The modern urban project and its environmental value: Villa Los Presidentes,  Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile

Autor: Rodrigo Gertosio Swanston

In many ways, nature is present in modern architectural housing complexes. Although the first inhabitants could immediately enjoy well-lit, oriented, and ventilated apartments, half a century later, the landscape is different. Multiple tree species bathe parks, plazas, trails, and private patios. From the inside, the buildings commonly disappear among a significant plant mass.

Recent development of the popular application of the cameras mounted on drones along with the satellite views, when looking at them from above, the urban project closely related to the city appears. The benefits for the quality of life of the inhabitants seem obvious. For this (and for several other reasons), multiple complexes have been recognized as heritage in various parts of the world. Behind its most significant values, there is usually the relationship between architecture and nature, on different scales and in different ways.

For this reason, it is necessary to determine more clearly (and from other disciplines) how nature is related to its most significant attributes and heritage values. Knowing, measuring, and interpreting the variables, not only influence their effectiveness but could also constitute new layers of information that guide their preservation on a large scale. Above all, in contexts of climate change.

This text is divided into three sections: Collective housing and nature; nature and heritage values; and the environmental dimension of the modern urban project, Grecia Avenue, Santiago, Chile.

The modern urban project and its environmental value: Villa Los Presidentes,  Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile