Authors: Domingo Arancibia-Tagle + Renata Mattei Location: Santiago Chile Year: 2026 Area: 10.964 m² Located in the historic center of Santiago, the project proposes a contemporary residential building that responds to the environmental, urban, and social conditions of one of the city's most consolidated neighborhoods. The development comprises 170 residential units organized within a composition of three interconnected volumes above two underground levels. The building is structured through a six-story volume facing Santo Domingo Street and two four-story volumes positioned toward the rear of the site. Between these volumes, a central courtyard introduces light, air, and vegetation into the heart of the project, creating a protected communal space that enhances environmental quality and establishes visual connections between the different residential blocks. The volumetric arrangement seeks to balance urban continuity with domestic scale. While the street-facing volume reinforces the existing urban frontage and contributes to the definition of the public realm, the lower rear volumes reduce the perceived mass of the building and create a more intimate residential environment around the courtyard. This strategy improves access to natural light and ventilation while generating a sequence of shared outdoor spaces within the depth of the block. A defining architectural element of the project is the double-skin façade facing Santo Domingo Street. Here, a system of external screens acts as a protective layer that addresses two characteristic conditions of downtown Santiago. First, the screens provide solar control against northern exposure, reducing heat gain and improving interior comfort. Second, they create a privacy buffer between the apartments and the public street, responding to a common challenge found in many central Santiago buildings where residential units are positioned directly adjacent to sidewalks and urban activity. Rather than functioning solely as an environmental device, the screen system becomes an architectural mediator between public and private realms. The façade filters sunlight, softens views, and gives the building a distinctive identity while allowing residents to maintain visual connection with the city. The resulting envelope improves energy performance and contributes to a more comfortable and protected living environment. The project understands housing as both an urban and collective condition. Its organization around a central courtyard, the articulation of multiple building volumes, and the incorporation of a climate-responsive façade seek to enhance the quality of everyday life while contributing positively to the historic fabric of Santiago's city center. The proposal has received approval from Chile’s National Monuments Council, confirming its compatibility with the heritage values and urban character of its context while enabling the introduction of new housing within one of the city's most significant historic areas.