Uruguay Advanced Its International Strategy at the Leading U.S. Architecture Conference

For the second consecutive year, Uruguay participated in the AIA Conference on Architecture & Design, the premier architecture conference in the United States, organized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Held in San Diego, the event brought together thousands of professionals, architecture firms, companies, and industry leaders from around the world.

The national delegation, coordinated by Uruguay XXI, was part of an ongoing strategy to strengthen the international profile of Uruguay’s architecture, engineering, construction, and applied technology (AEC) ecosystem while creating new business opportunities in a strategic market.

The delegation included the Uruguayan companies CSI Global, Dream X, Gea Consultores Ambientales, Gibert & Rodríguez, Lagarsoft, Montevideo Architectural Group (MAG), Shape Studio, and Sitio Pezzani. Together, they showcased expertise in architecture, engineering, sustainability, BIM, software development, visualization, and other technology solutions for the AEC industry.

According to Vicente Bonilla, director of Montevideo Architectural Group and AIA Country Representative in Uruguay, the country's participation showed clear progress compared with the previous edition. “This year we had greater participation and a wider diversity of profiles, both in terms of the size of the participating companies and the services they offered. This allowed us to showcase the capabilities of the Uruguayan sector more comprehensively,” he said. He also noted that many participants built on the experience gained in 2025, enabling them to strengthen relationships with existing contacts in the United States and identify new opportunities for collaboration.

During the conference, the delegation attended more than 450 seminars and workshops organized by AIA and participated in networking activities with industry professionals and potential clients.

The agenda also included visits to leading architecture firms in San Diego and a technical tour of the city of Encinitas, led by American architect Eli Gould, who also conducted a preparatory session with the Uruguayan delegation ahead of the conference. The visit offered firsthand insight into a community recognized for its commitment to timber construction and the use of innovative methods to maximize the performance of wood as a building material.

Uruguay also took part in the conference’s official program. Bonilla delivered a presentation on the development of mass timber in Uruguay, highlighting the country’s experience with this sustainable construction system and its potential for high-value projects.

“There is a growing demand for specialized services that complement the capacity of U.S. architecture and engineering firms,” Bonilla said. According to him, the greatest opportunities lie in early-stage project design and development, detailed construction documentation, BIM support, and interdisciplinary coordination. He also noted that the conference provided an opportunity to engage directly with professionals from a wide range of disciplines, gain a better understanding of their challenges, and identify growing interest in collaborative work models that integrate international teams.

Technology applied to architecture was another key focus of the mission. Agustina Aboy, Project Manager at Lagarsoft, was a featured speaker on an official tour exploring adaptive reuse projects. The activity examined several architectural conversion projects through the lens of sustainability and was repeated due to strong demand from attendees.

Based on her participation in the conference, Aboy identified significant opportunities for Uruguayan companies developing technology solutions for architecture and construction. “The demand I encountered isn't for talent—it's for solutions. Firms don’t want to train teams; they want to implement solutions quickly and with as little friction as possible. That clearly defines the kind of offering that makes the most sense,” she said.

In her view, artificial intelligence is accelerating the transformation of the sector, although there is still considerable room to develop more comprehensive tools. “There’s a lot of talk about the power of AI in the sector, but few examples of real, sustainable implementation. The potential for robust, secure, and reliable technical solutions is enormous, precisely because technical quality becomes even more essential as processes become increasingly automated,” she said.

Aboy also emphasized that one of Uruguay’s main challenges is gaining greater visibility in the forums where decisions on technological innovation are made. “Uruguay’s biggest challenge is visibility and demonstrating technical expertise in the forums where those decisions are made. The trade mission organized by Uruguay XXI was a step in that direction,” she said.

Bonilla also underscored the value of a coordinated sector-wide strategy to support the international expansion of Uruguay’s AEC ecosystem. “While each company has its own business objectives, presenting a unified front strengthens the country’s image and creates a much stronger presence than the sum of individual efforts,” he said.

Uruguay’s participation in the 2026 AIA Conference on Architecture & Design was part of Uruguay XXI’s broader strategy to support the international growth of Uruguayan companies and position the country as a provider of high-value professional services for the global architecture, engineering, construction, and applied technology sectors.