Social and Cultural Project: Centro Comunitario, growing meeting spaces for Tropical Rainforest Communities
This community center is part of a global relocation initiative for two indigenous communities in the Panama Rainforest, which also includes the design of three housing typologies, a school, and a community center for each settlement. Designing in the humid tropical rainforest and under such specific conditions posed a significant challenge. The focus was on finding solutions that are culturally acceptable, climatically effective, and functional for the community’s needs. This community center is an integral part of a broader effort to improve the quality of life for a community with a life expectancy of only 25 years.
Key principles in the community center design
The design was based on five key principles:
- Visual privacy and ventilation in classrooms: Classrooms needed to offer visual privacy while allowing for cross ventilation, essential in a tropical climate.
- Covered play areas: The design needed to include covered spaces where children could play, given the limitations imposed by intense sun, heavy tropical rains, and high temperatures.
- Flexibility and adaptability: The design had to accommodate the community’s rapid growth and provide an expandable, self-managed solution for the school.
- Logistics for material transport and construction: Due to the remote location, materials and construction methods had to be easily transportable and buildable by a small team.
- Local materials: The project prioritized simple, familiar, and locally available materials to reduce costs and facilitate construction.
Design solutions: Ventilation, play areas, and modular growth
To achieve privacy and ventilation, the classrooms were designed with louvered wooden paneling, allowing air to flow while blocking visibility. The roof was separated from the walls, ensuring continuous air circulation and encouraging cross ventilation.
The covered play areas and flexibility were addressed through a modular design. Each classroom is a modular unit measuring 7×7 meters, with a roof structure that extends 3 meters around the classroom to create covered play areas. The roof is rotated 30º, creating a distinction between narrower spaces for circulation and wider areas for play. These modules can be interlocked, sharing outer pillars and having roofs at different levels, enabling the infinite growth of the community center while ensuring wide, covered play areas around each classroom.
Materials and construction logistics
Due to the site’s remote location, the logistics of transport and materials were crucial. The structure was designed with treated wood, guaranteed for 25 years, and the roofs were made of zinc sheets. Initially, the walls were planned to be built using compacted earth, but due to the soil composition, cement blocks were used instead. The flooring was made with rustic ceramic tiles.
Final result: A versatile and adaptable community center
The result is a community center with fluid spaces, adaptable to the natural topography, and capable of expanding over time. This modular design not only guarantees flexibility and functionality but also respects the cultural and climatic needs of the community, promoting a sustainable and durable environment in the tropical rainforest.