An Architecture of Mixed Ancestry: The Work of Taller Sntesis and Its Dialogue with Colombia's Diverse TerritorySave this picture!Parque Educativo Saberes Ancestrales. Image Alejandro ArangoA change in the way architecture was practiced in Colombia was necessary, and Taller Sntesis emerged to materialize this transformation. The studio combines a deep understanding of the territory and its context with architectural solutions that translate into materiality and built spaces. Their works stand out for their strong local cultural identity, achieving a precise balance between the preexisting, the new, and harmony with the landscape.Taller Sntesis is an architecture practice founded in 2008 in Medelln, Colombia, by David Cuartas Restrepo, Lucas Serna Rodas, and Farhid Maya Ramrez. The three architects, graduates of the National University of Colombia in 2003, pursued individual paths, gaining experience abroad and participating in projects and competitions with different teams. Over time, they returned to their hometown to establish the studio as it is known today.Save this picture!The studio was formally established after winning a public competition for the Clnica de la Mujer in Medelln, their first project. In its early years, their work focused primarily on competitions, including the Parque de Artes y Oficios in 2011, a large-scale project whose construction began in 2022 and remains in progress. This initiative involves the restoration and transformation of the former Antioqua Railway workshops in Bello, Colombia. However, the project that marked a turning point in the history of Taller Sntesis was the Parque Educativo Saberes Ancestrales, developed in collaboration with Diana Herrera and Mauricio Valencia. Through this work, the architects ventured into previously unfamiliar territories, engaging with small communities immersed in the diverse landscapes of Colombia's vast geography. Related Article Revitalizing Territories in Colombia: Comprehensive Acupunctures for Urban and Social Transformation From these journeys and initial projects, Taller Sntesis shaped an architecture they call mestiza, a term that reflects the diversity that defines Colombia as a nationculturally, socially, and across its vast territory.Save this picture!The journey is thus understood as the fundamental tool of our worka lived experience that allows us to truly understand the territory. It is a process in which we leave behind who we are and become one with a new place, borrowing from communities and landscapes their traditions, memories, and acquired knowledge. At the same time, we delve into the various challenges that arise, which reflect the deep inequalities of the country, thus avoiding a romanticized view of people's living conditions.By immersing themselves in the communities they design for, they have developed projects that incorporate local construction techniques and materials. This not only enhances cost and energy efficiency by adapting to each specific environment and climate but also reintroduces and redefines materials that have long been stigmatized, such as wood, within contemporary local architecture. Their work has also addressed challenges like water collection, cross ventilation, and natural climate control by understanding the unique environmental needs of each place, drawing from local and ancestral building knowledge.Save this picture!A transformation of the landscape this profound inevitably requires a shift in the way architecture and urbanism are conceived and understood.On the other hand, the social and cultural component also leaves a strong imprint on the office's projects, through dialogue and active listening, with the goal of proposing solutions that improve the quality of life for communities. In this way, historyoften forgottentranslates into space, through vernacular architecture and a form of construction that is at risk of disappearing.Save this picture!Next, we present how these concepts are materialized in a selection of Taller Sntesis' works, where each project, in its own way, seeks to reflect the diversity of landscapes, climates, and cultures that must be considered in local architecture. At the same time, it adapts to the demands of contemporary global architecture, blending the indigenous with the modern in a harmonious and contextually respectful manner.Viga Del Fuerte Educational Park Save this picture!Chigorod Educational Institution Save this picture!29 de Noviembre School ReconstructionSave this picture!House of Memory and Community SpaceSave this picture!Environmental Classroom Save this picture!Image gallerySee allShow lessAbout this authorPaula PintosAuthorCite: Pintos, Paula. "An Architecture of Mixed Ancestry: The Work of Taller Sntesis and Its Dialogue with Colombia's Diverse Territory" [Una arquitectura mestiza: el trabajo de Taller Sntesis y su dilogo con el diverso territorio colombiano] 28 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028499/an-architecture-of-mixed-ancestry-the-work-of-taller-sintesis-and-its-dialogue-with-colombias-diverse-territory&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream