Del saber ancestral al diseño contemporáneo

Abstract

This research project examines the self-construction practices of the Emberá Katío Eyabida community in Urrao, Antioquia, by developing a comprehensive understanding of the physical-cultural landscape and its relationship to sustainability. Using a qualitative approach grounded in architectural ethnography, the study conducted differentiated participatory workshops with various age groups, complemented by interviews and direct observation. The findings reveal that community spatial representations, including drawings, sketches, and diagrams, constitute landscape constructs that integrate housing, activities, and territory, highlighting complementary perspectives between children and adults. Additionally, ancestral knowledge associated with self-construction practices and the use of local materials was identified as an active strategy for ecological adaptation and social cohesion. As a result, the study proposes a flexible, replicable, self-build collective space prototype that integrates ancestral knowledge with passive bioclimatic strategies. This proposal provides a transferable methodological framework that can be adapted to other rural and Indigenous contexts.