Architecture as fluid technology. The housing blocks by Corporación de la Vivienda of Chile

ABSTRACT

In a general sense, architecture and technology articulate two modes of evaluation of objects and built environments; however, are there conditions that allow us to consider architectural works as technologies? This paper explores this possibility by analyzing bibliographic, documentary, and planimetric information on housing blocks developed by the state agency, Corporación de la Vivienda (CORVI), between 1953 and 1974. Using Process Tracing as a method of analysis, milestones were identified that showed the ways in which the design and production of this typology were influenced by a regime of values based on the idea of rationalization, and that the heterogeneity of its cases showed flexibility and adaptation to the ways of calculating and realizing this value. The conclusions address the causality observed between value and typology in this case, and suggest that this behavior expresses a technological condition of architecture.

RESUMO

Em um sentido geral, a arquitetura e a tecnologia articulam dois modos de avaliação de objetos e ambientes construídos, mas existem condições que nos permitem considerar as obras arquitetônicas como tecnologias? Este artigo explora essa possibilidade por meio da análise de informações bibliográficas, documentais e planimétricas sobre edifícios residenciais desenvolvidos pela agência estatal Corporación de la Vivienda (CORVI) entre 1953 e 1974. Usando o traçado de processos como método de análise, foram identificados marcos que mostraram as maneiras pelas quais o projeto e a produção dessa tipologia foram influenciados por um regime de valores baseado na ideia de racionalização e que a heterogeneidade de seus casos mostrou flexibilidade e adaptação às maneiras pelas quais esse valor foi calculado e realizado. As conclusões abordam a causalidade observada entre valor e tipologia nesse caso e sugerem que esse comportamento expressa uma condição tecnológica da arquitetura.

RESUMEN

En un sentido general, la arquitectura y la tecnología articulan dos modos de evaluación de los objetos y de los entornos construidos, sin embargo, ¿hay condiciones que permitan considerar a las obras de arquitectura como tecnologías? El presente trabajo explora esa posibilidad analizando la información bibliográfica, documental y planimétrica de los edificios residenciales desarrollados por la agencia estatal, Corporación de la Vivienda (CORVI), entre 1953 y 1974. Utilizando el trazado de procesos como método de análisis, se identificaron hitos que dieron cuenta de los modos en que el diseño y la producción de esta tipología eran incididos por un régimen de valores basado en la idea de racionalización y que, la heterogeneidad de sus casos, mostraba flexibilidad y adecuación a las formas de cálculo y realización de este valor. Las conclusiones abordan la causalidad observada entre valor y tipología en este caso, y sugieren que este comportamiento expresa una condición tecnológica de la arquitectura.

KEYWORDS:

• Housing
• building tipologies
• Corporación de la Vivienda
• sociology of architecture
• urban sociology

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:

• Habitação
• tipologias de edifícios
• Corporación de la Vivienda
• sociologia da arquitetura
• sociologia urbana

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Vivienda
• tipologías de edificaciones
• Corporación de la Vivienda
• sociología de la arquitectura
• sociología Urbana

Acknowledgements

I am gratefull to Fernando Alvear Atlagich for the translation from Spanish to English and the comments to the early versions of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The Cajas de previsión y seguridad social were a series of public and private organizations in Chile between 1924 and 1980, responsible for paying pensions to retired workers, administering the contributions of active workers, and providing social security benefits to their members. They operated as a pay-as-you-go system, and among the various investment activities of the funds they managed was the construction of housing for their affiliated workers, both active and retired.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo [grant number, Fondecyt N° 11200480].

Notes on contributors

Jorge E. Vergara-Vidal

Jorge E. Vergara-Vidal is an associate professor in the Department of Territorial Planning and Management, School of Architecture, Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana (UTEM), Chile. He received both his undergraduate degree and Master's in Sociology from Universidad de Chile, and his doctorate in Sociology from Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile. His research interests are in the field of sociology of architecture and urban planning in Chile and South America. His current research is focused on the sociology of the standardization of social housing and collective living.