Community library in the Ecuadorian Amazon values ancestral knowledge, local materials, and coexistence

Listening to the community and designing with them were fundamental premises throughout the entire project of the Yuyarina Pacha Community Library (which, in Kichwa, means "Time-Space to Think"), created by the architects of the Al Borde studio in Quito, Ecuador: David Barragán, Pascual Gangotena, Maríaluisa Borja, and Esteban Benavides. The project arose from the need for a library space and the expansion of a reading club for children, created years earlier by the Sarawarmi Creative Laboratory and the agricultural association Witoca, to serve the population of Huaticocha. The community, located around the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon region, knew that the space would be much more than a place to read books and play. Above all, it was a place that would strengthen the community in its own development, reflecting a culture that maintains a friendly relationship with the place it lives. "When we got to know the community, through architect Ana María Durán, a professor at Yale School of Architecture and a researcher of the Amazon, we engaged in a participatory process at all stages of the project, with total inclusion of the community," says architect David Barragán from Al Borde studio. It was in this way that the chonta, a type of Amazonian palm known for its incredible durability and resilience, was chosen to make up the main structure of the project, which is divided into three floors. "The material is used in vernacular houses in the region and, in this way, the architecture could rescue the pragmatic value of local ancestral practices, adapting them to contemporary needs," comments Barragán.

According to him, the community is the one that best understands its own resources and how to take advantage of them. "Ultimately, the most valuable aspect of participatory design is precisely this: to establish a connection where everyone can contribute their knowledge and break traditional hierarchies," argues the architect.

A program made by many hands

In the 186 m² building, the ground floor is open and hosts art and science workshops involving the use of water, plastic materials, food, and other materials, in addition to serving as a space for informal events of the association and other spontaneous gatherings – something that was perceived by the architects as a local demand. On the first floor, open shelves house the bibliographic collections. The floor is also used for assemblies and other activities of the association. Finally, on the second floor are digital language equipment, such as tablets and computers with audio collections of stories that aim to safeguard the oral memory of the community. The space also houses a collection of magazines, which can be enjoyed at a reading table connected to the central void on the second floor. The thatched roof, characterized by its steep slope, responds to the rainy climate of the region and features a glass skylight at the ridge, which provides zenithal lighting and facilitates the construction and maintenance of the project, as this is the most complex part of a thatched roof, requiring more care and maintenance.

Architecture to face the climate crisis

For the architects of Al Borde, there are two main approaches for humanity to combat the challenges we see today on the planet: highly technological solutions or local responses. "We align ourselves with the second perspective, convinced that the construction of a more sustainable future lies in solutions connected to the territory and ancestral knowledge, especially in our country, where technological solutions tend to be very expensive," says David Barragán. "But also because these solutions with local roots are always conceived with common sense, ecological balance, and respectful inclusion of human beings,” he adds. The community library received the IBRAMEM Award for Architecture and Design in Wood 2025. The construction integrates the Agroforestry Hub of the Amazon, a larger project for local development, social innovation, and environmental conservation, funded by the Re:Arc Institute and presented this year at the Venice Architecture Biennale.