La vivienda en los pueblos jóvenes de Arequipa y Trujillo: creación de una nueva tipología regional

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this article is to make a comparative exploration of the new urban landscape of two traditional peruvian towns: Arequipa y Trujillo. Such common traits as the mediocre organization of urban space within the pueblos jóvenes, and the intensive use of local construction materials will be examined. We will study in depth the different types of housing and construction solutions: the house with patio, constructed of sillar and stone (Arequipa), and the house with corridor of adobe (Trujillo). Starting with analyses of diverse habitat models, use of interior spaces and constructions stages, we will point out different strategies for the creation of new urban typologies. In Arequipa, the consolidation process of the house may be observed, in which a rural spatial organization is being replaced by an urban model. In Trujillo, however, consolidation of the housing style does not necessarily imply a modification of the typology; rather, one sees the substitution of artisanal materials by industrial ones and the progressive occupation of the lot by the construction. We will also examine how the national market of construction materials conditions an apparent regionalism or traditionalism. An attempt will be made to interpret the similarities and divergences of the two cities, and the cultural elements involved in the process of the formation of a self-constructed urban habitat. Finally, without minimizing the economic and social burden inherent in a frustrated urban organization and a bad state of existing structures, we believe there is great potential for recovering some original solutions from among the spontaneous replies given by the migrant populations for their problems of housing and adaptation to a new environment.