With a strong belief that architecture can contribute to a better life, Architects Without Borders works on projects all over the world. The starting point is always the local population's traditions, access to materials, and needs. There is no solution in simply establishing or building; it all has to rest on the culture you are entering. That is exactly why some projects take a little more time and require a little more thought, but with the right people on the team, the result matches.
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A threatened culture
"We see that building various kinds of community houses in areas with large social or economic challenges creates opportunities for whole communities to change their character over time. When children in poorer residential areas come home from school, they are often alone and have little or nothing to do. Criminals pick up on this in a flash, and recruitment into gangs or drug use begins on the way to school."
Deep inside the magnificent Argentine rainforest, the Guarani people face great challenges. A lack of suitable housing and gathering places threatens their unique culture and social structures. Against this backdrop, Architects Without Borders Norway (Arkitekter Uten Grenser, AUG) and Oslotre, in cooperation with the organisation Tras Sus Pasos and with support from us at Nordic BIM Group, have started an ambitious project to contribute to a sustainable and independent future for the Guarani people.
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© Arkitekter uten Grenser
The project aims to develop a modular self-build system that gives the Guarani community the tools and knowledge they need to build their own homes and community houses. By using local materials and traditional building methods, the initiators want to create buildings that are well suited to both climate and culture, while supporting the local identity and the village structure.
"We are an office driven by a degree of idealism and a strong belief that the purpose of architecture is to make the world a better place. This project is a unique opportunity to use our expertise to create real change," says Jørgen Tycho from Oslotre.
Local involvement gives sustainable solutions
One of the most important principles in the project is that the local population should be actively involved from start to finish. With help from a local carpenter, the Guarani people will learn techniques to produce and put up the buildings, so that they gain ownership of the process.
The building system is simple and intuitive, based on the assembly of timber planks with a maximum length of 5 metres, which allows for efficient transport and minimal environmental impact. The buildings are designed with large roofs that protect against rain and sun, and the structures are lifted up off the ground to minimise the footprint in the jungle. If the village were one day to be abandoned, the buildings would naturally weather back into nature without leaving any waste behind.
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The village of Misiones. © Arkitekter uten Grenser
"Waste is man-made. By using only natural and local materials, we make sure the buildings become part of the natural cycle. This is a project that will live its own life, develop, and adapt to the local community's needs over time," Jørgen continues. In practice this means that if the people move on and settle in a new place, the old village will be able to weather into nature and become part of it again. Completely naturally.
Future potential
To begin with, prototypes of both a home and a community house will be built in the village of Jakutinga, deep inside the rainforest. The community house will serve as an important meeting place for the village, with room for craft production, social celebrations, and a medical office. The goal is for these prototypes to form the basis of a system that can be replicated and scaled up, both in Argentina and elsewhere in the world.
The project is now in the financing phase. Through initiatives such as Spleis and contributions from foundations and the construction industry, AUG and Oslotre hope to raise the funds needed for materials and building costs. The estimated budget for the prototypes is 450,000 kroner, of which 100,000 has already been raised.
"The first buildings we put up will cost more to raise, for many different reasons. Among other things, we need to be more physically present on the project to make sure everything works and that we pass on the expertise to build more houses in the future," explains Quique Bayarri from AUG. "In the long run, the idea is that the cost will go down and that it will be Argentine organisations, with our help, that contribute to the financing."
A method
Although the project has its origin in Argentina, the ambition is that the building system should be able to be adapted to different local materials and contexts all over the world. "We want to develop a method, not a fixed solution. This is a way of using architecture as a tool for positive change, wherever in the world it is used," Jørgen concludes.
With this kind of project, Architects Without Borders and Oslotre set a strong example of how architecture can be a tool for social justice, sustainability, and the preservation of cultural heritage. At a time when the rainforest is shrinking dramatically and the rights of indigenous peoples are being challenged, the project in Argentina represents a glimmer of hope for both people and nature.
"This form of aid will not make the Guarani people passive, but will help them build their own village structure and sit in the driver's seat of their own lives. In that way, architecture contributes to exactly what we want: to preserve a unique culture that no one can afford to lose." And with that, Quique passes the baton on to a whole industry that together can help preserve one of the most important things we have: the rainforest.
