This year’s 2018 South Quad Conference was hosted by the AIAS Chapters of Pontificia Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and University of Puerto Rico. From April 5th to 8th, architecture students had the chance to discover the beauty, history and architecture of the island in San Juan and Ponce. This was the first time an AIAS event was held in Puerto Rico.
FUSION SQUAD was packed with tremendous opportunities that showcased the architecture, practice & profession, and lifestyle & culture of the island. Lectures, tours, workshops and competitions were distributed in these three topics that allowed attendees form their own experience. A group of 30 local architects and professionals contributed as resources sharing their knowledge with students and colleagues. This event also collaborated with Young Architect and ORLI+, which brought Michael Riscica, AIA, Leonel Ponce, RA and Daniel Horn, Assoc. AIA to the island. Chapters presidents Eneiris Ocasio (PCUPR), Anexyuliane Thillet (PUPR) and Rebeca Gonzalez (UPR) had the opportunity to showcase their respective universities by holding tours to give attendees a glimpse of the schools of architecture in Puerto Rico.
Speakers had the opportunity to demonstrate how it is to practice the profession in the tropic. Architect Nataniel Fuster, DDes, AIA, whose work has been awarded and reviewed internationally was the Keynote I Speaker. He showed the innovation in his projects and the opportunities he has found to stand out within tropical architecture. The preservation and conservation of our historical architecture and how can it gracefully merge with contemporary designs was exposed by the local firm GA+NIF csp in Keynote II. Both were held at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Theater, where attendees had the opportunity to start a dialogue with speakers about the profession.
This event was a historical opportunity for AIAS chapters and professionals in Puerto Rico. The Conference Chairs ended the conference on this beautiful note, “We conclude an amazing journey celebrating South Quad Conference in Puerto Rico. After months of hard work and dedication, in which we gave all, the results were much more than we thought. Leading this event was a dream come true for all of us, a dream that we want to share with you all. From us, our chapters, and this beautiful island it was a pleasure to have you here. Continue with that amazing soul that defines the South Quad, continue being the leaders that our profession needs. Thank you for being part of South Quad Conference 2018: FUSION.”
South Quad Conference 2018 Planning Team
Eneiris Ocasio
Anexyuliane Thillet
Rebeca Gonzalez
Fernando Rodriguez
Carlos Acosta
Jose Plata, Assoc. AIA
