In 1994 we traveled to the southern Pacific coast of Colombia with a group of students to take part in a project organized by Essy Baniassad. We made records of several barrios facing a government relocation program in the dense, urban village of Tumaco and the small coastal community of San Juan, whose inhabitants had invited us to design for them a new inland village.

The experience of working and learning in a very direct way with this project has strongly influenced the way in which we have pursued our architectural practice. For us this project brought into question the bifurcation of design and construction, the importance of local economy and building culture, resources, technologies, skills and materials. Through these case studies and design proposals we began to explore the idea of a loose fitting design adjustable in its parts, at various scales.

Tumaco - 1995
Documentation of a barrio called Los Puentes (The Bridges), built on stilts over the Pacific Ocean on the periphery of a town.

San Juan - 1995
Design strategy for the relocation of a small coastal village.