KarunaNews Story

In April 2016, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Muisne, 110 miles from Quito, Ecuador, and destroyed an estimated 7,000 structures. In the wake of the devastation, there was a need for easy-to-transport housing that was also easy to assemble, particularly in rural areas. In response, El Sindicato Arquitectura started experimenting with prefabricated housing, and they created a prototype that people could replicate with materials they had nearby. Since that first foray into prefabrication, the Quito-based practice has developed a number of like-minded projects, including a tiny home that can be fixed to the rooftop of apartment buildings, a carpentry workshop the studio says is rooted in the principles of prefabrication, and, most recently, a 260-square-foot cabin that adds an accommodation to a family’s farm.