This year's Pritzker Prize went to Alejandro Aravena, an architect best known for inventive, low-cost social housing projects. Aravena has received his prize this week.

Aravena is one of the youngest winners of the prize, and the first Chilean to receive the prestigious award. He will win a $100,000 grant, and a bronze medal.

Aravena is best known for his work with Elemental, a 'do tank', as opposed to a 'think tank'. Elemental's focus has been on improving housing for the poor by engaging local communities in the design process.

The Pritzker Jury said "Alejandro Aravena is leading a new generation of architects that has a holistic understanding of the built environment and has clearly demonstrated the ability to connect social responsibility, economic demands, design of human habitat and the city."

Aravena's Chilean 'half a good house' project is a publicly funded development, where homes appear half built. The empty spaces between homes can be enjoyed for alfresco living, or can be filled in by the owners to expand their home.

Elemental has posted drawings of its 'incremental' housing projects online, where they are available to download for free.

"We will put online, available to public knowledge, all the plans, all the files of the projects that we have done so far - the ones that we believe have been successful," said Aravena.

The Pritzker has now gone to two architects who blend art with humanitarian work. In 2014, the prize went to Japanese architect, Shigeru Ban, who uses cardboard in disaster relief projects.

Aravena is also director of this year's Venice Architecture Biennale which opens at the end of May.