Transformation and innovation of knowledge in the construction and sustainable function of housing in the town of San Juan Chamula

Abstract

San Juan Chamula, Chiapas, is one of the most representative cultures of the original peoples of Mexico. The municipal capital is composed of three main neighborhoods which are San Juan, San Pedro and San Sebastian. The main objective of this work was to investigate the determining factors for the transformation and innovation of knowledge systems in the construction and sustainable function of houses located in San Juan Chamula. To achieve the objective we adhered to the ethnographic methodology and to the qualitative and quantitative approaches, whose data collection techniques consisted of direct and indirect interviews, observations and field trips, aided by field diary, use of tape recorder and camera. The results obtained indicate that the materials used for construction are straw, adobe, bajareque and others of organic origin, that is, natural elements that Mother Earth provides and that the inhabitants have within their reach for their use.
According to the Chamula cosmovision, the house has played functions for rest and shelter, it was considered a sacred place; when building it, ceremonies and offerings were carried out to placate any displeasure of the guardians of Mother Earth, since it was considered that nature had life, and to avoid any misfortune among family members, it was necessary to offer music, songs and special dishes to feed the house and the Earth, so they would have harmony and wellbeing. However, Chamula housing has gone through three different stages of transition that framed the history from 1940 to 1970, 1980 to 2000 and 2000 to 2022. It can be observed that, from 1990 onwards, the constructions were made of industrialized materials such as bricks, block and cement. Today, the architectural knowledge and construction know-how of the first transition period has been innovated due to international migration and other factors.
In addition, with the return of chamulas who reside in the United States, the way of building and the functionality of the houses changed, and there is a lack of architectural knowledge, so that the traditional architecture only remains in the community elders. Currently, the builders of the new chamula houses send remittances from abroad or sometimes they build them themselves, and opt for a foreign architecture of Californian influence and technique. The two to three-story structures, made of cement and block, with quite high volumes of wood, iron, tinted glass, large windows and doors, with the luxurious appearance of a mansion, are a sign of a new way of living and of relating to nature.