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Panama Project #1… SUCCESS!

USC Architecture Brigades just returned from the completion of our first Panamanian development project after a successful and thrilling experience. This project for the community of Granja San Jose Arriba, has been an ongoing effort since our initial visit in August 2009. Since then we have been designing and preparing construction drawings for the “Rancho,” (the equivalent of a farmhouse that includes: a meeting space, crop solar drying room, kitchen, bedroom, silo room and storage space) and wind walls, a site strategy to disperse wind and protect their crops from extreme weather. After finalizing our materials our group of fourteen flew down to Panama on January 3^rd for a 7 day excursion. Landing in Panama City we left immediately for the site, stopping only in the town of Santiago for a quick nap. Then after awakening we were off again to finish the journey with 2 hours of off-roading in pickup trucks. Once reaching the site we set right to work by demolishing their old, decaying rancho. Over the next 4 days we would replace it with a brand new wooden framed structure that includes much more facilities and a greater capacity.

The next 5 days of construction were exhausting and intense, but very rewarding. During that time everyone stayed at the house of Andreas Diaz, the president of the farm. While a little cramped at times it was overall a pleasant experience, allowing us to enjoy some prime star-gazing (no electrical lights to ruin it) and a slightly temperamental, yet refreshing shower. Once we arrived, most of the foundation had been poured, a good amount of the wood had been delivered (the local chainsaw expert cuts trees to size and then carries them on an hour journey from the mountains), and the series of wind walls had been completed. The entire build was a team effort, while some people finished foundations, others were erecting columns, and still others were working on the rock wall. Although we did suffer some setbacks, such as a delay in important wood pieces (which allowed us to take a waterfall hike/swim as construction halted) and the breakdown of our truck, we were still able to finish the majority of the structure. Over the course of the week we erected columns, put up all the trusses, laid flooring, finished the roof sheathing and began the final roofing layer. We also finished half-height rock and CMU walls (a valiant effort, that came with its own frustrating moments), and ended up learning as much from the community, as they did from us. After a final speech, via translator of course, we began the journey back to Panama City on the day before our departure. Returning to modern comforts, we enjoyed an amazing dinner, celebrated a birthday, and even dabbled in the Panamanian nightlife, all of which was that much better given our accomplishment.

Visuals... 2nd Expedition

Design Drawings

Visuals...Expedition Numero Uno

An Epic Panamanian Adventure

We just completed our first trip to Panama this summer. From August 9th-16th a group of nine of us flew to Panama City and then made our way to Granja San Jose Arriba, a farming cooperative in Gatu, Veraguas. Over the course of the trip we accomplished a lot and had a great time doing it. For a week we stayed with one of the families and got to experience real Panamanian life. They were super-hospitable keeping all of us for the week, feeding us, and providing ridiculous amounts of fresh fruit and coffee. Over the course of the stay we began an infrastructural development project for the community farm. In the past years their farm has been devastated by the strong winds of changing weather patterns. This has greatly affected their livelihood as sustenance farmers, and poses a yearly threat. Through the construction of a wind-solution to prevent crop destruction as well as a rancho (solar crop-drying area, crop storage, silo, meeting space, kitchen, bedroom and tool shed) with necessary facilities and increased capacity we will help the families achieve financial stability and create future opportunity. After thoroughly exploring the site, hours of conversation with the families and a few coffee-fueled late nights we were able to finalize a design. It incorporates a short-term and long-term wind-solution, which will prevent crop devastation and loss, and a new facility that will help to improve the farm’s profitability, creating a long-term investment in the future of their community. During the site visit we also engaged in a few construction activities. We competed in a block making workshop, helped to construct a latrine, and built a preliminary solar-drying facility. While there we also got to experience everything from Jungle hikes to swimming in waterfalls, and of course the occasional snake. After a great experience, we began the intense off-road journey to the main road and headed back to Panama City. After exploring Panama City everyone returned safely to the US. And now we begin the next part of the project - the construction phase.

Interested in joining, helping out, or networking… contact us at uscarchitecturebrigades@gmail.com

Fundraising Phase!

Currently we are choosing between different available projects in Panama; these range from designing the buildings for an agricultural tourism business to full scale redevelopment of a community that has been destroyed by flooding. Otherwise we are putting most of our energy into fundraising for our first research trip to Panama. The trip, which is scheduled for August 9th - 16th, will send 11 students to survey the project site and meet the community members we will be working with. During this time we will be conducting extensive research on the site's climate, landscape, and tectonics. It will also allow us to acquaint ourselves with local construction materials and methods. We will then work out preliminary design ideas and assess the community and ecological impact of our intervention.

Please help us reach our goal and make a difference!

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