The Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize (MCHAP) at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s College of Architecture has announced the four finalists for the Cycle 5 MCHAP Prize for Emerging Practice (MCHAP.emerge), recognizing projects completed in 2022 and 2023 across North and South America.
Selected from over fifty nominations, these projects, designed by architects within the first ten years of their careers, showcase a diverse range of scales, materials, and site conditions. The jury emphasized the significance of these works in reflecting the evolving role of architects and landscape architects in shaping the built environment.
“The talent emerging in the Americas is broadening our understanding of how architecture can make meaningful, innovative, and beneficial contributions,” said MCHAP director Dirk Denison. He praised the jury for their thoughtful evaluation and highlighted the collaborative, often cross-border nature of this cycle’s finalists.
MCHAP Cycle 5 jury chair Maurice Cox added, “These finalists demonstrate a strong community-driven focus and innovative approaches to integrating architecture into the urban fabric. They reflect a growing interest in architecture as a prototype, using locally sourced materials and methods with a keen sense of economy.”
**MCHAP.emerge 2024 Finalist Projects:**
1. *Community Productivo Center Las Tejedoras* – Natura Futura, Chongón, Guayas, Ecuador
2. *Housing Building on Virrey Avilés Street* – Juan Campanini-Josefina Sposito, Buenos Aires, Argentina
3. *Elementary School in Santa Cruz de Villacuri Community* – Estudio Copla, Atelier Ander Bados, Salas, Ica, Peru
4. *PILARES Cuicuilco* – TO, +UdeB Arquitectos, AGENdA agencia de arquitectura, Mexico City, Mexico
These four finalists will be featured at the inaugural MCHAP.emerge Conference on Critical Practice, held at Mies van der Rohe’s S. R. Crown Hall at IIT’s Main Campus. The conference, co-organized with IIT Senior Lecturer Leslie Johnson, will explore themes such as ecology, technology, agency, and generational shifts, culminating in an evening ceremony on Friday, September 27, where the winning project will be announced.
Source: Illinois Tech
