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Akantus invites you to the third guest lecture of the semester. Today's guest is Marie Andreé Soundy, an architect, urban designer and artist with more than 25 years of professional and academic experience.
Where: F6, Gamle Fysikk, Gløshaugen
When: Oct 14th, 16:15 - 18.00
This lecture is based on an essay to be published later this year in the Journal of Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism, edited in Spain by Alejandro Garcia-Hermida. It examines the contemporary architectural 25-year practice of architect Marie Andreé Soundy Escobar, rooted in the continuity of Central America’s regional vernacular traditions.
Drawing from personal experience and professional work, it argues that the erosion of millennia-old building knowledge—
replaced by standardized modernist models—has led to the loss of cultural identity, environmental responsiveness, and cohesive urban life across the region. Through a series of built and proposed projects in Central America, her work demonstrates how traditional principles—such as climate-responsive design, the use of local materials, and established urban typologies—can inform innovative architectural solutions.
Case studies range from town master plans and courtyard houses to low-cost housing and hospitality projects, illustrating the adaptability of vernacular forms across scales and programs. Emphasis is placed on artisanal construction techniques and character, passive environmental strategies, and the
integration of community-oriented urban frameworks.
Her work advocates for a renewed architectural ethos that engages deeply with regional traditions
to produce enduring, place-based design. By reestablishing continuity with vernacular heritage, contemporary practice can foster and rebuild sustainability, cultural identity, and resilient urban environments in Central America.
Marie Andreé Soundy is an architect, urban designer, and artist with a Bachelor's Degree (1998) and a Master's Degree (2005) from the University of Notre Dame, School of Architecture, with
more than 25 years of professional and academic experience.
Throughout her career, she has worked and collaborated with numerous architectural firms in Latin America and the United
States, including Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) (1998-1999) in New York City, Seis Arquitectos (1999-2001) in Guatemala City, and as a Partner and Principal Architect in her own firm Arosemena & Soundy Arquitectos (2006-2018) in Panama City, Panama. She currently teaches as an Associate Professor of Architectural Design Studio and Graphics at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture's main campus
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Event venue
Gamle Fysikk, NTNU Gløshaugen,Trondheim, Norway
Tickets
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