1-Aziza Chaouni and Takako Tajima are principals of Bureau E.A.S.T., with offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, and Fez, Morocco. The firm’s primary focus, exemplified in their ongoing “Out of Water” research, an investigation of where high-risk urban arid zones will be located in the next 50 years, is to sustainably integrate design into the environment. Their Fez river rehabilitation project won the 2008 Holcim Gold Award in Sustainable Construction and the 2009 EDRA best places award. Chaouni is also the director of the research board of DOCO.MO.MO Morocco, and winner of the Progressive Architecture research award in 2007 for her research project, “Hybrid Urban Sutures: Filling the Gaps” in the Medina of Fez.
2-Frida Escobedo Lopez founded her Mexico City firm in 2006, after acting as co-director at perro rojo from 2003-2006. She describes the work of the office as focusing on “the residual and the forgotten: from decadent suburbs that are being subdivided, to rundown tourist spots, to unused roofs and basements” focusing on identifying “forces that change the configuration of cities…central and powerful or marginal, formal or informal.” Her built and current work includes Casa 24, Casa 662, Casa Negra, and Villa 49, part of the ORDOS 100 project. Her renovation (with Jose Rojas) of the Bocachica Hotel in Acapulco is currently under construction. In 2006 the firm received first place in an affordable housing competition, and in 2005 a Young Creator’s Grant from the National System of Arts, Mexico for the Caja Gris.
3-exstudio, with offices in Barcelona and Mexico City, was founded by principals Ivan Juarez and Patricia Meneses. Their firm has developed projects at different scales, from buildings and objects to city and landscape interventions. With work in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Mexico, ex.studio conceives each project in relation to its physical context, and its potential to be enriched by diverse views and disciplines. Their work has garnered awards including: an AR award for emerging architects, the Young Architects Prize given by the College of Architects of Barcelona, and the National Grant for Mexican Young Architects, granted by the National Fund for Culture and Arts.
Juarez graduated from the Architectural School, San Luis Potosi University, Mexico and specialized in Landscape Architecture at the School of Architecture of Barcelona, where Meneses received her architecture degree. They have been guest lecturers and professors at several institutions including the University of Westminster, UK; the University Alcalá, Madrid; the College of Architects in Barcelona; and the Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico.
4-Cristina Goberna and Urtzi Grau are principals (with collaborators Ariel Boles, Cornelia Herlz, and Cristian Zanoni) of Brooklyn-based Fake Industries Architectural Agonism, “a conglomerate that explores the potentials of architectural agonism and false constructions.” Their work, both speculative and built, examines alternative forms of domesticity and the urban landscape. Their individual and joint work and writings have been published internationally. In 2008 they were winners of Europan 9. Among their projects are a campaign for free New York City apartments; a “House for Cesar,” which is a renovation of an office for a client evicted from his home; “The Illegal Hotel,” examining the role of unpaid architecture office interns; and “Golf! Urbanism Manifesto.”
5-Sung Goo Yang established his Boston-based firm Ether Ship in 2008. His work spans scales from urban design to fashion runways and abstract digital animations and designs—all expressing his interest in the interplay between image and form. Recent work includes his prize-winning competition for the Gwangbook Street Renovation in Busan City, Korea; “Vogue Fashion House” and a fashion show runway for Wooyoungmi, both commissioned by Vogue Korea; the “Seoul Change Project,” commissioned by Harper’s Bazaar; and competition entries for a gallery in Porto and the Incheon Changla Tower.
Yang studied architectural engineering at Korea University, where he was a founding member of “A-GENE-DA” Design Group, and received his M.Arch. from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He was recently a guest critic and lecturer at Seoul National University.
Article:http://www.archleague.org/index-dynamic.php?show=844