Workshop PUCP — ETH Zürich

The archeological complex of Pachacamac is the most important prehispanic center in the Peruvian coast. Sanctuaries were built on top of their predecessors throughout many cultures. The architectural topics are similar: symmetry, hierarchy, long ramps and terraces.

I was particularly attracted to this relation between control mechanisms and architecture. The impact these buildings have while you walk through them varies and intensifies according to your point of view. The Incas used these effects in order to appear powerful and divine to the common folk. This is what I tried to capture in drawings of different ruins of the sanctuary by changing perspectives.

Workshop with ETH Zürich The second part of the studio consisted of a Workshop in collaboration with the Tom Emerson Studio from ETH Zürich. We had two first weeks to define the design of a Pavilion for archeologists and kids and make prototypes through the process. After this period, we had three weeks to build the Pavilion on-site while still defining the final details of it. We split into groups with different tasks; I participated in the ground team, even though we all participated in every team at the end.

My work in this team involved everything from digging the foundations to laying the adobe bricks for the floor once the structure was finished. For the foundations, we decided to dig one-meter-deep conical holes on the ground that we later filled with sand to bury the wooden structure that was inserted into them. The reason for this was the possibility of undiscovered archeological remains under the construction, which demanded superficial and light foundations. The next task was the layout of the adobe bricks that would serve as the ground for the outdoor archeological exhibition. The inspiration for the pattern came out of the weaving of Quincha, a material made from cane and mud that dates from the precolonial era.

This workshop was a great experience to learn from the ETH professors and students and their methodologies, as well as from the ancient architecture of my homeland. The next year after we finished the Pavilion, it was awarded Small Building of the Year by the Dezeen Awards 2019.