We share two video of the Faculty of Health Sciences, which is in the web of the UGR heritage
The first video presents a tour of the building, where we can see it in use:
And the second besides contains an interview with Marta Pelegrín (MEDIOMUNDO architects):
Creativity, Self-Management and Architectural Legacy
Our latest scientific publication in Astrágalo journal, number 38, dedicated to “Emancipatory Housing”. The article, entitled “Evolución de las cooperativas de vivienda en Uruguay: La propiedad colectiva, la autogestión y la asistencia técnica como marco de creatividad e innovación” (Evolution of Housing Co-operatives in Uruguay: Collective Ownership, Self-Management and Technical Assistance as a Framework for Creativity and Innovation), is the result of our research into the Uruguayan co-operative system, an international benchmark for social housing and collective architecture.
A Unique Model: Collective Ownership and Self-Management
The system of user-owned housing co-operatives in Uruguay, which has been in place since the 1960s, is based on collective ownership, self-management and interdisciplinary technical assistance. This model has made it possible to offer quality housing solutions to sectors with limited resources, whilst maintaining the social function of housing and distancing it from the speculative logic of the property market.
For over 50 years, this open and constantly evolving system has demonstrated a great capacity to adapt to changing economic, social and political contexts. It has functioned as a genuine laboratory for social, urban and architectural innovation, providing valuable lessons in organisation, management and interdisciplinary production.
From Mutual Aid to the Complex City
The article traces the history and key elements of the system, from the early pilot schemes and the approval of the National Housing Law in 1968, to the consolidation of mutual aid and prior savings schemes. It analyses the urban and architectural differences between co-operatives according to their location, scale and construction period, as well as the fundamental role of the Institutes of Technical Assistance (IAT) and multidisciplinary teams.
Highlights include the creation of large co-operative complexes on the outskirts of Montevideo, the incorporation of community services and facilities, and the subsequent diversification of models with the arrival of democracy, including the refurbishment of properties in central areas and the innovative figure of the “dispersed co-operative”.
Contemporary Challenges and Update Strategies
The Uruguayan co-operative system has been the subject of constant critical review, both internally and from academia and the social sciences. The article identifies current challenges such as the integration of social and generational diversity, the adaptation of spaces to new ways of living, accessibility, the inclusion of care and the need to update legal and technical frameworks.
We propose a multi-scalar analysis methodology (housing, building, complex) to detect mismatches and potential for transformation in existing complexes. We explore intervention strategies ranging from small internal reconfigurations to the opening up of complexes to the city, promoting diversity, inclusion and urban sustainability.
“Small, large-scale transformations” are presented as a framework for renewing the co-operative system, relaunching its emancipatory and experimental potential. We are committed to an architecture that acts on what exists, from an active and sustainable heritage perspective, and that embraces the challenge of interdisciplinarity and the real participation of users.
Full Reference:
Pérez Blanco, F., & Pelegrín-Rodríguez, M. (2025). Evolución de las cooperativas de vivienda en Uruguay: La propiedad colectiva, la autogestión y la asistencia técnica como marco de creatividad e innovación. Astrágalo. Cultura De La Arquitectura Y La Ciudad, 1(38), 121-143. https://doi.org/10.12795/astragalo.2025.i38.05
Consult the full article:
You can download the PDF with the full text of the article here.
Or consult the full issue of the journal at:
Vista de Evolución de las cooperativas de vivienda en Uruguay
BORDES Y FRONTERAS
Universidad de Malaga.
ISBN 978-84-944936-7-6
Año 2018
Pág. 60 a 62
Realizado con motivo de la celebración de los 10 año de existencia del Taller de proyectos “Danza” de la Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo de Montevideo, la publicación recoge los momentos y textos de la producción del Taller con mayor implicancia en la construcción de un futuro vital para la arquitectura y el urbanismo.
En este contexto la contribución de Mediomundo Arquitectos reivindica la importancia del proyecto de arquitectura desde una visión abierta a la vez que específica.
Universidad de la República /. Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo (FADU), Uruguay /Taller Danza
ISBN 978-9974-0-1396-4
Año 2016
Pag.240 a 243
Edición de Marta Pelegrín + Fernando Pérez
MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos
Editorial Universidad de Sevilla
Diseño y maquetación
MEDIOMUNDO arquitectos
Impresión: Kadmos
ISBN 978-84-472-1796-0
Depósito Legal SE 1171-2015
