Community Health and Development Centre "El Cóndor"
Description
of the Building
The
community building is conceived in the form of a Condor, this being
the most formidable bird of the Andean paramos. It is precisely at 3800
meters near the snows of Mt. Chimborazo, where the Condor has its habitat
and where this project is located.
The architectural design considers the integral health of the community in its three basic elements: mental health, physical health and spiritual health.
The first element, mental health is situated in the tail of the bird which is the community room, a space which can be a classroom as well as a meeting room. A small library can be easily installed there.
The physical health element is to be located in the west wing of the Condor: the community pharmacy and offices for a doctor, dentist and nutritionist. The community is wise in mountain medicine and any health program negotiated with public and/or institutions will respect the indigenous culture. Furniture and equipment for this wing will be contributed by the community and with the support of those institutions active in rural health programs.
The third element is located in the head of the bird. It is the sacred place, reserved for meetings of the community, and as a space of silence, reflection and meditation. The space is circular with steps similar to a small amphitheatre having a fireplace in the beak of the bird. The view from this room is towards Mt. Chimborazo, a sacred place within the Andean religiosity.
The building design is utilitarian in order that it may be used by the Association to operate productive activities from here. The sunniest east wing is for the Women's Handicraft Co-operative for the production and sale of woollen artefacts to tourists (ponchos, sweaters, hats, blankets, etc.). In the central part of the building is space for the administration and a storeroom to keep supplies and animal medicines related to the small production projects.
The two areas of contamination that the use of the building will generate are to be dealt with in the following manner: The washroom will use septic tank toilets. The dye used in colouring the wool produces a waste liquid that will be taken by pipes to the exterior of the building where it will be passed through a tank with charcoal filters and the clean water will be returned then to the watershed via ground filtration.
The climate at this altitude is aggressive with both hot and cold periods in a day. Consequently building materials to be used such as double paned windows and walls made from a dirt and cement mixture will conserve heat. The design and technical direction for the building's construction are being done in co-operation with a local NGO that specialises in low cost housing. Building materials not available in the community will be purchased from this NGO. Outside the building space will be left for parking and gardens. The construction is to begin June 1st, 1997 and is expected to take one year to finish. During the second year the Association will make the necessary requests to local groups for help in furnishing the building.
In the construction of the building the community will contribute qualified and unqualified labour by means of community mingas for the levelling of the ground, the excavation of the foundation, placing the fill and the construction of the walls. Building materials such as stone and sand from a community quarry will be contributed. Two qualified construction workers from the community will be contracted to work under the technical direction of the Architect.
InterConnection
