Amid the dynamism and speed that characterize our life in the contemporary world, especially concerning our cities and built environments, it is inevitable to recognize the importance of preserving spaces for pause and reflection, essential for addressing and discussing the key issues of architecture and urbanism that our society urgently needs today. The latest edition of the 13th Ibero-American Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism, held from December 2 to 6 in Lima, Peru, provided a unique gathering for such reflections and dialogues. Under the theme 'CLIMATES: Actions for the Good Living,' the event brought together architects and key figures from the field, who, during a week of roundtable discussions and conferences, focused on the challenges of global contemporary habitation, especially those shared between Spain and Latin America, thus serving as a bridge of knowledge between both contexts.
Based on this theme, the concept of CLIMATES in this biennial was approached from a multidimensional perspective, considering the environmental climate and the socioeconomic and political climates. These three axes guided the program's organization and the selection of the awarded and exhibited works. Thus, The biennial unfolded in various venues throughout Lima, addressing issues inherent to each of these realities.
In the first gathering, held at the San Martín de Orúe Community Center in La Balanza, Comas, the discussion focused on the climates conducive to "good living." The event included a tour of the neighborhood, a shared lunch, and two roundtable discussions featuring the winners of the projects and initiatives in the "New Rules" category, recognized for their self-managed and participatory approach, integrating design and architecture as key players in ongoing processes aimed at improving the habitat in each context. The debate centered on urban resilience and the various interpretations of good living, highlighting the fundamental role of collective organization in addressing the housing crises affecting much of the large urban centers.
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On the second day of the biennial, at the UTEC headquarters, participants presented their projects, including Femingas, an Ecuadorian collective focused on construction with a gender perspective, led by Florencia Sobrero, and the Coonvite studio from Medellín, along with other speakers. During their presentations, they detailed the methodologies and resources they use to address the current challenges they are working on: the climate crisis, water management, community organizations and cooperation, the design of inclusive public spaces, the housing deficit, as well as inclusive design and construction with a gender perspective and accessibility.
The day concluded with the keynote address by Raquel Rolnik, recipient of the Biennial Lifetime Achievement Award. Drawing from her experience as an architect and urbanist specializing in housing issues, Rolnik presented a current overview of the major global threats linked to large-scale real estate developments, which are responsible for the displacement of numerous local communities. However, she ended her speech with an optimistic message: although these threats are undeniable, every small act of resistance, which had also been highlighted in the previous presentations, represents progress toward a more just and humane urban model.
The conferences and dialogue sessions held throughout the biennial shared a common theme as a guiding thread: the idea that architecture and urbanism cannot be addressed in isolation, but must be considered as part of a broader ecosystem, both in relation to the territory and natural environments and in coexistence with the other species that inhabit it. The Lugar de la Memoria, a prominent project in Lima’s architecture by Barclay & Crousse, was the chosen venue to discuss these topics and showcase the works that represent them.
In this regard, the dialogue on the environmental climate, preceded by a presentation from Iñaki Alday, a leading figure in urban projects of infrastructure and landscape successful in water management and flood control, focused on the awarded works that incorporate this approach from both design and material construction execution. Moderated by Ginés Garrido, who gave a clear starting point to the conversation, the session explored the awarded works through several characteristic axes present in the projects: "a new way of relating to the world, to humans and non-humans; decolonizing to understand and dismantle the hierarchical structures of the past; rediscovering ancestral techniques; cultivating communities; respecting ecologies; recovering the past; renewing the new and recycling heritage; innovating on what is known; and calibrating and measuring our actions as architects."
Among the highlighted works are the Chaki Wasi project in Ecuador, by La Cabina de la Curiosidad, the French Institute of Andean Studies in Lima, by Roman Bauer Arquitectos, and the Isla Cautín Urban Park, by Osvaldo Moreno Flores. These three awarded works stand out for integrating vernacular architecture, traditional construction systems, and ecological infrastructure as key strategies to address bioclimatic challenges and promote sustainable solutions.
The day continued with presentations on the housing crisis, land management and policies, progressively built housing, social housing, the rehabilitation of obsolete buildings, densification and gentrification, and new housing models and ways of living. The presentations primarily focused on the Spanish and Peruvian contexts, although the topics are easily identifiable in other Latin American and European cities, each facing its local challenges. The dialogue session, moderated by Almudena Ribot, addressed all these topics, adding the debate on the right to dignified housing and drawing on the winning proposals of Viviendas Sociales 1737, by H arquitectes, and 43 social housing units in Ibiza, by Marta Peris and José Toral. These works integrate both energy-efficient design and social and community cohesion in everyday living.
Finally, the last presentation of the day was by Chilean architect Alejandra Celedón, who, through "Stadium", a project with which she represented Chile at the Venice Biennale 2018, contextualized a political climate and its intersection with habitat. The awarded works from BIAU exhibited here included Las Tejedoras - Community Productive Center in Ecuador, by Natura Futura and the Cultural Center Aduana de San Blas in Mexico by Colectivo C733, which, in addition to incorporating vernacular techniques and elements in their construction, provide a powerful message of social empowerment linked to a political and cultural past in their respective contexts.
Wrapping up the event, the final day of conferences, under the theme 'Learnings,' brought together prominent figures of contemporary architecture, including the Peruvian studio Barclay & Crousse, Angelo Bucci, who presented his work in São Paulo, as well as Ciro Pirondi and Jorge Mario Jáuregui, who were awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Also participating were Cristina Veríssimo and Diogo Burnay from the Portuguese studio CVDB, and Spanish architect Ginés Garrido. They all presented their work and their approach to architecture, intrinsically linked to the territories, highlighting the role of architecture and good design as essential actors in the improvement of our cities and environments.
Why is it important to generate these spaces for dialogue? The sharing and exchange of experiences and knowledge from different perspectives is crucial, not only regarding architecture and urbanism but also considering everything that surrounds and affects the practice, which must go beyond design to integrate harmoniously into the environmental, social, and political dynamics of our cities. This edition of the 13th BIAU in Lima left a clear lesson: by ensuring the implementation of the approaches discussed in the topics of resilience, community participation, sustainability, and 'good living,' this concept moves from being abstract to becoming an achievable goal through collaboration, innovation, and, above all, respect for the territories, communities, and their inhabitants.
