Blog 8: A subject i enjoyed studying this semester 😍

Hello :D !!

Today, in my last blog, I want to tell you about my favorite subject of this semester. In fact, it is one of the subjects that I have liked the most of the career. It is a transversal course of the faculty called: "Transversal FAU: Territorial perspectives on vulnerability and housing inequality".

This course is about how territorial administration can positively or negatively affect the condition of people and their social development. It is mainly focused on explaining in more depth how some phenomena, such as poverty, inequality, etc., can be enhanced or remedied with an adequate urban and housing policy. It also deals with related issues, but all in relation to territory.

The main contents we deal with are:

• Poverty
• Vulnerability
• Inequality
• Exclusion
• Housing precariousness
• Public policies

Within the activities that we develop in class we can observe and comment on theories and points of view of some authors, see graphic material that shows the impact of some factors on the territory or vice versa, we dialogue and comment on what we have seen in class or particular experiences, we exemplify current situations in the country, etc.

I love this subject because it fully explains these phenomena, showing that they are much more complex than most people think, and gives rise to a series of positions on the subject, which can lead to solving or improving the situation of a large number of people. I also like it because it is interdisciplinary and helps to enhance the work between architecture, geography and even sociology. 

Finally, having this course opened my eyes to many things and helped me to see how architects can remedy many social problems that are related to the territory. One of my objectives when I entered university was always to contribute to making a better world and this course makes me appeal to that vocation and how I can approach it from what I am studying, so I am very happy to have taken it as it is not a compulsory course.

Blog 7: A Career-Related Website OR an Expert in my Field

Hello everyone, I hope you are feeling well 😊 . Today I will talk about two websites that are quite used in my career:

The first website I am going to talk about is ¨Plataforma Arquitectura¨ (https://www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cl), this is a chilean website that contains a big database related to architecture. You can find a lot of useful information, such as architecture projects, news, architecture competitions, architects, referents, projection tools and even products, materials and new technologies in construction, among others.

It is a very popular website for architecture students as it is one of the most complete websites in this area and it is constantly updated. I personally visit it almost weekly to look for information about projects that we have to analyse or to look for inspiration to design my own projects. It is very practical and very useful.

The other website I am going to talk about is ¨Bibliocad¨ (https://www.bibliocad.com/), it is a virtual library of CAD and BIM files, one of the largest in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a database that is of great support to us in the professional field, as it allows us to download and exchange AutoCAD blocks and 2D and 3D BIM objects applicable in design and construction industry. 

I use this website mainly when I need urban plans or furniture blocks, in general it is one of the first places to consult when I need this kind of documents. I don't visit it as often, but it is a great resource when it comes to planning.

I like these websites because they are a great help for architects and architecture students. They are born from a great initiative of collective work and mutual help between people who develop in this area. I love to think that we are all a great team trying to make a better world 😊.

Blog 6: How Can My Major/Career Make the World a Better Place

Hello everyone. Today I will talk to you about how a major in architecture, with a specialization in sustainable urbanism, can make the world a better place.

The field of urban planning is in charge of planning the development of cities in terms of the elements that will be built. It designs the layout of housing, equipment and even the streets and the route of streets. A good urban design can help to improve the quality of life of the people and the development of communities.

If urban projects are approached from a sustainable point of view, the quality of life can be improved even more, and not only that, it will also help to reduce energy consumption and pollution. Eco-neighbourhoods can also be created, where sustainability is taken to a new level and community living is enhanced on a larger scale, generating many benefits for people and the planet.

In the future I want to develop in this area, working on public sustainable development projects. I would like to work in municipalities, which is where people can be helped the most and where there are more possibilities to implement this new way of generating a healthy development of cities.