The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) has recently announced the shortlist for the RAIC International Award 2019, highlighting socially-transformative architecture around the world.
In this edition of the award, the jury was composed of Anne Carrier, Stephen Hodder, Barry Johns, Eva Matsuzaki, Diarmuid Nash, Gilles Saucier and David Covo. Analyzing projects from 12 countries and six continents, the jury selected an educational building in Perú, an artist residency and cultural center in Senegal and a spiritual temple in Chile for the shortlist.
“We see in these exceptional buildings how architecture can strengthen community, bring together diverse peoples, lift the spirit, and exist in harmony with the environment,” said RAIC President Michael Cox, FRAIC. “Each of these projects offers lessons that can be applied elsewhere, and we hope they will inspire architects around the world as they design for human well-being.”
Edificio E, UDEP / Barclay & Crousse
Location: Piura, Perú
Year: March 2016
"Edificio E reflects Peru’s national policy of encouraging low-income rural students to attend wealthy private universities, as well as the university’s program of social inclusion through education. The designers strove to create a non-hierarchical environment that fosters encounters among students from diverse backgrounds and their teachers. Located in a desert and dry-forest ecosystem near the equator, the building’s generous, open-air gathering spaces bring shade and cross breezes and create a sense of community."
New Artist Residency In Senegal / Toshiko Mori
Location: Senegal
Year: March 2015
"Located in a remote area near the border with Mali, the Thread cultural centre is a community hub for a network of isolated villages, offering spaces for artists, performance, a public library, and agricultural training. Thread adapted traditional building materials and local roof designs to collect rainwater and serve as a water source during the eight-month dry season. It is built entirely from local materials, including bamboo and compressed earth blocks. The centre has increased social cohesion and provided stability in a community of diverse ethnic groups."
Bahá’í Temple/ Hariri Pontarini Architects
Location: Santiago, Chile
Year: October 2016
"The Baha’i Temple of South America is designed to be a place of welcome and meaning for everyone. Its design aspires to commonality within diversity, and it has attracted over 1.4 million visitors since opening in Fall 2016. The temple is composed of nine cast-glass and marble wings, achieving a sense of weightless movement, light, and at the same time permanence. At the edge of the Andes, it was built to withstand a rugged climate and an earthquake zone. Its 14-year realization involved hundreds of local volunteers and a global effort, including fabrication in Canada and Germany, marble from a Portuguese quarry, and Chilean tradespeople."
- For more information, visit the official website here.
