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Casa De La Cultura, Arte y Paz, Jacobo Arenas
San José del Guaviare, Colombia
image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Location:
San José del Guaviare, Colombia
Category:
meeting place
Phase:
under construction
Updated:
3 March 2023
La Casa De La Cultura, Arte y Paz Jacobo Arenas is the materialization of a community's dream. In 2020, three community organizations formulated this project that aimed to build the first cultural house in rural Guaviare. A place that contributes to the process of reincorporation, territorial rootedness and the construction of historical memory, social fabric and peace through art and culture.
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Introduction
Six years ago, the implementation of the Peace Agreement signed between the Colombian government and the FARC was initiated. One of the most crucial points is the process of reincorporation of peace signatories to prevent the resurgence of new cycles of violence. Throughout the country, 26 points were installed, now called Former Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation (AETCR). Former combatants and their families live here, and since then, the families have grown considerably.
In the AETCR of the Colinas village, in the municipality of San José del Guaviare, there are about 500 people, of which approximately 150 are children and adolescents. However, the scarce supply of spaces for education, recreation, and support for the population, especially for young people, shows the lack of protection and vulnerability in which they find themselves.
The Raíces de mi Tierra Foundation initiated a folkloric dance program, which has carried the banner of using the body as a message of peace and reconciliation, which has not only impacted the AETCR, but also the communities in neighboring villages. In the year 2020, the Foundation joined forces with two community organizations, formed by signatories of Peace, recognizing the importance of this cultural initiative and the lack of an adequate physical space for dance, art, culture, education, and the encounter of communities. Thus arose the initiative to build the House of Culture, Art and Peace, as a place of reconciliation.
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Impact
Along with the construction of the first phase of the house, an arts school was held in which more than 100 people from different villages participated. During the training processes, in addition to strengthening their artistic expressions, they had the opportunity to create bonds of trust and establish a dialogue around common interests such as identity, memory, territory and the need to keep this space alive and sustain the artistic and cultural processes through community management. In this sense, in the long term, the Cultural House will be the place where these relationships are woven and strengthened and where art and culture live. This space will have its doors open to more than 1500 people from nearby villages.

The House contributes to the implementation of the Peace Agreements, which demonstrates the willingness of the people in the reincorporation process, their organizations and the community to implement actions for the common good. This contributes to reduce stigmas, create articulations between leaderships and increase the confidence of the communities. It also allows to carry out in the villages a wide cultural offer that generates scenarios of education and reconciliation through art and culture, as a tool for peace building and memory. Enabling young people, women, boys, girls and all people to access these cultural and training rights, improve their quality of life, generate opportunities, especially for young people to leave violent environments and promote the development of communities.
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Core team
In 2020, the Jaime Pardo Leal Cooperative, the Jaime Pardo Leal Women's Association and the Raíces de Mi Tierra Cultural and Folkloric Foundation (three community organizations made up mainly of peace signatories) joined forces to formulate a cultural initiative in their community to build peace in the territory. They applied for the project "Reincorporation, reconciliation and strengthening of the social fabric through culture, art and communication in the village of Las Colinas in the municipality of San José del Guaviare" to the call for community initiatives of the United Nations Multi-Donor Peacebuilding Fund -MPTF-, which was approved in October of that year.

From there, the organizations worked with other entities to strengthen the project and to count on the support of professionals in all its stages. For the design and construction of the Cultural House, an agreement was made with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the Universidad del Valle, who led an architecture competition for students, graduates and professors at the universities. Thirty-two groups participated and as part of the jury, the community actively participated in the selection of the winning design, which was made by a group of students, professors, and alumni of the Universidad del Valle. In the two initial stages of the project, an exchange of knowledge and techniques took place between designers, construction technicians and the community, who participated in the design and construction, discovering a sense of belonging.
The community of Colinas on the completion of phase 1 of construction

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Image gallery
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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We call this hall THE NEW AMAZON UMBRAL, the connection between the urban and the rural.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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The enclosures of the classrooms are sliding and folding wooden doors.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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This is a multipurpose space. The classrooms open up and allow the auditorium room to have more capacity.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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PARTICIPATIVE DESIGN

image: Colectivo Notipaz, voz de la Amazonía | © all rights reserved
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The community actively participated in the construction of La Casa Cultural.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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In the space where La Casa Cultural is now being built, cultural and artistic activities were already taking place.

image: Colectivo Notipaz | © all rights reserved
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The entire community participated in the tile painting application.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Dancing is one of the main artistic activities that take place in the Colinas neighborhood.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Sinker drilling

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Arrival of the block at the construction site

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Technical drawings
Planta Arquitectónica

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Secciones arquitectónicas

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Fachadas arquitectónicas

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Secciones longitudinales

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Secciones transversales

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Corte de detalle

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Corte de detalle 2

image: Equipo de diseño | © all rights reserved
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Render vista aérea. Teatrino al aire libre

image: Alexis Gonzales | © all rights reserved
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Render Hall de los arboles

image: Alexis Gonzales | © all rights reserved
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Render vista aerea Casa Cultural

image: Alexis Gonzales | © all rights reserved
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Help bring our project to life!

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Help bring our project to life!
Where are we now
Two construction phases have been carried out so far. The first phase consisted mainly of reinforcing the existing structure (footings and metal pillars), as well as structural masonry enclosures and partitions and plumbing installations. 

For the second phase, it was decided to prepare part of the electrical installations, install doors, toilets and sinks in the bathrooms and move forward with the wooden enclosures of the classrooms. 
An indication of our team’s capacity:
50% funding already raised
80% expertise already found
50% materials / equipment already found
50% builders already found
Finance: € 23,800
Although we have been able to make progress in the construction of La Casa Cultural, there are still important activities to be carried out. Activities such as finishing the wooden enclosures, finishing the electrical installations, starting the painting of the walls, finishing the installation of floors, mainly in the classrooms, and building the outdoor spaces and the landscaping that was designed.
  • madera
4,200
  • Enchape de pisos
2,000
  • Instalaciones eléctricas
3,000
  • Aplique de pintura en muros
1,000
  • Terminar baños
600
  • Exteriores (Urbanismo Paisajismo)
1,000
  • Contratación mano de obra
10,000
  • Transporte de materiales
1,000
  • Herramientas y equipo
1,000
Skills: Planning & Management, Technique, Design
Due to the location of La Casa Cultural, efficient planning and resource management is necessary. In addition, it is also important that an architect remains in the area to ensure that the designs are executed in the best way possible. On the other hand, it is vital that people with carpentry experience are involved in the construction, as has been done in the previous phases.
Carpintero durante el reforzamiento estructural con madera

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Stuff: Equipment & tools, Materials
Wood and metal are the predominant materials in La Casa Cultural, so it would be of great help to receive donations of these. On the other hand, color in the house will also be one of its most important characteristics, so it would be of great help to receive paint donations.

 
El color en La Casa Cultural es esencial.

image: Gustavo Barco | © all rights reserved
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Help bring our project to life!
Location
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