Local and Healthy Shelter by the Community for the Community

These fotos were produced by Craig Mackintosh of the Permaculture Research Institute. You can see his work here.

The work is now underway in el manzano, with the foundations being put in in the last few days using available and affordable local materials and innovative simple construction techniques.

Although nothing new, this is a reminder that the do-it-yourself attitude is a basic foundation of Chileno society....we are resilient and we will resist. The el manzano community shows its strength as it gathers around Don miguel in the construction of his new home. The team from the permaculture research institute chile demonstrate their leadership and show a mode of development that is cleaner, greener, and more inclusive. You can get involved, join our living university and invest in the design of human settlements.

Here you can see the work of the Permaculture design and construction team Jose Carrión, Angel Carillo, Santiago Naudon, Isaac Suarez and local maestros Tonyo, Torano, Juan and co. 

To see more photos of the construction process visit us here.

El Manzano is currently working on the resilience of its own people, to install systems for water, food and shelter that meet everyone's basic needs. The construiction project is proudly supported by the Artists Project Earth, the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia, the Transition Network, Holmgren Design Services and Gaia University.

The community is forming a living model of participatory planning for local resilience as a example that can be widely replicated in the earthquake affected regions of Chile, throughout Latin America and around the world in other communities seeking to respond to systemic crises. Stay tuned for more updates as this project comes of age.