Esteemed architect Tatiana Bilbao visited to discuss her work as part of the School of Architecture Lecture Series. While here, Bilbao also toured the IAWA with Paola Zellner Bassett, gave feedback to a group of fifth year students on their thesis, and sat down with students for a more intimate discussion and book signing in the Art and Architecture Library. 

Bilbao, bringing the largest turnout to the lecture series for over two years, discussed her projects and walked students through her design process, with emphasis on her use of collage. She delved into the lens she uses for her work, her analysis of social, political, and environmental impacts, and showed how across projects, everyone inhabits and interprets architecture differently. 

Born in Mexico City in 1972, Tatiana Bilbao has gained international acclaim for her socially conscious approach to architecture. The studio’s philosophy is based on social and political awareness, opening up niches for localized cultural and economic development. By placing the ethics of ‘the other’ in the center of every project, Bilbao has been widely recognised for her engagement in social housing and collective meeting places serving urgent urban needs. Bilbao has been the recipient of various awards and honors, among others ‘Emerging Voice’ by the Architecture League of New York in 2009, Kunstpreis Berlin in 2012, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture Prize in 2014 and the patronage of UNESCO. Her work is part of the collection of the Centre d’Art George Pompidou in Paris, France, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.