My architectural residency at Open City (Ciudad Abierta) marked a turning point in my understanding of space, community, and the poetic dimension of architecture. This place, founded in 1970 by a group of poets, architects, designers, sculptors, philosophers, and artists many of whom were affiliated with the School of Architecture of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, as well as others from Latin America, is not only a site of construction, but a living, inhabited poem.
Its origins trace back to the poetic journey known as the Travesía de Amereida, undertaken in 1965 by a group of thinkers who traveled from Tierra del Fuego to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Along the way, they posed a fundamental question:
What does it mean to be American?
The journey gave rise to the poem Amereida, the “Aeneid of America”, which proposed a new way of inhabiting and understanding the continent. Open City was founded as a continuation of this inquiry, turning poetic vision into constructed space.
Open City is inseparable from the educational philosophy of the School of Architecture. Students participate directly in its ongoing construction through the Taller de Obra (Construction Workshop), where they build, experiment, and test architectural ideas at full scale. Industrial design students also contribute through a dedicated Prototype Workshop, while others engage through various cross-disciplinary activities, including weekly sessions on body culture, which explore the relationship between physical presence and spatial experience.
Hospitality is a central principle at Open City. The various hospederías ("guesthouses") provide residence not only to students but also to professors, writers, philosophers, biologists, dancers, and artists. Among these is the Hospedería Rosa de los Vientos, designed specifically for students developing thesis projects or for international students conducting research related to Open City. This is where I lived during my residency.
Also referred to as las celdas, a term derived from celdillas (small enclosed units), this guesthouse consists of four independent rooms arranged around a central patio. Each cell contains a bed and a table, providing a space for personal retreat and work. The cells share a bathroom and a kitchen-dining area, which is organized around a handcrafted concrete bar that extends outward to a terrace. The roof structure plays with the rhythm of curves and straight lines, creating a spatial harmony that mirrors the architectural language of the city itself.
This project was originally conceived and built in 1997 by a generation of students who would later become faculty — among them David Luza, now the school’s director, and Andrés Garcés, with whom I would later work closely in my thesis studio. The guesthouse was created to offer long-term accommodation to those who do not yet have families (students, guests, and visiting researchers) allowing them to dwell within the poetic and experimental fabric of the city.
To reside in the Rosa de los Vientos, one must submit a written request to the community, which is reviewed by a council. If space is available and your intentions align with the spirit of the place, a temporary residency is granted. With only four available spots and high demand, the opportunity is rare and valuable — an invitation not only to live, but to participate.
Living at Open City also meant becoming part of its weekly rituals. Every Wednesday, the community gathers for lunch a moment of shared food, music, conversation, and presentations. These lunches rotate between the various hospederías and are a space to share progress on projects, welcome visitors, and maintain the living pulse of the city. Participating in these gatherings deepened my sense of belonging and showed me how architecture can become a framework for human encounter.
This residency was not only an academic experience, but a profound engagement with the act of dwelling, a reflection on how architecture can express hospitality, intimacy, and collective rhythm. It grounded my thesis project in a real place, among real people, and allowed me to explore architecture not only as form, but as relationship
