The Whole Process.
Transformando Vidas. Cooking & Textile School
Integrated initiative offering a community kitchen, textile cooperative, and gastronomy workshops to foster economic and social development in an emerging neighborhood.
 |
Longchamps, Buenos Aires. Argentina. | ARG 012 | |
 |
mts.2 |  |
Started: December 1, 2024. |
| Phase | Ongoing. | Type | Community facilities. |
| Target Group | Children and women. | Partner | - |
| Client | Asociación Civil Transformando Vidas | Donor | - |
 |
Sourcing local materials, rehabilitate. | ||
1. Observe.
Why, context, challenge.
Community care networks sustaining life under precarious urban conditions. The 14 de Febrero neighborhood has been shaped through networks of care and community organization led primarily by a resilient group of women, many of them survivors of domestic violence, who came together to transform their experiences into collective action. Within this social structure, the community kitchen plays a fundamental role: it provides daily meals while also
functioning as a space for support, childcare, and community building for families in the neighborhood. Today, the kitchen operates under precarious conditions. Activities take place in the front patio of one of the cooperative members’ homes, who has opened her house so the initiative can continue. Cooking happens under a semi-covered roof extension, while food is stored in a small adjacent room. Although this arrangement responded to an urgent need, it is no longer adequate for the current scale of activities and growing demand.
At the same time, the community promotes self-managed initiatives led by women, including cooking workshops and a textile cooperative, both of which require stable and secure spaces to grow. The main challenge is therefore to move from a dispersed and precarious infrastructure toward an integrated, safe, and adaptable community system that strengthens food security and supports the local economy.
2. Identify.
Who, target, user, facts.
4/10
4 out of every 10 argentine children live in poverty, increasing reliance on neighborhood community kitchens.
100
100 people and 40 families depend weekly on the Transformando Vidas community kitchen.
3. Approach.
How, strategy, interact
Adaptive reuse and phased construction as a strategy for incremental community impact
A few blocks away, there is a donated site where the construction of a community building began years ago but remained unfinished due to lack of funding. This abandoned structure represents both an opportunity and a challenge: transforming an inactive building into community infrastructure capable of supporting new social, productive, and food-related activities.The proposal is based on reusing the existing unfinished structure and completing it through a phased construction system. This strategy allows the building to become operational progressively according to available resources, generating impact from the very beginning.The project prioritizes flexible architecture, multifunctional spaces, natural ventilation and lighting, and simple, durable materials that facilitate maintenance and future expansion. The intervention transforms an abandoned structure into an active and adaptable community infrastructure capable of evolving over time.
4. Design.
Programmering, development, co-create.
A co-designed community infrastructure for care, production, and collective lifeThe building is conceived as a flexible community infrastructure developed together with the women of the cooperative, neighborhood families, and local actors sustaining community care networks.The project’s orientation takes advantage of sunlight and natural ventilation to improve thermal comfort throughout the year, creating healthier and more pleasant spaces for everyday use.
Phase 1 reorganizes the existing structure to enable the daily operation of the community kitchen. It includes an equipped kitchen, food preparation and production areas, storage with direct access, restrooms, changing areas, a multipurpose space for workshops and meetings, and an open courtyard designed as a collective gathering space and community garden. This first phase establishes safe and functional conditions for daily activities.
Phase 2 completes the central communal areas by enclosing the atrium with a permeable diaphragm wall and adding a lightweight roof over the dining area. This intervention protects the space from wind and rain while maintaining visual and spatial continuity between the street, courtyard, and building.
Phase 3 adds a second-floor volume dedicated to the textile cooperative, including areas for sewing, printing, digital production, storage, and an open terrace for resting and sun-drying materials.The construction system relies on simple and durable solutions: brick masonry walls, reinforced steel column structures, and lightweight metal roofs supported by trusses that provide wide-span spaces and natural overhead lighting.
Site visit by architects
12/24
Design Start
02/25
Design Complete
10/25
Budget
10/25
Fundraising (on going)
02/26
Who participate
Quique Bayarri Sabariego
Architect - Project Achitect - quique@augnorge.org
Quique Bayarri holds a degree in architecture from the Universitat Politècnica de València, with additional studies in Delft, Madrid, and Granada. Quique has extensive and solid experience at Norwegian architectural firms, ranging from concept development to the execution phase of both residential and office buildings. He has been collaborating with Architects Without Borders Norway (AUG) since 2017 and has been a board member since 2018. He is equally dedicated to finding the best concept for a project as he is to its expression through detailed construction work. With a particular interest in sustainable architecture and construction techniques, he firmly believes that architecture must be influenced by the place where it is built and designed with a primary focus on the users. Quique uses photography as an active tool to explore architecture and the reality around us.
Paola Bornaschella
Architect - Design Director - paola@augnorge.org
Paola holds a master’s degree in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Paola has a solid experience in architectural design across all phases and scales—from small private buildings to large, complex projects such as masterplans, healthcare facilities, and multifunctional buildings. Paola is a founder, the current design director, and board member of AUG. She is passionate about social architecture. Guided by the belief that architecture is a powerful tool for social change, she advocates for inclusive design that fosters safety, dignity, and equal opportunity—especially in communities where it's needed most.
Melina Cauchich
Architect - Local Architect - melina@augnorge.org
Melina Cauchich is an architect with complementary training in Fine Arts and extensive experience in planning and executing civil works, gained through more than ten years of work in architectural firms and the infrastructure department of a multinational company. Since 2016, she has been part of Architects Without Borders, playing a key role as a liaison between local communities in Argentina and the team of architects in Norway (AUG). Her work focuses on identifying needs, developing comprehensive projects, and supporting their implementation—always prioritizing collaboration and a positive social impact in favor of sustainable and inclusive architecture.
Yuliia Hryshai
Civil Engeneer - Technical Engineer - yuliia@augnorge.org
Yuliia holds a degree in civil engineering from Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in Ukraine. Before the outbreak of the war, she worked as a technical draftsman in a construction company, contributing to projects involving both new constructions and the rehabilitation of existing structures. Her main responsibilities included preparing technical and architectural drawings in AutoCAD and developing BIM models using Revit. Yuliia is now part of the team at Architects Without Borders (AUG) Norway, where she actively contributes to socially oriented projects in the fields of construction and architecture.
Jon Rønning
Civil Engeneer - Engineer Consultant
Jon Rønning is an architect, engineering consultant, and visual artist with over three decades of experience spanning complex infrastructure and development projects across Europe and Asia. His work has ranged from North Sea oil and gas developments to post-conflict airport reconstruction in the Balkans and international collaboration on radioactive waste management in Northwest Russia.What truly defines Jon’s career, however, is his unwavering commitment to social responsibility and global solidarity. Whether advising Mongolian authorities on the humane integration of 600,000 nomads into urban life or empowering youth through direct involvement in rebuilding efforts in Serbia, Jon consistently puts people at the center of his practice. His values—grounded in mutual growth and meaningful dialogue—shine through in all his engagements.Jon is also a passionate artist whose aquarelles capture everyday moments and global narratives alike, reflecting the same empathy and curiosity that drive his architectural and humanitarian work.As a long-time collaborator with Arkitekter Uten Grenser (AUG), Jon brings both technical expertise and a deep sense of humanitarian purpose, believing that architecture and infrastructure must serve dignity, equality, and opportunity.
Support an Ongoing Project.
Discover our current fundraising campaigns and get involved.
Collaborate
Help Build Hope
The Safe House is A supportive space where vulnerable children receive food, clean clothes, hygiene access, school supplies, and a quiet place to study—so they can participate in school on equal terms and grow with dignity and confidence.
Collaborate
Help Build Hope
The community center in Nyawa will be a safe and inclusive meeting place, especially for young girls and women, where they can gather, develop, share ideas and build the future together.
Collaborate
Help Build Hope
In the heart of the rainforest, the Guaraní people are facing a severe housing crisis—one that threatens their unique culture and way of life. This project empowers local communities through hands-on training in a simple, replicable building system made from local materials like wood, earth, and clay.