The Santiago Research Cell (SRC) was established in 2013 by a group of seven alumni from the Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) in a bid to develop a new type of GSAPP Global Network node, functioning with a flexible organizational structure independent of a physical space. SRC deploys a research-based community able to generate its own knowledge and to provide Global Network initiatives with new regional input in areas that include architecture, the use of public spaces, urban planning, post-earthquake reconstruction and the future of cities.
As part of its work, the SRC sponsored a conference in August 2018 to examine the impact of the Pinochet dictatorship’s policies and practices on issues such as segregation, the use of public space, architectural styles and housing and urban policies.