The Ruka Mapuche: Clues for a sustainable architecture in southern Chile?

Abstract

Due to its adaption to climate and the use of local materials, indigenous architecture can provide clues of how to improve the sustainability of contemporary architecture. In Chile the most well known surviving indigenous architecture is the Mapuche ruka. For centuries the ruka has formed an important part of the cultural identity of the Mapuche people. However there exists little relationship between the ruka and contemporary construction. Research by the authors has shown that the ruka’s internal environmental comfort is compromised by the use of open hearths for space heating with no chimney. However the materials used in their construction are 100% natural, locally sourced and biodegradable. This paper presents examples of contemporary architecture inspired by rukas and questions how the use of local materials and the concept of temporality, fundamental to the Mapuche world vision, might provide valuable clues for a new sustainable architecture for rural southern central Chile. two largest ethnics groups, the Mapuche and the Aymara, and the indigenous population of Easter Island the Rapa Nui (MOP 2003). These guides are however generally only consulted for projects specifically designed for the indigenous population and have little impact on contemporary architecture. According to the latest census 11% of the Chilean population identify themselves as pertaining to an indigenous tribe, of which 84% are Mapuche and 6% Aymara (INE 2013).