Abstract

In Chile, it is the architect’s vocation to design beyond the envelope of the building and to influence the shape of the city. To design a housing development project requires a practice that considers the social role and relationship of urbanism and architecture. As such, the housing developments in this article, to varying degrees and in different ways, shaped parts of the city and its urban life. These projects played a large role in creating remarkable residential “barrios” giving Santiago an exceptional identity that can be experienced by walking. It is important to note that the concept of barrio has no direct equivalent in the English language or urban form, “neighborhood” being its closest translation.