The obsolete figure of the “star-architect” begins to falter to give presence to an emergent call coming from a social part that is not represented in conventional practices. As far as the social gap towards a more unequal society grows, similarly, a parallel need to reconnect with all the social sectors appears. Particularly to the more vulnerable habitats, those that the politics don´t look at and consequently don´t have access to proper spaces. So, the work towards social inclusion and urban integrity recognizes that people living with very little equally as the well-off people have a right to good architecture. And as architects/ urban designers we pursue the will to improve people’s lives, understanding architecture as a service to others. Thus, pretending to reach the most needed people means rethinking the role of architecture in society and implies an exit from the comfort zone of conventional practices. This revindication gives up egos and personal goals of wealth, fame, and power, focusing on a more democratized process of design. To do so, alternative modes need to be generated through participatory processes. And this premise inevitably brings about a variety of tendencies, new experiments, and several perspectives in the field, that are not easy to implement.

„Claiming the social and pedagogical dimension of the profession“  - Nere Guarrotxena

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article written by  GUARROTXENA , NERE; ORDUZ, ALEJANDRO; SANCHEZ, SANTIAGO

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