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The Paradox of Abundance and Scarcity: Designing for a Floodable Desert

Tomás Folch is an accomplished architect with a Master's degree in Architecture from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and a degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University. He currently serves as a professor and co-director of the Center for Ecology, Landscape, and Urbanism (CEPU) within the DesignLab at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Santiago. In addition, he is a partner at Paisaje Urbano / PAUR, alongside Sofía Armanet. Folch was honored as the Daniel Urban Kiley Teaching Fellow for 2022-23 and has served as a design critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design for the 2023-24 academic year.

His professional expertise spans architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture, with notable experience in heritage preservation, urban design, housing, social facilities, and public spaces. Folch's work has been widely recognized, including awards at the 2006 Chilean Architecture Biennial for emerging talent, the National Exhibition Award at the 2008 Santiago Architecture Biennial, and the South-South Professional Award at the XX Chilean Architecture Biennial in 2017 for his effective dialogue with the global south's geographies. Additionally, he has received three Urban Contribution Awards: Best High-Rise Construction Project (2017), Best Urban Project for Subsidized Housing (2017), and Best Social Housing Project (2023).