Alejandro Tried.

Alejandro Aravena is an architect who has gained recognition for his work on social housing and sustainable design. He has created a unique approach to designing modular, pre-fabricated housing solutions that can be customized and adapted by residents. However, while his approach has its merits, it still operates within a regulated framework that limits the agency and creativity of residents.

Aravena's work has focused on creating standardized housing units that are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and can be easily assembled. While the intention is to promote a sense of community among residents and increase their sense of agency over their living spaces, the reality is that the design and construction of these housing units are typically determined by a few powerful actors, with limited input from residents themselves.

In contrast, true illegal architecture is a more radical approach to housing design that places greater emphasis on the agency and creativity of residents. In Spain, for example, informal settlements and self-built homes are common, and residents are able to create their own spaces according to their needs and preferences, using recycled or scavenged materials and incorporating sustainable design features.

Illegal architecture offers a more personalized, adaptive, and sustainable form of architecture that challenges traditional power structures and hierarchies in the built environment. It fosters a greater sense of community and ownership among residents and allows for more responsive and innovative solutions to housing design and construction. By giving more agency and control to residents, illegal architecture empowers individuals to shape their own environments and futures.

I think the largest comparison is while Alejandro attempting to capture the spontaneity of illegal architecture and the culture surrounding it, it is a pure example of how architecture can't be temporary or adaptable enough for a user. There is still a sense of how his social housing project should look or be. While illegal architecture grows and adapts and changes because each user has it's own vision. Architecture cannot develop the true intention and individualism that illegal architecture has.