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Building the Guambian Community

Social development and settlement improval

At MORALES in Colombia
In 2007
By Architetti Senza Frontiere Italia
Local partners: Fundacion Horizonte of the socialgroup Asmet Salud

The project has the purpose of contributing to the reinforcement of the social, ethnic and cultural background of the “Guambian” native community of the “Cabildo La Bonanza” by means of the improvement of its habitat, that is to say the living, hygienic, sanitary conditions and infrastructures. Beneficiaries are composed of 205 Guambian families coming from Resguardo of Guambia Silvia and compelled, since 1930, to move into the east part of Morales Municipality for the lack of lands to live on. The Community faced the difficulties coming from settling in a new land, with the risk of loosing its own identity as a native ancestral community.

Gambian Community asked for support in the reinforcement and improvement of its settlement, as well as in the process of social and cultural development. According to this request, ASF Onlus elaborated the following project in cooperation with the local community:
a) improvement of the present hygienic, sanitary, living conditions and infrastructure, necessary to guarantee the available habitat for the community. For this purpose, the project will provide to the building of 20 houses for 20 families together with the basic infrastructures linked to them, in status of “auto-costruzione”;
b) creation of a laboratory for the manufacturing of “guadua” (a kind of material similar to bamboo) and of wood, useful for the houses’ construction;
c) promotion of training activities in communitary organization, leadership, building activities, manufacturing, creation of small factories, with the aim of strengthening the communitary organization and starting up productive activities in favour of the whole community.

The project aims to make all the people involved (target group and local partners) able to develop their own technical and organization abilities by means of a communitary, synergic partecipation between the whole native population and the target group. Thus the project aims to contribute in making it easier to begin a sustainable development process.

location
housing
wooden construction

Building houses in recovered land

Social minority communities, social status & living conditions

At CHAMPERICO in Guatemala
From 2005 to 2006
By Arquitectos Sin Fronteras España
Local partners: Coordinadora Nacional Indígena Campesina
Donors: Public funding

The main goal of this project is to support the process of ‘Selfconstruction of Dwellings’ in the Victorias 3 community, founded in 1999 after a long period of organisation and vindication by the community, which culminated in the recovery of the land. With this project we seek, in addition to the symbolic value of the land, to allow for the families in Victorias 3 to improve their health and hygienic conditions as well as their economic situation. Moreover, by providing a stable habitat, living conditions within the family, social relationships, and the degree of empowerment of the community will be improved. Hence, they can proceed with this process of human development, originally set off by themselves together with the organisation for the recovery of Mother Earth. The dwellings will be built with autochthonous equipment, materials and technologies, to facilitate usability and supply and to prevent the risk of technological dependency. The benefi ciaries themselves, who previously followed a capacity building course, will provide labour. Upkeep of dwellings is therefore guaranteed by the owners themselves.

project
building process

Public restrooms, Nepal

Improving hygiene, aesthetics, functionality and supporting local economy

By OW SARP Association of Polish Architects Warsaw Branch
Local partners: ASF Nepal

The main goal of the project is to help the newly created municipal communes in construction, maintenance and modernization of public toilets in an ecologically sustainable way, accessible to all users and economically viable.  An important aspect of the project is also improving the overall health of residents of the municipalities and support local authorities in achieving various functions in field of public sanitation.
Vernacular architecture is the result of hundreds of years of architecture evolution and optimization, using local available materials and construction technologies known in particular area.
Traditional architecture often uses passive energy solutions to create good, comfortable living conditions depending on climate.

Our goal is to protect the local architectural heritage, and to support and disseminate passive solutions that use natural energy sources, such as wind or sun, to reduce construction costs and ensure the comfort of use of new buildings.

Public restrooms in Nepal-interior patio
section
plan of the buildings
Public restrooms in Nepal- perspective scheme
Public restrooms in Nepal- perspective view
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