Media Rocognition

MEDIAL RECOGNITION

Trevino, L. (2016) titles his article in January for the world bank blogs as “the starchitect of the poor.”

A phrase that has commonly been attached to Alejandro Aravena. Internationally renowned outlets

like Archdaily, Dezeen, and the New York Times, write complimentary reviews about his award for the

Pritzker Prize Laureate in 2016.

A consistent theme amongst these articles, is to merely focus the tip of the iceberg. As Trevino, L. (2016) writes, “Alejandro Aravena, 48, has offered solutions to the global housing crisis that are so creative,

speedy, budget-conscious and scalable that he has been awarded the 2016 Pritzker Prize, considered

the Nobel for architecture. His work—and the prize—challenge architects to envision innovative buildings

not just for businesses and other wealthy clients but for all the people.” Failing to mention, the keys are

handed over to an unfinished home, without a bedroom, without a heater.

In January, the same month of Trevino, L. an article from, Winston, A. (2016) at Dezeen writes “Elemental is a champion of “participatory design.” Once again, in January, a report from the New York Times by Pogrebin, R. (2016) gives a very similar account, but for Kimmelman, R. (2016) in May that year,

begins to look deeper on the scheme. The International Growth Centre publishes the final report in 2016

on Incremental housing, and other design principles for low-cost housing, stating the incrementality “dynamically transforms the simple housing solution offered in a complete and personalized home, according to their own investments capacity and preferences.” (Wainer, L. et al. 2016: 23).

The media have distorted the reality of the Elemental incrementality. The glossy images of completed

self-build houses make for good posters, but the reality behind the façades of these buildings is the

hardship a lot of these families had to endure. There has a been a notable media shift away from the

glittering articles of Quinta Monroy, January 2016.