Tatiana Bilbao Spamer (born 1972) is a Mexican architect whose works often merged geometry with nature. Her practice focuses on
sustainable design
Environmentally sustainable design (also called environmentally conscious design, eco-design, etc.) is the philosophy of designing physical objects, the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of ecological sustainability ...
and social housing.
She founded Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO in 2004 and has completed projects in China, France, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, among others. Representative projects include the Botanical Garden of Culiacán, Sinaloa,
the exhibition hall of a park located in Jinhua, China and a prototype of sustainable social housing of with the capacity to duplicate with a cost of 120 thousand Mexican pesos, that was presented at the
Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2015, and originally screened in Chiapas, Mexico.
Bilbao's work has been recognized with the
Berliner Kunstpreis
The ''Berliner Kunstpreis'' (Berlin Art Prize), officially Großer Berliner Kunstpreis, is a prize for the arts by the City of Berlin. It was first awarded in 1948 in several fields of art. Since 1971, it has been awarded by the Academy of Arts ( ...
in 2012, the 2010
Architectural League Emerging Voices
Emerging Voices is an invited, annual competition organized by the Architectural League of New York for North American firms and individuals with distinct design voices and significant bodies of realized work.
List of Emerging Voices 2021
20 ...
, the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture by the LOCUS Foundation in 2014, and the Impact Award 2017 to the Architizer A+Awards Honorees, along with the 2020
Tau Sigma Delta Gold Medal and the 2019 Marcus Prize Award.
Biography
Tatiana Bilbao was born in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
into a family of architects. Her grandfather was
Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet
Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet (1890–1954) was a Basque-origin Spanish architect and politician. He was among the founders of Basque Nationalist Action. After serving as a minister of justice he exiled first to France and then, to Mexico.
Early li ...
, a Basque-origin architect and politician who fled Spain and settled in Mexico in 1942.
She studied architecture at the
Universidad Iberoamericana
The Ibero-American University ( es, Universidad Iberoamericana), also referred to by its acronym ''UIA'' but commonly known as ''Ibero'' or ''La Ibero'') is a private, Catholic, Mexican higher education institution, sponsored by the Mexican provi ...
where she obtained her Bachelor of Architecture and Urbanism degree in 1996.
In 1998, Bilbao received an honorable mention and was awarded the best architecture thesis of the year.
Bilbao focused on sustainable design and social housing in her book "A House is Not Just a House". In this book she said, "We can't forget that housing is a human right. Houses are not just for sale. Houses are for people, and we have to think of them first."
Early life
Bilbao's work was influenced by her political interest in Mexico City. In 1985 the government was faced with a great need for housing after a major earthquake. This caused the government to make mass-produced housing with over 2.5 million houses being built in the course of six years. Bilbao hated seeing developers take land and the identity of Mexico. So Bilbao met with architects and Infonavit, the federally owned bank that grants massive housing loans, to start reconvening new city centers and creating satellite urban environments. As Bilbao became more influential different configurations of houses were designed with high resale value. Bilbao then started designing housing for under 8k for the lower-class which led to her focus on social housing.
In 1998–99, Bilbao worked as an advisor for Urban Projects at the Urban Housing and Development Department of Mexico City.
During that time, she also worked as advisor of the Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Vivienda del Gobierno del Distrito Federal, a government agency that oversees urban development and housing in Mexico City. Bilbao co-founded LCM in 1999 which explores uncharted geometries and generates unprecedented spaces.
In 2004, Bilbao founded MX.DF along with architects Derek Dellekamp, Arturo Ortiz, and
Michel Rojkind
Michel Rojkind (born December 18, 1969 in Mexico City) is the founding partner of Rojkind Arquitectos and according to Forbes Life a representative of a Mexican generation of architects transforming the country. His office was recognized by Arc ...
. MX.DF is an urban research center, attending the production of space, its occupation, defense, and control in Mexico City. Also in 2004, she founded Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, to work on projects in China, Europe and Mexico. The first project built by her studio was the exhibition pavilion in
Jinhua Architecture Park
Jinhua Architecture Park (Chinese: t , s , p ''Jīnhuá Jiànzhù Yìshù Gōngyuán'') is a park in Jinhua, a city in central Zhejiang province in eastern China.
History
The park contains 17 specially designed pavilions b ...
, led and coordinated by Chinese artist
Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly c ...
who selected a group of young architects from around the world to design and develop a large park with a network of pavilions on the shore of the
Yiwu River, close to
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
. The exhibition pavilion of Jinhua Architecture Park is one of Bilbao's more famous works. Completed in 2007, this embedded pavilion features multiple levels and strategic blocking.
Her diverse work includes the Botanical Garden in Culiacán, a master plan and open chapel for a Pilgrimage Route in Jalisco, a Biotechnological Center for a Tech Institution, a sustainable housing prototype, and a funeral home. Bilbao has worked to create low-cost housing to solve Mexico's social housing problem. So far, Bilbao has built 32 houses for this program which helps low-income individuals afford their own home.
Recent years
In 2005, she joined the Architecture and Urbanism career at the
Universidad Iberoamericana
The Ibero-American University ( es, Universidad Iberoamericana), also referred to by its acronym ''UIA'' but commonly known as ''Ibero'' or ''La Ibero'') is a private, Catholic, Mexican higher education institution, sponsored by the Mexican provi ...
as a Design professor. In 2008, she was appointed visiting professor at the Andrés Bello University, in Santiago de Chile. Bilbao has been visiting professor at
Andres Bello University,
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture (YSOA) is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University, and is generally considered to be one of the best architecture schools in the United States. The School awards the degrees of Master of Arc ...
, Peter Behrens School of Architecture, and the
Rice School of Architecture
Rice School of Architecture, also referred to as ''Rice Architecture'', is a small undergraduate and graduate institution located within the international research university, Rice University in Houston, Texas. The graduate and undergraduate progr ...
. Bilbao taught at
Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and was a professor of design at her alma mater,
Ibero-American University
The Ibero-American University ( es, Universidad Iberoamericana), also referred to by its acronym ''UIA'' but commonly known as ''Ibero'' or ''La Ibero'') is a private, Catholic, Mexican higher education institution, sponsored by the Mexican provi ...
.
In 2017 Bilbao curated, in collaboration with Gonzalo Ortega, the exhibition Perspectives: Tatiana Bilbao Estudio organized by the
Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to:
Africa
* Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi
Asia East Asia
* Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...
(MARCO) in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, where their projects produced in the period from 2004 to 2017 were presented. This sample was also presented at the Amparo Museum in Puebla
a year later.
In 2019, the
Louisiana Museum in Denmark presented a homonymous exhibition about Bilbao's work within the series "The Architect's Studio", this exhibition belongs to the second edition where internationally renowned architects have participated showing their architectural career. In this exhibition, you can see how Mexican culture and traditions play an essential role in her work as well as her commitment to social and sustainable architecture. Likewise, there is a collaboration with the National Museum of Art of Mexico City, MUNAL, and works by artists such as José María Velasco and Dr. Atl will be presented.
Awards
Bilbao was the recipient of the Design Vanguard "Top 10 Emerging Firm" award in 2007.
In 2010, Bilbao was named as part of the
Architectural League Emerging Voices
Emerging Voices is an invited, annual competition organized by the Architectural League of New York for North American firms and individuals with distinct design voices and significant bodies of realized work.
List of Emerging Voices 2021
20 ...
. She received the Kunstpries Berlin award in 2012 and in 2013, she was awarded the CEMEX Building award.
In 2014, Bilbao received the
Global Award for Sustainable Architecture
The Global Award for Sustainable Architecture was founded in 2006 by architect and scholar Jana Revedin. The Global Award Community, which in 2022 consists of the 75 contemporary architects or architect collectives from around the globe who have ...
Prize from the LOCUS Foundation and the Cite de L'Architecture of Paris. This award is presented annually to five architects who have shown unique approaches to sustainable development in response to the needs of society. In 2017, Bilbao received the A+Awards Impact Award for her groundbreaking work in social housing and sustainable design. In 2019, Bilbao received the Marcus Prize.
In the same year, she was presented with the
Leading Ladies of Entertainment
The Leading Ladies of Entertainment is an honor presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend women "excelling in the arts and sciences, and who have made indelible ...
accolade by the
Latin Recording Academy
pt, Academia Latina da Gravação
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Tatiana Bilbao's projects are 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
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
.
Projects
* Mazatlán Aquarium, 2017–2021 (expected completion)
* Anahuacalli Museum Extension, Mexico City, Mexico, 2016. 2,295.0 m square.
* Los Terrenos, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico, 480 sqm, 2016.
* Observatory House, La Blanca, Mexico, 2009.
* Ordos House 100, Ordos, Inner-Mongolia, China, 1’388 sqm, project, 2008–2010 (2008–2010)
* Exhibition Room in Jinhua Architecture Park, Zheijiang, China, 1’800 sqm, 2004–2006
* Apartment Building, Polanco, Mexico, 2005
*Pilgrim's Route, Between Ameca and Talpa de Allende, Mexico, 2008 – 2010
*Casa Ventura, San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo León, Mexico, 2008 – 2011
*Bioinnova, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, 2008 – 2012
*Ajijic House, Chapala Lake, Jalisco, Mexico, 2010 – 2011
*Monarch Sustainable Neighbourhood Angangueo, Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico, 2010 – 2013
*Los Terrenos, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, 2012 – 2016
*Housing +, San Cristobal, Chiapas and Acuna, Coahuila, Mexico, 2013 – 2015
*Lyon La Confluence, Ilot A3, La Confluence, Lyon France, 2013 – 2017
*Territorio De Gigantes, Aguascalientes, Mexico, 2013 – 2018
*Sorteo Tec House, San Pedro Garza, Monterrey, New Mexico, 2014 – 2016
*Solo House, Solo, Spain, 2014 – 2016
*Casa Del Parque, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, 2014 – 2018
*Central Park Mazatlan, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, 2015 – 2018
*Guatemala Tower, Guatemala, Guatemala, 2015 – 2018
*Hunter's Point Masterplan,
San Francisco, California
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, USA, 2016
*Estoa – UDEM, Monterrey, Mexico, 2016 – 2019
*Anahuacalli,
Museo Anahuacalli
The Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum is a museum and arts center in Mexico City, located in the San Pablo de Tepetlapa neighborhood of Coyoacán, 10 minutes by car from the Frida Kahlo Museum, as well as from the tourist neighborhood of this distr ...
, Coyoacan, City of Mexico, Mexico, 2017
*(Not) Another – Tower
Chicago Architecture Biennial,
Chicago Cultural Center
The Chicago Cultural Center, opened in 1897, is a Chicago Landmark building operated by Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that houses the city's official reception venue where the Mayor of Chicago has welcomed preside ...
,
Chicago, USA
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, 2017 -2018
*Apan Housing: Ocoyoacac Minimum Housing, Apan, Hidalgo, Mexico, 2017 – 2018
*Casa Marbel and Casa Pedro y Paz, Estado de Mexico, Mexico, 2018 – 2019
*Ways of Life, Sheid, Hasse, Germany, In Process
*Urban Redensification – Apodoca, Apodoca, Nuevo León, Mexico, In Process
*Collegium, Arevalo, Avila, Spain, In Process
*Research Center of the Sea of Cortes, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, In Process
*Substation, San Francisco, California, USA, In Process
*Staterra, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, In Process
*Olive West Masterplan, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, In Process
*Silica II – Roble 700, San Pedro Garcia, Mexico, In Process
Investigation and another works
* Research project as a fellow of the Graham Foundation, Twelve Archaeologies of Mexico City's Housing at a Crossroads, 2016 – 2019
* Museography for the Exhibition The Rights of Dance: Alexander Calder,
Museo Jumex Museo may refer to:
* Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film
*Museo (Naples Metro)
Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. ...
, Mexico City, March – June 2015
* Museography for the Exhibition The Implications of the Image, Puebla Gallery, Puebla, Mexico, October 2009 – January 2010
* Museography for the Mexico Expected / Unexpected Exhibition in Maision Rouge, Paris, France, October 2008 – February 2010
* Museography for the YAG Exhibition at La Planta, Guadalajara, Jalisco, November 2007 – March 20* 08
* Participation in Stonemasonry in Context, workshop conducted by MIT, Cambridge University and ESTAM, B. Mallorca, Summer 2009
References
Bibliography
* Chipperfield, David. 2020. “La Buona Pratica = Good Practice : Tatiana Bilbao.” ''Domus'', no. 1047 (June): 20–27.
*Bilbao, Tatiana, Nile Greenberg, Ayesha S Ghosh, and Iwan Baan. Two Sides of the Border : Reimagining the Region (2020). Print.
*''Britannica Academic'', s.v. "Tatiana Bilbao," accessed March 30, 2021,
https://academic-eb-com.lib-e2.lib.ttu.edu/levels/collegiate/article/Tatiana-Bilbao/626434.
*Bilbao, Tatiana. ''A House Is Not Just a House: Projects on Housing''. Columbia Books on Architecture and the City, 2018.
*Bilbao, Tatiana. ''Tatiana Bilbao Estudio. Perspectives''. Arquine, 2018.
*Jodidio, Philip. ''Casa Moderna: Latin American Living''. Thames & Hudson Ltd, 2018.
*“Goldsmith Interviews: Tatiana Bilbao.” ''Informal-Brandmark-Inverse'', soa.utexas.edu/headlines/goldsmith-interviews-tatiana-bilbao.
External links
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio* Anderson, Lamar. “House of the Month: Tatiana Bilbao Encloses Each Programmatic Area of Casa Ventura in Connected Pentagonal Volumes That Sit High above Monterrey, Mexico.” ''Architectural Record'' 202, no. 7 (July 1, 2014): 47–47.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bilbao, Tatiana
1972 births
Living people
Mexican women architects
Artists from Mexico City
20th-century Mexican architects
21st-century Mexican architects
Universidad Iberoamericana alumni