Jaragua Awards Recognizes Dominican Architecture and Design in Inaugural Edition
Dominican architects and designers received 25 project awards at the first Jaragua Awards, held at UNPHU in Santo Domingo.
Key points
- project awards were given across several architecture and design categories.
- The Lifetime Achievement Award went to architect and urbanist Cristóbal Valdez.
- The Diaspora Award went to Elisa Read Pappaterra, of Studio Pappaterra in California.
- The initiative is driven by Arquitexto, an editorial platform marking four decades of history.
The Jaragua Awards held their first awards ceremony at the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) in Santo Domingo. The event brought together architects, designers, academics, institutional representatives and construction professionals to recognize excellence, innovation and good practice in Dominican architecture, design and urban planning.
The initiative is driven by Arquitexto, an editorial platform celebrating four decades of history. Its promoters are architects Carmen Ortega González and Lourdes Periche, together with Freddy Jana and Claudia Montás. The goal is to showcase the talent of Dominican professionals and promote an architectural culture focused on quality of life, cultural identity and the sustainable development of cities.
National and international judges evaluated the projects on architectural quality, innovation, contextual relevance and contributions to the discipline. This edition awarded 25 recognitions in the categories of Theory and Criticism, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Architectural Design, along with finalists in Heritage and Restoration.
First-place winners include Plaza Paseo del Prado by Pérez Morales y Asociados; Ciudad Judicial Santo Domingo Este by Toca; Villa 15 de Mayo by Pulso Arquitectura; and Cristo Park by Massiel Mejía Arquitectura del Paisaje, which also won in Urban Design.
The ceremony also presented three special awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to architect and urbanist Cristóbal Valdez for his work in urban planning, teaching and the defense of public space. The Young Architecture Award went to A20 Arquitectos, a firm founded by Luis Sabater Musa and Fernando Salcedo Debes. The Diaspora Award went to architect Elisa Read Pappaterra, founder of Studio Pappaterra in California, for her work in landscape, sustainability and environmental resilience.
During the event, Puerto Rican architect Nataniel Fúster delivered a keynote address sharing his views on the principles that should guide contemporary architecture.
With additional reporting from: Diario Libre