Issues addressed: Empowerment, Local Identity, Women, Economic Development, Environmental Sustainability

Summary: The social structure of the village San Jeronimo Tecoatl in the Mazateca Alta resembles that of a large family. The families live in a strong community and support each other in raising children and preparing meals. Agriculture, mainly the cultivation of coffee crops, vegetables and fruits, is the main income source, however, due to the rising import rate of food, paid work positions are getting lost resulting in residents migrating to the North in the search for paid work. As a result, the cooperative NAXII (`big piece of stone` in mazateco) was founded in 1999 as a base of empowerment and economic growth for local women. Over the years, local women gained the respect and acceptance in the village and the region, even in official community councils. They managed to generate a new source of income by running a cybercafe and a food conservation manufactory in a small 2-story village house. Furthermore they are highly motivated to pass on their practical and theoretical knowledge through organized workshops. The building project itself created a common identity for the women in a rural context.

Team: CoCoon (sector for contextual construction): Ursula Hartig, Nina Pawlicki; Fachgebiet Landschaftsbau/Objektbau, Prof. Cordula Loidl-Reisch, TU Berlin: Simon Colwill; Fachgebiet Tragwerksentwurf und -konstruktion, Prof. Dr. Klaus Rueckert: Daniel Weinhold; Students: Philipp Mueller, Stella Goldmann, Karoline Fahl, David Eder, Philip Kempfer, Gabriel Spera, Kareen Feldhoff, Armin Schropp, Katharina Laekamp, Christian Neumann, Franziska Kreft, Jessica Schulze, Jan Roesler, Mara Schultze, Emmanuel Laux, Sofia Ceylan, Annika Falkstedt, Florian Zwangsleitner, Monica Lamela, Alberto Sanchez, Lucia Pasquali, Marbet Salazar Bernal, Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Polo, Andrea Olvera Villa, Sebastian Gnaedig Avila; Organizacion de Mujeres Unidas Naxii, Client; Graciela Garcia Reyes, President; CAMPO, Partner; Cesar Morales Rodriguez, President; UNAM students: Marbet Salazar Bernal, Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Polo, Andrea Olvera Villa, Sebastian Gnaedig Avila; Nils Dallmann, Architect; Ana Laura Felix, Architect; Hilfswerk der deutschen Lions, Funder; DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service, Private donors

Jury Review: A beautiful building and effective, respectful cross-continental collaboration between the women of NAXII and TU-Berlin to use a surplus local resource into an empowering economic product. Relationship between design students and local residents by having them hosted by families.