Architect and Executive Director of ELEMENTAL
Alejandro Gastón Aravena Mori is a Chilean architect internationally acclaimed for his socially conscious and participatory approach to architecture. Born in Santiago in 1967, he studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and later in Venice. In 2001, he co-founded ELEMENTAL, a Santiago-based architecture firm focused on projects of public interest, particularly affordable housing and urban integration. Aravena is best known for his “incremental housing” model, which provides low-income families with half-finished homes they can expand over time, as seen in projects like Quinta Monroy and Villa Verde. His work addresses urban inequality through pragmatic and dignified design solutions. In 2016, he was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize and served as director of the Venice Architecture Biennale under the theme “Reporting from the Front,” emphasizing architecture’s role in confronting global challenges.
