Guadua Architecture: The Urbanautas Workshop in Risaralda, Colombia

At a time when we only have room for immediate priorities, many designers in our discipline work detached from the actual context where their projects will be built. Yet, some still dedicate the time and passion to experience these realities firsthand and build hand-in-hand with the users. 

This is the case of the Urbanautas project, organized by the architecture studio Ruta 4 Taller and the El Comienzo del Arco Iris Community and Folk Center for Arts and Crafts. The initiative took place from August 2 to 10, 2019, in San Isidro, in the Puerto Caldas district of Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia, with the support of the Oficina Suramericana de Arquitectura, Aqua Alta, Natura Futura Arquitectura, and LARVA. Organized as an immersive camp, the workshop allowed participants and facilitators to live directly in the context of the projects they eventually built: Máquina del Paisaje and Estancia para San Isidro.