An Architecture of Mixed Ancestry: The Work of Taller Síntesis and Its Dialogue with Colombia's Diverse Territory

Written by Paula Pintos
Published on March 28, 2025

A change in the way architecture was practiced in Colombia was necessary, and Taller Síntesis emerged to materialize this transformation. The studio combines a deep understanding of the territory and its context with architectural solutions that translate into materiality and built spaces. Their works stand out for their strong local cultural identity, achieving a precise balance between the preexisting, the new, and harmony with the landscape.

+ 6

Taller Síntesis is an architecture practice founded in 2008 in Medellín, Colombia, by David Cuartas Restrepo, Lucas Serna Rodas, and Farhid Maya Ramírez. The three architects, graduates of the National University of Colombia in 2003, pursued individual paths, gaining experience abroad and participating in projects and competitions with different teams. Over time, they returned to their hometown to establish the studio as it is known today.

The studio was formally established after winning a public competition for the Clínica de la Mujer in Medellín, their first project. In its early years, their work focused primarily on competitions, including the Parque de Artes y Oficios in 2011, a large-scale project whose construction began in 2022 and remains in progress. This initiative involves the restoration and transformation of the former Antioquía Railway workshops in Bello, Colombia. However, the project that marked a turning point in the history of Taller Síntesis was the Parque Educativo Saberes Ancestrales, developed in collaboration with Diana Herrera and Mauricio Valencia. Through this work, the architects ventured into previously unfamiliar territories, engaging with small communities immersed in the diverse landscapes of Colombia's vast geography.

Revitalizing Territories in Colombia: Comprehensive Acupunctures for Urban and Social Transformation

From these journeys and initial projects, Taller Síntesis shaped an architecture they call mestiza, a term that reflects the diversity that defines Colombia as a nation—culturally, socially, and across its vast territory.

The journey is thus understood as the fundamental tool of our work—a lived experience that allows us to truly understand the territory. It is a process in which we leave behind who we are and become one with a new place, borrowing from communities and landscapes their traditions, memories, and acquired knowledge. At the same time, we delve into the various challenges that arise, which reflect the deep inequalities of the country, thus avoiding a romanticized view of people's living conditions.

By immersing themselves in the communities they design for, they have developed projects that incorporate local construction techniques and materials. This not only enhances cost and energy efficiency by adapting to each specific environment and climate but also reintroduces and redefines materials that have long been stigmatized, such as wood, within contemporary local architecture. Their work has also addressed challenges like water collection, cross ventilation, and natural climate control by understanding the unique environmental needs of each place, drawing from local and ancestral building knowledge.

An Architecture of Mixed Ancestry: The Work of Taller Síntesis and Its Dialogue with Colombia's Diverse Territory - Image 4 of 11 — Aula ambiental . Image © Silvio Pereira

A transformation of the landscape this profound inevitably requires a shift in the way architecture and urbanism are conceived and understood.

On the other hand, the social and cultural component also leaves a strong imprint on the office's projects, through dialogue and active listening, with the goal of proposing solutions that improve the quality of life for communities. In this way, history—often forgotten—translates into space, through vernacular architecture and a form of construction that is at risk of disappearing.

Next, we present how these concepts are materialized in a selection of Taller Síntesis' works, where each project, in its own way, seeks to reflect the diversity of landscapes, climates, and cultures that must be considered in local architecture. At the same time, it adapts to the demands of contemporary global architecture, blending the indigenous with the modern in a harmonious and contextually respectful manner.