffs of the Sanctuary, collaboration with Concón Maderas Impregnadas was carried out. This allowed having suitable material for structures that will be in direct contact with the natural environment and the weather. This wood treatment significantly prolongs the useful life of the pavilion, reducing the need for future maintenance interventions.