PUNTA DE MATA

1997

Estado Monagas

Prototype of a house with oil-related waste

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In 1997, Carolina and her team left one semester to live in a slum at “Punta de Mata”, an oil city. Their goal was to replace the precarious “rancho” housing of the poorest family in town for more-efficient housing facilities. Their creative approach included the use of oil-related waste to build the facilities as well as experimenting with new materials, such as soil and concrete to build blocks. This led to an interaction with various local communities; teaching them constructive techniques and motivating them to build their own houses with elements they could reuse, recycle or find locally.