Vernacular transformations: Change and continuity in the local architectures of the Argentinian Highlands

Abstract

This article analyzes the architecture currently being developed in the Puna area of Jujuy Province, Argentina based on a case study carried out in Coranzulí. This highland zone has historically been a largely pastoral territory of high mobility that is associated not only with productivity, but also with a particular way of conceptualizing space and architecture, which is mainly created using different earthen construction techniques. The progressive urbanization of the area throughout the twentieth century has meant major changes in the ways of life of local populations and also in technical and architectural terms. This research seeks to investigate the way in which these architectures produced by different local actors relate to, negotiate with and challenge those which come from hegemonic spheres, in order to reflect on the notion of the vernacular.