Lote 8 Production Center
Design and improvement of infrastructure for the production of carob flour (harina de algarroba) and natural dyes in a rural and Indigenous community, with the goal of improving women's income and economical independence.
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Lote 8, Formosa Argentina. | ARG 007 | |
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105 mts.2 |  |
Started: August 1, 2022. |
| Phase | Delivered. | Type | Community facilities. |
| Target Group | Emerging communities, indigenous and women. | Partner | Fundación Gran Chaco |
| Client | Asociación Hinaj | Donor | - |
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Sourcing local materials, bioclimatic design, water recollection. | ||
1. Observe.
Why, context, challenge.
Promoting natural resources
This project arises from an initiative by the Gran Chaco Foundation to develop a productive space dedicated to the creation of natural dyes in the community of Lote 8, Formosa, Argentina.This proposal aims to strengthen local practices related to the sustainable use of natural resources, promoting the economic autonomy of the region's Indigenous communities through traditional knowledge that connects with the natural environment and the cultural identity of the territory.
Why do it?
The production of natural dyes represents an opportunity to revalue the ancestral knowledge of the communities of the Gran Chaco, while also promoting sustainable practices in an environmentally and socially challenging context. In the face of expanding extractive models and the progressive loss of biodiversity and culture, this project seeks to generate a positive, lasting, and local impact by encouraging production with natural and accessible materials.
Context
Lote 8 is located in a rural region, characterized by its geographic isolation, extreme climate, and the cultural richness of its communities. In this area, infrastructure conditions are limited, which has prompted architectural interventions with a bioclimatic, community-based, and self-sufficient approach. The project is situated on a site already used for productive activities (such as carob flour), with defined access points and intervention proposals that respect the logic of land use, solar orientation, and local construction techniques.
2. Identify.
Who, target, user, facts.
180
180 women from the wichi community would be working in the production center for the benefit of 2600 in total in the area.
3. Approach.
How, strategy, interact
Challenge
The main challenge was to design and implement a simple, efficient, and adaptable infrastructure that enables the development of activities without compromising the community’s knowledge, resources, or rhythms. In addition, there is a need to use local materials (such as rammed earth, adobe, or bricks), implement community-based construction techniques, and ensure ventilation and climate comfort without relying on artificial systems. Moreover, the project must integrate physically and culturally with its surroundings, allowing the community to take ownership of it, ensuring its long-term sustainability, and enabling it to evolve according to new needs.
4. Design.
Programmering, development, co-create.
THE BUILDING CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A LARGE CHIMNEY-ROOF SUPPORTED ON FOUR LEGS.It consists of a large cross-shaped space and four identical square rooms of 12 m² each. The ovens located in the center are equidistant from the rest of the spaces, thus enhancing the overall flexibility of the layout. Each of the rooms has at least two openings, and together with the generic character of the rooms, this allows them to be adapted and used as the needs of the users change over the years or during different seasons.
Bioclimatic strategies
In section, the building functions as a large chimney, using its morphology to drive natural ventilation throughout the spaces. The large openings in all directions of the central cross-shaped space enhance the effectiveness of this ventilation effect.
Construction
The boldness of the spaces, the repetition, and the symmetries in the design make the construction simple, systematic, and efficient.
Materiales
It is very important to use materials that can be found locally—ideally natural materials that the users themselves can help prepare. We are considering three options, in order of preference: rammed earth, adobe blocks, bricks. If it becomes necessary to close the large openings between the spaces, it is important that the enclosure be ventilated so as not to obstruct the airflow and chimney effect. The use of the traditional “palo a pique” technique—closing enclosures with vertical plant stakes—is proposed, as shown in the bottom-right illustration.
Who participate
Quique Bayarri Sabariego
Paola Bornaschella
Melina Cauchich
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