CONTEXT Chamanga is a fisherpeople town located on the Cojimíes River Estuary, in Esmeraldas, a predominantly Afro-Ecuadorian and historically underserved province in coastal Ecuador. After the April 2016 earthquake severely damaged 80% of their buildings, the majority of chamangueñxs migrated farther inland. The disaster not only threw Chamanga in a situation of social and physical transition, but also deepened the historical inequalities that have put 100% of Chamanga’s population below the poverty line.

Since 2009, local organization Opción Más runs cultural programs for children and youth, focused on strengthening Afro-Ecuadorian and Montubio cultural identity and heritage in music, dance and poetry. However, the earthquake destroyed the house they ran their programs in.

The Chamanga Cultural Center is the result of a long-term collaboration between the community of Chamanga, academia and civil society organizations.

PROCESS: MINGA AND DESIGN/BUILD The project was organized in two phases within a design/build framework, where students design, plan and build in collaboration with local community, professionals and professors.