Rethinking Housing in the Face of Natural Disasters
The future of housing is often linked to the concept of smart cities and increasingly industrialised construction methods. However, when a hurricane, earthquake, or flood devastates a home, many reconstruction initiatives tend to rely on the market, turning to construction companies and standard housing models that remain unchanged despite varying climates, communities, and lifestyles. In contrast, Cooperación Comunitaria adopts a different approach.
Since its inception in 2012, this Mexican organisation has been dedicated to supporting rural and indigenous communities in their efforts to rebuild their homes and enhance their safety. Founded on principles of architecture and civil engineering, the organisation emerged from a concern over the loss of traditional housing, which was being increasingly replaced by structures made from industrialised materials. Over time, their focus has also shifted to address climate-related events.
“We found ourselves needing to work on comprehensive risk management due to the increasing intensity and frequency of natural phenomena. This requires building structures that are not only resilient in a construction sense but also sustainable in terms of productivity and environmental impact,” explains Isadora Hastings García, architect and general coordinator of Cooperación Comunitaria, during an interview.
Community Resilience After Hurricane Otis
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Otis in 2023, this method of community engagement arrived in Cacahuatepec, a rural area in Acapulco, Guerrero. Residents returned to utilising familiar materials that had fallen out of favour, such as adobe, wood, tiles, and bajareque—a traditional technique that employs earth over a framework of branches or reeds. This revival was facilitated through existing local organisational structures, including assemblies, community tours, and collective work.
This situation unfolds in a country where many have already been forced to leave their homes due to disasters. The first National Diagnosis on Internal Displacement Caused by Climate Change and Disasters in Mexico identified over a million displacements between 2013 and 2023, predominantly linked to hurricanes, floods, and storms.
A family may find itself compelled to relocate not only due to destroyed or severely damaged homes but also because of lost crops, employment, access to water, or essential spaces for cooking and child-rearing. The ability to remain in one’s home hinges on the capacity to maintain daily life post-emergency.
Exploring Local Building Techniques
Cacahuatepec contrasts sharply with the tourist-centric image of Acapulco, characterised by dirt roads, small farms, and houses spaced apart amidst hills and lush vegetation near the Papagayo River. After Otis, Cooperación Comunitaria continued reconstruction efforts across 24 localities within the Agrarian Core.
The hurricane uprooted roofs, saturated adobe walls, and destroyed crops, exposing pre-existing vulnerabilities. For instance, despite their proximity to the river, many families relied on community wells for daily water needs and lacked adequate sanitation facilities. Women often spent up to five hours daily fetching water.
In the aftermath of the 2017 earthquakes, which resulted in extensive damage across several central and southern states, the Fideicomiso Fuerza México initiated the reconstruction of nearly 5,000 single-family homes through private developers. Families were provided with support cards to purchase homes from builders or foundations, pay for repairs, or undertake reconstruction independently with technical assistance. Unfortunately, many ended up with basic single-storey houses comprising two small rooms, a living area, a kitchen, and a bathroom—structures built with inexpensive materials and delivered as finished products under a “turnkey” model.
The Impact of Standardised Housing Models
In municipalities such as Unión Hidalgo and Juchitán in Oaxaca, which were severely impacted by the 2017 earthquakes, the reconstruction model resulted in homes that were largely indistinguishable from one another. These houses, as noted in the diagnosis, were poorly suited to the region’s heat, humidity, heavy rainfall, and seismic activity, ultimately leading to a decline in traditional construction practices.
Hastings recalls that in 2017, the available support was primarily for purchasing industrial materials from suppliers. In order to construct using natural and locally sourced materials, Cooperación Comunitaria had to explore alternative avenues and supplement resources with donations.
The issue has become even more apparent in recent reconstruction projects, where families sometimes receive direct financial aid without technical support, often directing funds toward industrial material usage. “In places like Acapulco, this presents significant challenges, as concrete blocks and metal roofs become excessively hot,” Hastings asserts.
Reviving Traditional Materials in Cacahuatepec
When Hurricane Otis struck Cacahuatepec, remnants of adobe homes dating back up to 70 years still stood. While some residents had knowledge of this traditional building method, few had employed it for new constructions. In the wake of the hurricane, adobe re-emerged as a viable option, now reinforced to withstand wind, rain, humidity, and seismic activity.
In the newly built homes, adobe was combined with stone foundations, buttresses, wooden structural reinforcements, columns, earthen finishes, and tiled roofs. These familiar elements were applied with enhanced care to improve resilience. Hastings recalls a family’s reaction upon entering one of their new homes, exclaiming, “it’s much cooler.” In a hot area like Cacahuatepec, where temperatures soar to 39 degrees Celsius, this reinforced material provided far better living conditions.
Community-Centric Reconstruction Processes
The reconstruction of kitchens was a significant aspect of the project. In many rural homes, kitchens are often separated from living spaces. The assessment revealed that this area suffered some of the most severe damage from Otis, prompting the organisation to enhance these facilities while incorporating energy-efficient stoves.
In addition to adobe, the organisation revived the bajareque technique and experimented with adobillo, a mixed construction method that combines wood with small blocks of raw earth and straw. Hastings notes that some women preferred using adobillos as they were lighter and easier to transport than traditional adobe bricks. “We adapt the system according to what communities desire,” she explains.
Collaborative Decision-Making in Reconstruction
Before determining what to construct, Cooperación Comunitaria engages in community assemblies. The organisation utilises community maps, asks about past experiences with hurricanes, inspects damaged homes, and assesses how spaces are utilised. They then present this information back to the community for review and to facilitate prioritisation of reconstruction needs.
In Cacahuatepec, this process began with house-to-house visits, which helped identify homes at greater risk, families requiring kitchen facilities, potential contributors to the construction efforts, and available local materials.
This approach requires time; it can take about a year from diagnosis to design, organisation, and post-evaluation. Actual construction typically lasts between three to four months, but understanding the extent of the damage, the reasons behind it, and each family’s living conditions is crucial.
Adapting to Continuous Challenges
Community involvement remains integral throughout the construction process, as residents learn about reinforcement techniques, maintenance of materials, and collaborative organisation for building their homes. In Cacahuatepec, this approach had to be flexible, especially after multiple hurricanes struck in quick succession, each leaving different damages that necessitated ongoing reassessment of priorities.
For Hastings, a secure home can significantly enhance a family’s chances of remaining in their community. Risks vary depending on the location of a house, as residing near a river differs significantly from living on a hillside or building on stable ground versus an area prone to landslides. This perspective has led the organisation to extend its focus beyond mere housing.
Comprehensive Risk Management and Community Sustainability
In Guerrero’s mountainous regions, the organisation has had to relocate homes within the same community due to high-risk areas. This work has included reforestation efforts, crop recovery, and the implementation of energy-efficient stoves to reduce reliance on firewood from forests.
Over time, this approach has evolved into a strategy for responding to increasingly frequent emergencies. Hastings explains that comprehensive risk management involves “creating structures that are resilient not just in terms of construction, but also in their productivity and environmental impact” to withstand both natural and socio-natural threats.
For Cooperación Comunitaria, constructing a house is merely one aspect of the broader process. The organisation considers the location, the inhabitants, and their long-term care needs. The objective is to mitigate housing vulnerability and strengthen community resilience. Quick reconstruction is insufficient if families remain exposed to the same risks posed by increasingly frequent and intense climatic phenomena.