PROCESOS PARTICIPATIVOS PARA LA VALORACIÓN DE LA ARQUITECTURA CON TIERRA EN SUSUDEL, ECUADOR

In terms of sustainability, both traditional and contemporary vernacular architecture, often imported and industrialized, have their benefits and weaknesses; however, vernacular architecture has a series of environmental, social, cultural and economic qualities gained over time that are often overlooked when designing and building new elements, due to various causes. The constant desire for “new” and “improved” goods instead of the “obsolete” and “primitive” designs of the past seems to be increasingly the prevailing criterion in the urban environment that arrives and replicates without major reflections in the rural context. This research helps to reaffirm the value of traditional vernacular architecture as an alternative for a contemporary sustainable architecture, and considers the construction of certain guidelines or paths vital for the conception of a contemporary architecture that provide a construction alternative more committed to the territory and that adapts to the real needs of the people who inhabit it, in terms of culture, identity, economy, well-being and environment. For this, a participatory process is proposed in Susudel, a town of approximately 1200 inhabitants south of the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, which maintains great potential to evolve positively and sustainably in the future. This means doing it as part of a logical and natural evolution of local constructive cultures, learning from ancient wisdom, and simultaneously implementing - in a conscious way - contemporary knowledge developed both inside and outside the community.