Independencia as a garden-neighborhood. A residential and public space model from a cooperative background (1926-1953)

Abstract

The residential architecture of Santiago’s Independencia district –the construction of which began the first quarter of the twentieth century, arranged in homogenous complexes around public spaces made up of green areas or playgrounds– has experienced a dramatic change with the emergence of collective housing high-rise buildings, revealing the lack of understanding or valuation of the formal features that have identified this commune over time. This research is aimed at making a contribution to the knowledge of 10 residential complexes located in this commune, linking them to the idea of “garden-neighborhood” in what used to be the city’s northern periphery. The focus is placed on cooperative actions developed as a way to manage working-class housing lending meaning to public spaces.