Architectural Strategies for Displacement in Latin America

An article by Daniela Andino on ArchDaily examines how architecture responds to displacement across Latin America, highlighting five case studies. In Ecuador, after a 2016 7.8 earthquake, AL BORDE and El Sindicato Arquitectura designed a post-earthquake rural housing prototype using a plywood seismic-resistant modular frame with local materials like cane and bahareque. In Chile, following 2024 wildfires in Valparaíso, ELEMENTAL developed a prefabricated building in Viña del Mar that stacks four single-story homes vertically into a medium-density steel module structure. In São Paulo, Boldarini Arquitetos Associados created Residencial Alexandre Mackenzie to resettle families from the risky favela Nova Jaguaré, introducing a new urban fabric with blocks, passages, and collective spaces. In Brazil's Belo Monte hydroelectric project, Collective Urban Resettlements (RUCs) relocated riverine communities into standardized units, disrupting ties to the river and subsistence networks. In Pereira, Colombia, Ruta 4 Taller de Arquitectura built Casa Ensamble Chacarrá using a lightweight guadua (bamboo) frame and recycled materials, serving as a participatory community space for displaced families. The article argues that displacement requires varied architectural responses—from construction systems to urban planning—depending on the cause and context.