This book explores the pioneering work of Wladimiro Acosta (1900–1967), a visionary in environmental architecture who emphasized the integration of design with local climate conditions. After emigrating from the USSR in the late 1920s, Acosta arrived in Argentina at a time when modern architecture was spreading across Latin America. He developed the Helios System, a methodology based on solar control to adapt architecture to Buenos Aires’ climate. The system, which incorporates strategic spatial configurations, shading, and natural ventilation, anticipated climate-responsive design principles by decades. Acosta’s holistic approach, combining meteorology, building physics, and human physiology, demonstrates the enduring relevance of locally adapted architecture. In this publication, his work is validated through recent scientific research that aligns with contemporary climate-responsive design methods. The Wladimiro Acosta Archive, housed at the Archivo Di Tella Arquitectura, offers invaluable insight into his contributions, and the project highlights his lasting influence on sustainable design.

Isabella Moretti is an architect, researcher, and editor based in Buenos Aires. She is the director of the architecture archive and a visiting professor on the history of modern art and design at the School of Architecture and Urban Studies at Torcuato Di Tella University. She has worked as a researcher at the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and the City of Buenos Aires. She has also served as the editor-in-chief of Lots of Architecture publishers and NESS magazine. Moretti is a founding member of Cooperativa Espacial, a collective developing projects at the intersection of design, technology, and community organization.

Fernando Schapochnik graduated in architecture from the University of Buenos Aires (FADU, UBA) and studied photography at the Escuela de Fotografía Creativa. Between 2011 and 2017, he worked as an architect in the offices of Baudizzone Lestard and Torrado Arquitectos, before joining the architectural magazine PLOT, where he worked as a photographer, editor, and executive editor until 2024. He is the director of the Di Tella Arquitectura publishing house at Torcuato Di Tella University. Schapochnik has taught architectural design at FADU-UBA, and since 2015 he has been associate professor for the “Photography and Territory” at Di Tella University.

Florencia Collo graduated in architecture at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism of Buenos Aires University (FADU, UBA) and did postgraduate studies in the MSc Sustainable Environmental Design program at the Architectural Association in London under the direction of Simos Yannas. In 2016 she cofounded Atmos Lab, an environmental design consultancy, where she is the main project leader. She has taught history of architecture and urban planning at FADU, UBA, and since 2022 leads a course on environmental design at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. She is also a member of the PLEA organization (Passive Low Energy Architecture). Within Atmos Lab, Collo has advised architects such as Lacaton & Vassal, OFFICE KGDVS, Baukuh, Baukunst, Caruso St John, Bruther, Foster & Partners, John Pawson, NP2F, Adamo Faiden, and l'AUC. She coauthored the book It’s Nice Today: On Climate, Comfort, and Pleasure (Ruby Press, 2024) with Lacaton & Vassal, which reviews the performance of the winter garden in their oeuvre.

Fundación IDA is an institution dedicated to the recovery, preservation and communication of Argentine design, both historical and contemporary. IDA holds personal, institutional, and corporate collections from all over the country organized according to its main areas: industrial, graphic, fashion and textile design. Founded in 2013 and based in Buenos Aires, IDA is a pioneering institution and the first design archive in Argentina. Among its goals is the dissemination and democratization of design knowledge, generating new content for the formation of a national memory and raising awareness of its value. IDA offers a cross-disciplinary perspective on design, working in constant alliances and agreements with institutions, companies and individuals. For this project, IDA trusted the dedicated work and rigorous research of Di Tella Arquitectura by transferring the custody of Wladimiro Acosta’s collection to the university.

Universidad Torcuato Di Tella is a nonprofit institution established in 1991 focused on research and education. Its mission emphasizes academic excellence, equal opportunities, and diverse ideas. The School of Architecture and Urban Studies, established in 2008, offers an undergraduate degree, a master’s in architectural history and criticism, and programs in landscape and heritage preservation. It also includes a center for contemporary architecture studies, an archive, and a publishing house. The Di Tella Architecture Archive aims to safeguard and disseminate Argentina's architectural heritage. It serves as a dynamic research hub, integrating archival and historical research into the architecture and urban studies school curriculum. Editorial Di Tella Arquitectura is a specialized publisher focused on books about architecture and the city. Its work stimulates debate and contributes to the evolving field of architecture, aiming to produce high-quality content that addresses the challenges and opportunities of the built environment.