It pleases to me to present here in the forum, a small sample of the work of one of the most important architects who have produced my country in the last years. I refer to Edward Rojas an architect of my generation and that – I´m proud to say- was my appreciated classmate in the Valparaíso faculty.

Nobody could have imagined in those years that that colored and skinny young man, arrived from the mining, and arid region of the North would later become an exemplary architect, who rescued the vernacular architecture of the austral island of Chiloé, condemned to disappear in a badly understood progress, and that he put in value and recycled with much ability, until the point to establish the bases of a new architecture, very respectful of context, local constructive skills and customs; but at the same time very contemporary.

Rojas graduated architect in 1977 at Universidad de Chile, and almost at the same time established himself in Chiloé, a great island that constitutes a whole province in the far South of Chile . The island, was one of the last bastions of the Spanish conquest in America. It remained under the trusteeship of the crown, still many years after the independence of Chile, and by his isolation, created a singular culture, mixing by equal parts an archaic hispanism and the native culture.

Chilote (Chiloé people) feels almost an a foreigner within Chile, different from the rest of the country. So hard it is its cultural identity, related to agriculture, and mainly to everything what has to do with the sea. Chilote is fundamentally a farmer who lives and makes his life next to the sea.

Being a rich lumber zone, the island created from early a form of architecture of ingenious carpentry, with joints, turnings, and coatings of wooden shingles.

Of that singularity Rojas was impregnated , and after passing through a naive stage simply recovering a kind of architecture that began to disappear, soon, step to synthesize the most valuable and lasting elements, and gave to his work a high flight, seating the bases of a new regional, valid and important architecture.

In the image, Dalcahue regional product fair, one of the first works Rojas made in Chiloe with his partner Renato Vivaldi

To contextualize his work, we start showing other images of the island traditional architecture.

This was the first important residential project , the notary home.

An example of his naive regionalist period. Still ith many formal resources of traditional architecture

A group of 5 homes in Cauquiles de Necón (1990). Shows a more mature work

The Ricardo Idini Home in Necón (1990)

This was an old abandoned shed, was transformed into hotel, employing windows and doors obtained from demolitions. It is the beginning of his evolved stage.
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Built in Castro (1988) Projet made in collaboration with Ivania Goles, it serves as logement for young students from different points of the island. It is a great space covered with wood shingles. The entrance is defined by two steel sheet covered towers that serves as view ponts. Challenging color begins to apear as an important element.

Another view

another view

This was one of the first public buidings (1977) Now is the town hall.

Travelling information:
Chiloe island is about 1000 km South from Santiago de Chile. You must go first to
Puerto Montt town by bus or airplane. Travel by bus take about 12 hours, by plane take 2 hours or less. From Puerto Montt to the island you must board the ferry. trip takes about two hours.
Ticket prices
Santiago to Puerto Montt by bus 100 US$
Santiago to Puerto Montt by plane 160 US$
Puerto Mont to Castro by Ferry 30 US$
Main cities in the island like Ancud and Castro have very nice tiny hotels at very affordable prices all over the year. High season is between Decmber- february.
Other months of the year has very rainy weather.
Food is cheap and very atractive by his seafood. Really great.

Juan Carlos

This is an excellent example of what this forum can do, introduce us to designers we are unfamiliar with and conceptualize our own ideas within the experiences, the outlook and opinions of others. For your time and effort, for your wish to share what you deem valuable and praiseworthy, thank you.

Rojas is both a very stubborn and a very brave man, willing to foregoe the "star" status available in the larger cities of his fatherland, "patria" in it's latin derived spanish expression, and pursue a career within the context of a very isolated and idiosyncratic region, one bereft of many building materials and possibly with very little money to invest, to preserve and rebuild.

The subtle introduction of contemporary spaces within a traditional context is time consuming; most of us wouldn't be patient enough to attempt it. Yet we see from your pictures that he has built, and continues to build his work.

This is extraordinary.

Keep up the desire and will to continue sharing the things you treasure, we will be all the wiser for it.

Con un saludo y un abrazo estrecho, apretado, de gusto y admiración

With a word of greeting and close and tight hug, given with 'gusto' and admiration.

Juan

This is the position of Ancud town, the main in Chiloe island

PS: Para Juan Gómez Vélez : Gracias hermano por las amables palabras que siempre tienes para con mis modestas colaboraciones. No me sorprende porque es una característica de nuestras raíces hispanas que compartimos.
Juan Carlos

Thank you Jcruiz!

I've been there 10 years ago and am a great admirer of his work.

Thanks also for the google earth reference!

Nice post... Thanks