OASE 124

Even after construction and completion, a building is not ‘fi nished‘. Daily use consistently reveals that adjustments are needed. What if we elevate this incomplete nature of architecture to a design principle, thereby literally giving residents and users the space they need? The most recent, well-known, and evocative example of literally unfi nished architecture is Elemental’s design for the Quinta Monroy project in Iquique, Chile (2003), where the fi rm deliberately designed ‘half-fi nished houses‘ with the intention that residents would complete the other half. Elemental’s design does not stand alone but is part of various attempts to build a deliberately ‘unfi nished’ architecture. This OASE documents a number of these projects, each of which challenges current established practice regarding its values, the designer’s position, and the defi nition of a project.