Taller de Barrio. Prototype for a craft workshop as case of multidirectional academic outreach

Abstract

The disconnection between academy and praxis has been one of the most prominent and discussed issues around architectural education in the wake of the XXI century. In Chile it is posible to distinguish two niches of resistance: the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso and the Talca Schools of Architecture. In this context, a group of teachers from Escuela de Arquitectura de la Universidad del Bío-Bío created the Taller de Barrio. Inspired by the idea of threefold alliances, it is a pedagogical innovation initiative whose main objective is to give back to architectural education its practical/social sense. This allows for a multidirectional kind of academic outreach. The Prototype for Craft Workshop that we here present is a direct and representative fruit of this initiative.