Solano Benítez

As a whole, Solano focuses his work on accessibility to material. Many projects strive to decrease square footage costs by using local material and techniques. This involves the creative adaptation of common materials, in this case, brick. No material goes unused. Broken bricks are saved for key features in the facade and for the whole  bricks, they are rotated for maximum efficiency, reducing the amount of material significantly. 

Solano Benítez stays true to his home. Born (1963) and raised in Asuncion, Paraguay – he founded Gabinete de Arquitectura in 1987. The firm designs local masterpieces using the materials and craft of his home country. He emphasizes the innovative spirit of local labor and finds that the lack of specialization to be an asset and a moment for growth versus a detriment. His efforts in contemporary architecture have earned him a range of awards and recognitions. His ability to transform “scarcity into abundance” make him and his work thought-provoking, accessible, and successful. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards, most recently the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. On top of everything else, he also continues to share his wisdom and logic through lecturing at universities across the world, spreading his passion for the built environment wherever he goes.