In July 2001, we arrived in Peru equipped with Western construction ideals—concrete, bricks, and rigid structures. However, nature provided an immediate, sobering reality check. An 8.4-magnitude earthquake struck Arequipa, leaving the city’s iconic cathedral in ruins and demonstrating the vulnerability of modern materials to Andean seismic activity.
This presentation documents a shift in perspective: from imported technology to the enduring wisdom of low-tech, earthquake-proof methods. Between July and August 2001, we designed, built and delivered a kindergarten building in Yanque, Valle de Colca, under the guidance of Marcelo Berolatti, an Arequipa-based architect returning to his birthplace.
Under Berolatti's supervision, we experienced a construction process that prioritizes local materials and flexible structural integrity over the brittleness of modern masonry. What follows is a technical account of building for resilience in one of the most seismically active regions on Earth.
Please check the presentation here: link
