The topic of developing and designing housing for the underprivileged in El Salvador is at the center of the semester. The project "Urbanization Cuna de la Paz" will be implemented in the rural north of the country in the municipality of La Palma, El Salvador. Our design work ranges from the development of the settlement structure to the construction of multi-generational modular units that can be built and extended by the residents themselves. The traditional construction method of self-fabricated adobe bricks is the basis. In the design studio, we will gradually explore the interaction of place, structure, and material. In addition to researching historical, anonymous and contemporary adobe brick architecture, the interplay of structure, construction and expression is developed out of the joining of the material.
The excursion (4.10.2019 – 13.10.2019) takes us to El Salvador to our site in the hilly north of the country and is an integral part of the design studio. Architecture students from Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador will join a 4-days-workshop, in which Adobe constructions are built. The excursion takes place under the patronage of the Foundation Fundasal and is supported by local experts.
