Architecture & Sustainable Construction in Rural Ecuador

Overall, I'm very grateful for my time in El Terrano. The program worked closely with the community, allowing you to really experience Ecuador and the local culture. It's clear that the program is aimed to give back to the community and help to improve the live's of those living there. Joshua was super supportive of the other interns and I. He closely listens to your goals, while also being able to offer you suggestions on what could make your involvement even more exciting. Joshua helped to organize multiple trips into the local community, outside of Atandahua, which enriched my entire trip even more. I got to work closely with various professionals, and after working on so many hypothetical projects in school, this brought a certain level of realistically to the project and made everything even more interesting. The man we worked to design a cabin for during my 6 weeks there, was super sweet and humble, which really made you want to do good work and create a good design. There's a wide variety of activities you can do on the weekends in your spare time, which gave a nice balance of work to pleasure, and the opportunity to explore the rest of Ecuador. I'm super happy with my experience and would honestly recommend it to anyone interested in traveling and doing work like this.

Over the summer I spent 10 weeks in Ecuador, immersing myself within the vibrant culture and appreciating the magnificently distinct way of life. The time I spent in the modest village of Atandahua was incredible, everything from the landscapes, food, fashion, architecture and traditions were all so wonderfully unfamiliar to me. I came to Ecuador exited to understand the different architectural practices, (and hopefully return with a tan), but the vast amount of knowledge and respect I gained about this fascinating indigenous culture was invaluable. Coming from a "resort family", I was quite unsure about the idea of travelling to South America but, the constant guidance and support from Joshua ensured my stay was one I'll never forget, and I can confidently say, I don’t think I could've had a richer experience. Whether you travel every weekend, or stay in Quilico the entire stay, you cannot escape the remarkable customs and depth of culture within the country. Now, after returning home and reflecting on my time in Ecuador I'm filled with a sense of dissatisfaction, this trip gave me a taste of a warm and caring community and opened my eyes to the beauty of a humble lifestyle. In regard to the internship, I was wonderfully surprised with the variety of learning I was doing. From desk-based research to site visits, experimenting with materials, meeting and talking to professionals and even a week-long trip around Ecuador. This comprehensive learning strategy gave me such a valuable insight to how the vernacular architecture in Ecuador works and how these sustainable practises could be implemented in the UK and wider Europe to achieve a greener future. Adobe construction may not be directly applicable into the urban context but the experience I gathered working to deadlines, conversing with a client, adjusting my design in accordance with specific perimeters and exploring numerous bioclimatic strategies was invaluable. Weekends spent exploring the diverse towns, cities and villages Ecuador has to offer were incredible. The wide range of landscapes made each weekend feel like a different holiday and guaranteed a consistently enjoyable experience. After all, "Ecuador has the most diverse landscape per km² in the world. In just one hour you could be at the peak of the Andes mountains at Chimborazo, or the depths of the subtropics in Chazojuan"- which I'm sure Joshua can attest to. I was pleasantly surprised to learn I wasn’t just getting guidance with my internship, any places that I was interested in exploring whilst staying in Quilico, Joshua promptly took note, researched it, reached out to the appropriate people and drafted an extensive itinerary with times, locations, phone numbers, and even his personal recommendations. He so determined to give us the best experience possible and was always happy to help with any concerns or questions I may have had. The ethos of this organisation is something quite remarkable and sadly lost in western society. El Terreno is a cultural centre run by a selfless pair of humanitarians, centred around its mission of replenishing "vibrant and prosperous communities" under the pressures of increasing urbanisation and migration. The relationship established when joining Joshua and Karina was affectionate and welcoming. They went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt comfortable and valued in their home. This personal connection created encouraged a more collaborative atmosphere making the work feel even more meaningful. Finally, the dynamic of all interns, volunteers and associates coming together to share, learn and work in harmony to achieve a collective goal of bettering a community was really inspiring. I am so incredibly grateful to both Joshua, Karina and everyone involved for giving me the opportunity to experience this beautiful country.

I really liked the mix of languages, cultural knowledge but also the constant help from Joshua from administration questions to more specific topics as cultures, architecture (in my case), history or local politics. I felt like I could ask whatever question I had and always got the help I needed :)