Alvaro Mercado
PhD Candidate
Álvaro Mercado is an architect and a Doctoral Researcher (Granted by ANID-Chile) of the LoUIsE Lab –Laboratory on Landscape, Urbanism, Infrastructures and Ecologies– at the Faculty of Architecture of Université libre de Bruxelles. His research focuses on unfolding the geo-poetic design approach towards the South American extent, developed by the School of Valparaíso-PUCV (Chile) since 1965 through the Travesías de Amereida. This project explores how poetics linked to design, and South American identity became the groundwork for a radical vision towards geographies and its representations. Besides, the research unfolds how the on-site geo-poetic design practices, performed in the Travesías, make situations of encounter with the South American extent, delivering relational and decolonial experiences to explore the human and non-human geographies that shape the contemporary South American continent.
He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture and Design of the PUC-Valparaiso in Chile, where he has conducted workshops and research focused on the exploration of on-site design practices towards territories.
