Develar la técnica: Unveiling the Technique: Mutual Aid, Models Plans, and Guides in the Construction of Social Housing in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Building involves unveiling and learning the technique. Architects, engineers, and builders master standardized techniques validated by codes, which allow them to design and build habitable homes, but they cannot guarantee a sense of belonging that only develops over time and with personalization by the inhabitants (Heidegger, 1954, Turner, 1977). This sense of belonging is strengthened if the inhabitants are part of the planning, design, and construction. Historically, many people have built their homes without professional help, based on knowledge transmitted from generation to generation and adapting them to the climate, territory, and their needs, although they do not apply the codes that ensure resistant structures (Rapoport, 1969, Rudofsky, 1964). Economic reasons prevent more than a billion people worldwide from accessing professional support and resorting to self-construction (UN Hábitat, 2006). This research analyzes programs in Puerto Rico that facilitate self-construction through technical training, model plans, and construction guides, evaluating their effectiveness, dissemination, and capacity for replication to reinforce popular knowledge and community support networks. It examines whether the housing units built are adequately integrated with services and common spaces, asking how these programs have contributed to more resilient and sustainable housing and how they can be integrated to benefit communities with limited resources. Methodologies such as literature review, archival searches, and participant observation in field visits reveal that programs such as Ayuda Mutua and Planos Modelos in Puerto Rico sought to guide safe and organized construction. However, they faced challenges such as neighborhood organization, generalization of rules, delay of construction processes, and commodification of housing. The preliminary conclusion highlights the need for residents to reintegrate into the construction process, exploring new techniques and programs such as Habitat for Humanity PR, to ensure safe, sustainable housing and maintain social cohesion in communities.