Green Building Design as a Mechanism to Strengthen Resilient and Sustainable Communities: The Case of the Churches and the Stilt Houses, Chiloé Chile

Abstract

This research aims to explore how strengthening Green Building Design initiatives can facilitate the development of resilient and sustainable communities. The case study selected is the route of the 16 churches declared a UNESCO heritage site and the Pedro Montt axis, which have the main Chiloé stilt houses, since (1) both churches and stilt houses are built in wood, (2) both types of construction are part of the vernacular architectural heritage of the place, (3) they are resilient structures, and (4) the construction of the churches and stilt houses is a crucial element in the development of sustainable and resilient communities. The methodology starts with the constructive analysis of both cases. It ends with a cadaster of the geographical location of the 16 churches along the island, together with the two main axes of stilt houses in the city of Castro. The results indicate that using native wood as a flagship material adapted to the environment responds to the needs of a humid and rainy climate in a sustainable way. The improvement in the use of wood by the vernacular Chiloé communities allowed the development of complex techniques such as the herringbone box or stake pillars. We conclude that the development of Green Building Design facilitates the development of resilient and sustainable communities, as observed in the case of the Chiloé neighborhoods with their churches and stilt houses that make up vernacular architecture.