LA ARquITECTURA DE EL PARAiSO´

techniques in rural Honduras a manual on the architecture and construction

SAM NAYLORTulane School of ArchitectureJuly 2012 InternGlobal Architecture Brigades

“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”

For the people in rural Honduras, a house represents not only their income, but also the area and culture they live in. Most homes surveyed were constructed out of local materials. An adobe block house costs no money because the mud cubes and mortar all come from an owner’s property and are compressed and dried naturally. Wood from the surrounding area also contibutes to the other major component of most houses, such as roof structures, porch columns, frames, doors, and windows. Some concrete plaster is used to seal the walls and floors if one has enough money. Newer buildings and their additions are being built with CMU and concrete because of its long lifespan, but these structures are the most costly.

-Winston Churchill

If the owner does not personally do all the labor, then a home, when built with adobe, can usually be constructed in less than a month requiring only the cost for the roofing and a mason. With such quick and easy building materials, the reason some people do not have a decent home or one at all is a lack of land. A case was seen where a wife and her children were thrown out of their house when the husband was ill-tempered. Another family was forced to move from house to house in their community because they lacked the land to build their own. Most homes surveyed were very dark and hot inside, even during the cool rainy season. Sun-orientation, ventilation, and the capture of natural light are issues never addressed by the homeowner or mason.

-Winston Churchill

Windows are placed in select walls to give a view, or if someone wants light in the space. One homeowner had a

window waist-high to drain water out of the sink that was next to it, and so all the windows in the home were made with the

same dimensions. Spacing between windows, doors, and walls is arbitrary, just an approximation of the desired qualities when the home is finished. Some homes have great cooling qualities; their form allows for cross-ventilation, but this is unintentional. Other

homes simply have a gabled roof sitting on the load-bearing walls. Roof structures are usually made with a rafter system of local timber. More rafters equals a stronger roof, but this is more

costly. On top of the wood, corrugated metal panels are nailed down, or ceramic tiles are layed on top, and sealed with concrete

if they have the resources. Ceramic tiles prove to be more waterproof over time if done correctly, but can also cost more time and money. Porches, like other additional living spaces, are present on most houses, but are built after the primary rooms

(kitchen + bedroom).

The following is a collection of different types of homes, as well as information on their respective construction techniques, found in the communities of Santa Rosa and El Canton. Each home was surveyed via cataloguing the building and talking with the homeowners to gain insight into their lives and values. Most people take pride in their home, although some may seem haphazard since they have added expansions prior to fixing the original structure. But these are the traits of a rural Honduran home. There is an organization to the mess inside, and a structure to their spaces. However, the people who pay for and/or build the homes have little knowledge of architectural principles. The form of the house, its shape, and the way it works is what this booklet tries to uncover.

Areas of Study

El Paraíso

Teupasenti

El Canton

Santa Rosa

El PARAÍSO

TEUPASENTIThe AREAS OF STUDY were El Canton and Santa Rosa. These communities are part of the municipality of Teupasenti, which is inside the department (state) of El Paraíso. These communties are mostly farming ones. They are punctuated by many mountains and streams. Houses often have to overcome a slope. In the department of El Paraíso and most of rural Honduras similar farming communities can be found. Many such as those studied are only accessible by dirt road, and in some cases only at certain times of the year

Santa Rosa El Canton500946

2,333 ftFair

Population ::# of Homes ::Avg. # of people per home ::Elevation ::Road Conditions ::

350804

2,352 ftGood

HONDURAS

Case Study 1 Ermindas Home

-2 people (mother + son)-Teacher-Newly built-3 Week build time-Adobe + Plaster-Corrugated metal roof-Roadside-Mason Designed

front

left

right

back

El Canton

This house was surveyed while still unfinished. Even though it is being built in 2012, the same methods as some 70 year old homes surveyed are still in use. An eco-stove and hygiiene station are added (and can be seen in many houses surveyed) via the Public Health chapter of Global Brigaes

cieling to wall connection

view of property

view out back

Foundation Systems For all buildings the foundation system is generally the same. Trenches are dug where all interior and exterior walls will be placed. But before ground is broken, guides are set up to determine the level of the building. Fishing wire and scrap wood are used to outline the tenches while a level or gravity water tube is used to set the current level of the guides.

LEVELING THE GROUND is the next step after all trenches are filled. Usually earth and rock are shoveled and carried to level the earth then packed down with a heavy wooden block. 2.5 inches of concrete are usually applied to the earth after to be the finished floor.

TRENCHES are generally 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide (deeper if the building is more than 1 story). The trenches are then filled with large found rocks and a mortar. For adobe buildings, the stones are usually filled in between with mud. For concrete or other masonry construction, concrete will be used.

Case Study 2Virgilio Rodriguez

-4 people-Farmer + Mason-70 years old-Adobe + Plaster-Tile roof (tin on new addition)-Farm (5 min walk from road)

front

left

right

backview of farm from house

This addition has a glass shutter window with a tin roof. Many sheds, chicken coups, and animals are close by.

bedroombedroomkitchen

new addition

El Canton

Masonry Wall ConstructionMasonry walls are by far the most common construction method used. They last a very long time, aren’t overly costly, and if done right, can look aesthetically pleasing. Adobe block, brick, stone, and CMU are the types of masonry wall construction. Even though they vary in size, shape, and density, they are all built with the same principles and techniques.

TO START, a mortar is made then applied first on top of the finished foundation or beam. Blocks are placed continually along this and staggered vertically for strength.

CMU systems use a sand, cement, and water mix for mortar. They also fill the empty holes in the blocks with either sand or mortar. At specific locations a piece of steel rebar may be placed vertically to connect all the blocks. For most CMU walls, the wall is placed in between two concrete columns which can be site cast or steel rebar through CMUs.

BRICK and STONE walls use a cement + sand mortar as well. These blocks are dipped in water before they are placed, and are completly solid. This sytem usually also utilizes a concrete column system to hold it up since they are only one unit thick.

ADOBE walls use a mud mortar that can be made from surrounding earth and water. One issue is that when the walls are finished, insects called “chinches“ live in the walls and floors. These bugs can cause serious health problems. To fix this, concrete plaster is applied to the wall and floor to seal them.

-3 People-Farmer-4 years old-Adobe + Plaster-Tile roof-Roadside/Farm-Mason + Owner designed

front

left

right

back

front door detail

window detail

Case Study 3Erin

El Canton

Roof SystemsThe two most common roof materials are clay tiles and zinc metal sheets. Both of these systems are simply placed on the roof structure below. Every home surveyed had a wooden roof structure, and the only buildings that had a metal structure were government built schools or health centers. The life span of a wooden structure can be just as long as any building if the wood is treated correctly. Zinc and clay tiles also last a long time.

WOODEN ROOF structures usually rest on all walls (interior and exterior) and extend a bit beyond the building. No buildings seen had a raised roof; the main reason is to protect against heavy rain in the summer when the rain can enter almost sideways, especially in the mountains.

ZINC roofs are becoming more common in El Paraiso. They cost approximately the same as clay tile, and they last a long time, but often have leaks where nails were used to pin them to the roof structure. An advantage of zinc is that it requires less rafters and substructure than clay tile.

CLAY TILE roofs are the most common in El Paraiso. They last a long time, and are made from the surrounding earth--dried and cooked. Only one home surveyed had any kind of roof membrane between the shingles (zinc or tile) and the roof structure. An advantage of clay tiles is that they absorb and emit less heat than zinc.

milled wood detailnatural post detail

-2 people (wife and husband)-Farmer-80 years old-20 day build time-Adobe + Plaster-Tile roof-Roadside/Farm

front

left

right

back

Pictured is Rosa, whose husband usually sleeps in the mountains where he farms coffee beans. The three girls often stay over at her house because of its proximity to the school. They only go home every 16 days, for two nights.

The house was originally positioned slightly facing the road. But Rosa and her husband tore it down and rebuilt it (using the same adobe) facing away from the road. They did this for the view it provided but the downside is winds from the hills blow rain in to the house.

view from right of porch

Case Study 4Rosa VIctoria Gonzales

Santa Rosa

Concrete ConstructionConcrete is an important element to almost any building. It can be used as mortar, plaster, and structural elements. Most masonry wall systems require site cast concrete columns to hold them together. The only precast units used are CMU’s. Site cast elements include, floor slabs, foundations, columns, and beams. Concrete is becoming more common among building designs because people see it as a longer lasting element. TO MIX a batch of concrete the ratio is described as 1 bag of cement, 1 wheelbarrow of gravel, 1 of sand, and 3 buckets of water. One wheelbarrow fulll usually equates to 6 cubic feet and one bucket is around 5 gallons. All the dry elements are mixed together thoroughly, then workers shovel out the center to make room for water. 2 buckets are added and using shovels workers mix in the dry solution with the water, more water from the third bucket is added as needed. The site of mixing concrete is usually on a patch of dirt close to the project.

FORMWORK for the concrete is made from wood, sometimes scrap pieces or whatever they can find. Little attention is given to keeping the concrete dry or wet with varying weather conditions. Steet rebar is made without welding and place prior to the concrete pouring. Another issue never addressed by builders is leaving the exposed rebar out for extended periods. Most likely when the rebar is placed it will have already rusted some, and the ends will continue to degrade before the next column is ready to pour.

-3 people -Farmers-20 years old-30 day build time (built in 2 parts)-Adobe + Plaster (dirt floor)-Tile roof-Hillside/Farm-Owner designed

front

left

right

backRaymundo in his kitchen mother with her shrine

Case Study 5Raymundo Rodriguez

Santa Rosa

dirt floor

Interior SpacesInterior space inside buildings is generally dark and hot. Roofs generally sit on top of a building and provide little relief for hot air to escape, or light to come in. Windows in homes are all around the same shape and size, and orientation is never taken into account. When building a home, the designer usually just requests a window in a certain location for a desired view or lighting. But even with the windows, insufficient light enters a space, and when it is sufficient, the light is direct, heating the room up.

Some homes do have lights and access to electricity. However, the lights have no shades and provide limited power. Relying on the government grid can be spotty and expensive. Solar panels are present in many homes however battery storage is limited and the sun does not provide a constant supply of power.

During the rainy season (summer), heat is less of an issue and rain getting into a building becomes the main concern. Because of this, most homes surveyed seem to be built to protect against rain rather than heat.

Without much programmatic space in a home, sometimes people use sheets or curtains to separate a room into two separate areas. A lack of shelving and storage units is also a problem, resulting in cluttered interior spaces since the floor is the only space to hold things.

All observed windows and doors open inwards. This seems to be a vestigial of a once purposeful system, but this design currently occupies usefull interior space.

sun rays

heat

empty school room

typical kitchen

typical bedroom

inward opening window

-7 people (parents + 5 children)-Farmers-Part 1 : 30 year old house -Part 2 : Under construction-15 day build time-Adobe + Plaster (dirt porch)-Tile roof-Hillside/Farm-Mason + Carpenter designed

front

left

under construction

backview from bottom of hill

Santos lives here with his wife and 5 children. as apparent by the plan more space is needed to accomodate them all. He is currently in the process of building an addition to the right of his house, using adobe blocks he is making.

Originally there was no stove in the house. His wife wanted one and built it herself, simply from observing other stoves. It was placed outside simply because there was not enough room in the house.

under construction

under construction

bucket

Case Study 6Santos Cefino Rodriguez

Santa Rosa

wire cutters

Tools When a mason or carpenter is hired, he will bring his own tools, usually a collection of standard devices common in the US. When a community or a brigade is working on a project together, there is a need for a larger quantity and multitude of tools. However, most of the available tools and resources are from the farming trade. Shovel, pickaxe, machete, hammer, spike, hoe, wire cutters, saw, and bucket are some examples of the most common tools.

Since there is such a limited selection of specialized tools, locals have to be creative in completing tasks that are usually done with more advanced materials. A chainsaw can be used to split a piece of lumber. Machetes are good for clearing vegetation and carving wood. Hand saws most often have to be used to cut lumber and metal rebar. Sometimes there are oportunities for community members to have access to power tools but they are in limited supply because of their price and cost for upkeep.

bucketwire cutters

metal rock bar

hoe

hand saw

pickaxe shovelmachete

hammer

sledge hammer

-3 people (parents + daughter) -Farmer/Local shop owner/Community leader-30 years old-2 month build time (porch added later)-Adobe + Plaster (new porch is concrete)-Tile roof with plastic membrane under-Roadside-Owner + Mason designed-Old storeroom converted into “Pulperia El Empalme” (shop)

front

behind coutyard

right

shop

shop

bedroom + bath

living room

kitchen store room

new porch

Don Martin is the wealthiest community member in El Canton. His home is expansive, and he has many uses for it. He converted a store room into a shop, and his back store room is used for kindergarden, because it is the only space available in the community.

the roof is the only one seen with a plastic membrane unter the clay tiles

Case Study 7Don Martin

Santa Rosa

In this exercise children in grades 1-3 were asked to draw their dream house. The goal was to hopefully gather some information, not on the children’s personalities, but more on their exposure to architecture and design. Below are examples of houses drawn by the children of El Canton.

These drawings show the prevalence of the same home type: shingled roofs, lights inside, one room, a door, and two windows (the circles below the roof are lights). This study showed a lack of exposure to outside sources of imagery and design.

Draw your dream house...El Canton

-4 people (mother + 4 kids) -No formal jobs-40 years old-Stick + Mud-Tile + Metal roof-Hillside/Roadside-Extreme poverty

front

left

right

back

view from road

view out front of house

This family has the worst conditions seen. The mother and kids are often displaced by her father when he is in a bad mood. In addition the house is almost falling apart. the main sleeping area is made with mud and sticks, the kitchen has only three partial stick walls.

view of stove in kitchen

Case Study 8Chila Figuetoa

Edge of Santa Rosa

Material Sourcing Materials used in construction are generally gathered locally. Even construction techniques and styles are drawn from local buildings. This makes for inconsistent materials. Two brick factories will make bricks of slightly different size and color, and different terrain may yield better or worse natural resources.

ADOBE BLOCK construction uses free earth from the surrounding area that is compacted and dried onsite by the builder. WOODEN beams, doors, trim, and posts can be found by the builder or bought in a town. Yet, wood bought from a carpenter or store still isn’t precise or treated. So, skilled labor is required to make it weatherproof and to proper dimensions. This leads to many homes having poor wood construction that does not last over time. Most people dont have the resources to buy the wood and will search surrounding forests either legally or illegally to acquire their own. FOUNDATION SYSTEMS require large rocks that can be found in rivers or quarries and are carried or trucked to the site.

CEMENT bags are bought at local “Ferreterias” (hardware stores) and cost about 180 lempiras (~$9) a bag. The bags have to be carried by car/truck to site. The earth and stone aggregates used in concrete mixes are found and dug locally.

RECYCLABLE materials such as tires, plastic bottles, or reused building materials are all free and can be found along roadsides or in rural settings.

CONCRETE aggregates are dug locally from quarries or the hillside and trucked to the site. CMUs are bought locally at hardware stores. STEEL rebar or beams are also bought from Ferreterias and transported to site. Transportation of these elements is especially difficult because of their size and shape.

CLAY BRICKS and TILES are usually made in outdoor factories that compact the earth, dry it, and cook it in large kilns.

Most other component parts like Zinc roofing, doorhandles, locks, or nails are bought at local hardware stores.

rock quarry

brick factory

river rock quarry clay tiles compacted tires

local ferreteria

Sustainable StrategiesMany materials already in use are considered to be sustainable. Adobe blocks, mud mortar, and rock foundations are all made from local and renewable resources, but more efforts are being made to use materials that would usually go to waste. Because garbage is either burned or buried in Honduras there is a great need to reuse tires, bottles, or trash as building materials. These resources are free and utilizing them in construction is much more sustainable than their current state. However, these tools need to be considered carefully in their implementation. Tires are a great tool to replace concrete in a retaining wall, but it must be considered as to how their properties work. While working well at holding earth back laterally, a tire wall fails in comparison to concrete when a downward force is applied.

Not many rural villages are hooked up to the government electricity grid, and even if they are, the power is scattered and only a few homes can afford it. Sometimes a local will own a generator and sell out the power to other community members. Solar technology has recently become more prevalent with the installation of solar panels by NGOs or by community members realizing its effectiveness in a remote location. Solar ovens have also been seen in rural towns. These technologies require some training and initial cost, but they provide a sustainable and sometimes more reliable source of electricity. Electricity is important in rural villages for lighting in dim buildings, power tool use, or to charge a cell phone that most community members own.

TransportationRoad conditions in Honduras are extremely poor. The terrain is mostly mountainous which makes for many winding roads that follow the landscape contours. Landslides are common, especially in the rainy season and account for many roads being washed away. Even near the country’s capital, Tegucigalpa, road repairs are never done effectively or quickly. One patch of road on the way to Tegucigalpa has been “under construction” for over five years. For most of the way to rural towns the roads are not even paved. Four wheel drive trucks are almost a neccessity in these parts. Since hitchiking is commonplace, people riding in the back of a truck will hop out to quickly put rocks under the tires to prevent the car from sliding back down the road. Some villages even become inaccessible during heavy rainfall.

In addition to bad road conditions, cows, horses, people, and other cars crowd the narrow paths that criss-cross the mountains. Night travel becomes especially treacherous with these obstructions and limited lighting. Heavy rains and fog can also decrease the drivers’ field of vision.

Getting materials to these places is challenging. Paying enough money to have the materials delivered is impossible for most rural people. So, materials have to be transported by whatever vehicle the people have access to, which usually is a pick-up truck.

Securing the materials to the vehicle is also an obstacle when oversized parts are needed. Sometimes building a certain type of structure in a remote location is extremely inefficient and this is why local materials are preferred.

While this booklet is in no way comprehensive, it aims to provide detailed research and data on the architectural and building practices in El Paraíso. But in the scope of Honduras as a whole, it only gives a glimpse of the many diverse and colorful building types across the country. There seem to be no common standardized building types or replicated structures. Construction practices are based locally and design techniques are rarely consistent across villages. One way to use this booklet to look at the architecture of Honduras is to consider how people design their homes and facilities. As demonstrated by the children’s exercise, people only know what they have seen around them. Traveling through Honduras gives views into a multitude of designs that reflect various cultures from around the world through building types. Although a lot of the urban design and architecture derives from colonialization and foreign operations, over time adaptation and practices have led to a great spread of diversity and cultural creativity in building practices. This creates an amalgamation of traditions and styles. What is certain, is that, without sufficient education on how the natural systems around us work, and without exposure to imagery and practices from around the world, the people in rural settings will continue to design and build in such a limited scope, copying building types, using outdated utilties, and relying on old materials. Even in the big cities, with such great resources, as of yet people dont respect the work of architects; relying on engineers to desgin their built enviroment. So, It is clear that in these rural settings there lies an immense opportunity for architecture in construction practices, design, urban planning, and spacial reasoning.

view of Tegucigalpa

Rapaco estate

building on the roadsideriver in San Juancitostreet in Teupacentii house near La Tigra park

school in Palo Verde

gazebo in El Canton

shop in Zurzular

Appendix

wood trim, door/window

adobe + plaster

adobe

mud + sticks

concrete floor

smooth concrete

dirt floor

curtain wall seperation

stove/oven

wood post/column

bed

chair

barbed wire fence

toilet

slim CMU

full CMU

brick

adobe block

zinc roof

clay tile roof

bench

foundation

low brush

tree

wood siding

gravel

concretecolumn

Editors :Amber GautamHazel MealyNichole Roxas

Contributing Members :Zach LatimoreChuvy MartinezHazel MealyElliot SchwarzTaylor Scott

Special Thanks to :Case study participantsGlobal Architecture BrigadesChristie GeorgeThe children of El CantonRapaco staffMiguel Oscar PonceDiler (El Commandor)The July 2012 Summer InternsThe municipal government of Teupasenti