In conversation with Architect Guillermo Lockhart, professor of History and Theory of Architecture at the Faculty of Architecture of Universidad ORT Uruguay a researcher in the Humanities division of the National System of Researchers (SNI), explained that the purpose of the trip was “to equip students with tools to refine their architectural perspective and enhance their ability to critically observe and learn.”
This was achieved by visiting and touring in person architectural works of great significance. In this regard, the trip had two key aspects: first, on a collective level, it contributes to the students’ knowledge, education, and personal growth.
When the travel experience takes place within a group of people who share similar interests and have a common background in the same discipline, a synergistic effect occurs that accelerates, shapes, and deepens the process of architectural thinking.
Architect Guillermo Lockhart
Second, on a personal level, as Lockhart notes, the trip was “an opportunity to expand the known architectural universe, increase perceptual capacity, and foster awareness through spatial experimentation on multiple scales.”
“It is impossible to convey the full scope of this without the actual experience of exploring the space firsthand,” Lockhart added.
To achieve these objectives, preliminary work was carried out in which students were required to understand the impact of regional connections on the formation of cities and the relationship between population, architecture, and the environment.
In this regard, the aim was for students to develop a critical perspective on the ideas and projects being carried out in the region through exposure to history, theory, and criticism of architecture.
The academic trip to Rio de Janeiro was organized by the Department of History and Theory. It took place from Thursday, October 26, to Sunday, October 29, 2023. For the first time, the trip included students from two different courses in different academic years: Theory and Practice of Architecture, from the second semester; and Regional Planning, from the fourth semester. In total, 20 students and 2 faculty members traveled, including Architect Carla Nóbile, Master’s candidate in History and Culture of Architecture and the City from Torcuato di Tella University (Argentina) and architect from Universidad ORT Uruguay in Universidad ORT Uruguay; and Architect Héctor Acosta, an architect from Universidad ORT Uruguay.
In addition to visits to various construction sites, a bus tour was held on Saturday that took participants through Ipanema, Niterói, Glória, and Botafogo, along the entire waterfront to the Hotel Nacional and the Pereira Salles Foundation, ending at the edge of the lagoon.