Manuales educativos para la promoción y protección de la arquitectura en bahareque

Abstract

The progressive increasing population has led to the rapid growth of cities and commonly the exploitation of materials whose manufacturing processes require high expenditures of resources and energy. It puts in the core of discussion the environmental impact produced by construction. In the last decade, organisms such as the United Nations approved in September 2015 the called: “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, which calls to change the style of development by joining efforts for the construction of sustainable cities. In this regard, several studies have demonstrated the potential of earthen architecture to respond to this demand by promoting self-construction, the use of local materials, and constructions with a low environmental footprint. In contrast to that interest, in Ecuador, we have a legacy of earthen that is in constant deterioration. It is mainly due to social factors such as its association with low social strata and the lack of accessible information to make known the potential embodied in this type of architecture. The bahareque is one of the most popular types of earthen architecture. It presents an optimal alternative to mitigate the environmental impacts, because it uses local materials, adapts to improvements through contemporary techniques, is implanted and respects its immediate context, and does not alter the landscape. This research aims to contribute through the development of educational manuals to the promotion and protection of Bahareque through its construction and maintenance. It seeks to preserve the knowledge that belongs to the identity and memory of the southern region of Ecuador, but also to contribute to a society in constant evolution in the field of construction.