Reflecting on Territory, Topography, and Landscape: Discover WHALE!’s Projects in Chile

What logics and dynamics are involved in conceiving an architecture in dialogue with the territory and the landscape? How does topography determine the design and development process of architectural projects? Founded in Santiago, Chile, around 2012, the architecture firm WHALE! works with the concepts of territory and landscape as key axes of study and reflection in the pursuit of understanding how architecture is not only capable of designing spaces, but also of shaping the way human beings live, feel, and relate to the world.

Kids Land Miyabino is a company-led childcare facility operated by a medical corporation. In addition to daily early childhood education, it offers specialized services such as sick child care in collaboration with nearby clinics. Prioritizing physical activity, empathy, and creativity, the design encourages children to play freely and engage naturally with others.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when access to parks and other public spaces was restricted, the Lane House was conceived with the intention of creating an outdoor exercise space. The building's program requires integrating a sports area, cycling or running track, into various functions of the house. This raises the question of the optimal layout for maximizing the cycling/running track's length while integrating it with 850 square meters of functions withina  640-square-meter plot.

The Joyous Spring Wellness Center, designed by Soong Lab—founded and directed by architect Wang Songtao—is located just beyond Beijing's Fifth Ring Road, with a site area of approximately 8,200 square meters. As a project of adaptive reuse, it is centered around water as a core element. Through structural adjustments, interior reconfiguration, and the addition of new programs, the design revitalizes an idle building, giving it renewed purpose and spatial significance.