10_ Ugo Hotel Providencia, Santiago
The Providencia community has sustained its densification process over the last 50 years, combining urban growth while preserving its character as a garden city. Its building model is structured mainly in isolated towers with different heights, articulated according to the availability of public real estate, roads, and transportation. In this context, the UGO Hotel is projected as a piece that reinforces the services offered by the Santiago Metro Line 1 axis. The design responds simultaneously to local regulations and the land´s geometry: a “cul-de- sac” site on Holanda street, with a frontage of 22 meters and a depth of 40 meters. This configuration gives way to a five-level horizontal bar, which connects to a square tower of 45 x 45 meters and ten levels high. The volumetry takes full advantage of the height and ground occupa- tion regulations, proposing a route that crosses the bar until it culminates in the tower, which is constituted as an urban landmark. On its first level, the building houses the lobby of a 4-star business and tourism hotel, with 180 rooms, configured through two key operations: freeing the structure to achieve an east-west transparency, and emptying the center of the upper levels with a sunlight courtyard, which organizes the circulation. The lightweight structure and the height of the first level allow the public programs -front-desk, bar, lounge-cafeteria- to be arranged openly and flexibly, extending them towards the terrace and outdoor pool, blurring the boundaries between interior and urban landscape. The core of the vertical circulation is shifted towards the northern edge, freeing the center of the floor plan and flanking the void at the full height of the tower. The lobby, in turn, is linked to the convention center through a gallery under the bar volume, naturally lit from the courtyard access. The highly opaque envelope regulates the entrance of natural light and optimizes the rooms' thermal efficiency. The alternating arrangement of openings in the facade creates a vibrant effect that not only responds to atmospheric and energetic criteria but also offers a contemporary inter- pretation of hotel architecture in a district with a strong urban identity. !
09_ Laguna Lookout Cerrillos, Santiago
The Mirador Laguna project arose from the challenge of rethinking social integration in high-density buildings, exploring new ways of coexistence in high-rise buildings. Before its development, few local references ad- dressed this issue, especially concerning the use of the elevator as the organizing axis of community life. The key question was how to create closeness and a sense of community within a vertical structure without the density translating into anonymity. The solution adopted was the arrangement of three buildings with different heights, structuring a large central courtyard as a meeting point. This configuration not only favors interaction among the residents but also optimizes the views, the human scale inside the courtyard, and the sunlight exposure on the apartments and common spaces. In addition, the lower volume allows the towers to have a better orienta- tion towards the landscape, reinforcing the relationship with the surround- ings. One of the most innovative aspects of the project lies in the design of the elevator cores, located in the center of each floor. This arrangement creates short corridors, reducing the number of units connected per level to a maximum of eight apartments. This promotes proximity between neighbors and avoids the feeling of overcrowding, typical of high-rise buildings. Social integration is not only addressed in the distribution of the apartments, but also in their exterior design. The facades present a unitary architectural language, avoiding visible distinctions between middle and vulnerable groups. The project also prioritizes pedestrian mobility and the reduction of vehicular impact, favoring internal routes that promote socialization. In terms of sustainability, passive strategies such as sunshades and double-paned windows were incorporated in order to optimize energy consumption and improve the apartments' thermal comfort. On the other hand, universal accessibility was key in the project's development, ensuring that all residents, regardless of their condition, can fully enjoy the common spaces. The corner of the complex was designed as a neuralgic point, with the main access and stores that reinforce the connection between the building and the neighborhood. Mirador Laguna not only responds to an architectural challenge but it also establishes a model of high-rise social integration, where density and community coexist through a balanced and potentially replicable urban solution. !
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