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Socaire

ARCHITECTURE, CITIZENSHIP & LEARNING
 

ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN OF CULTURAL AND TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE  WITH THE COMMUNITY OF SOCAIRE / / 

Indigenous Atacameña community of Socaire
SOCAIRE, SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
START: MAY 2018
INTRODUCTION

In the context of the development of a masterplan of Socaire driven by the Atacameño community of Socaire, Aldea was invited to participate in the co-design of different architectural and construction projects. Developing solutions to contribute to the territorial and architectural coherence of the area, in addition to the holistic development of the community, Aldea is addressing the needs of both the inhabitants and tourists. Visitors are increasing in numbers in the area, boosting the economy of the community.

ACTIVITY

For the community it is fundamental to preserve the knowledge and traditions of their ancestors, as well as to safeguard their holy places,  such as where ceremonies and rites regularly take place. These traditions are principally related to agriculture and farming, and the overall cultivation of the land and pastures. This also highlights the importance of the tools, techniques and ancient construction manners which organised their habitat and territory, and the practices developed in this localised economy, like the trading system or the exchange of products between the inhabitants of different environments.

 

Regarding this, the project is focused on the local materiality and construction techniques, expressed in the different tectonics of the area. These include: the cultivation terraces, melgas; irrigation channels for agriculture, colcas, which are circular stone constructions for storing food; apachetas, a group of stones stacked vertically to mark spatial dimensions; woven textiles, where ancestral symbols and elements are reproduced, and barnyards, to protect the livestock.

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In this manner, the proposals have been developed collectively in order to present functional solutions which match the specific requirements of the community, for each specific site, always linking to other points of the masterplan on an urban as well as on a territorial scale. In order to attain a sustainable integration of the new constructions in the rural desert landscape, the know-how of the Atacameña culture as well as responding to the seasonal variables and climatic conditions is integrated within the planning.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Atacameña Community of Socaire; Antonio Cruz; Leonardo Cruz; Ada López.

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