The La Grieta Pavilion, the result of an academic and construction conception, was created to explore architecture as a practice involving collaboration and experience. The main focus of the pavilion lies in sustainability, the perception of materials, and the interaction between light, time, and space. This project was conceived in partnership with WEYES Studio and executed together with CEDIM architecture students, serving both as a built piece and as a pedagogical exercise that united design, construction, and ecological awareness through direct contact with material elements.
The construction utilized the Interlocking Wood Block (BME) system, a construction method based on wooden blocks that follows the precepts of renewable and sustainable architecture. The forest resources used came from the Sierra de Durango, sourced from responsible management, reflecting Habiteo's philosophy of conscious construction, characterized by being light, adaptable, and ecologically responsible. In addition to its technical merit, this material provided students with the opportunity to assimilate alternative construction logics that reduce carbon emissions while creating welcoming and habitable environments.
An intensive three-week workshop integrated theoretical and practical knowledge, conducted entirely by the students under the supervision of professors and collaborators. Initially, participants learned about construction tools, architectural documentation, regulatory standards, and site management procedures, alongside studying the constructive logic of the BME system. Direct contact with the material facilitated the rapid development of an intuitive notion of assembly, precision, and construction order.
On the construction site, the students were responsible for all stages of the building: demarcation, leveling, excavation, foundation, concreting, and the sequential assembly of approximately 3,000 wooden blocks. This process reinforced the need to transform architectural design into built reality, allowing them to understand the link between design choices, material limitations, and the precision required in construction. The joint effort also highlighted the relevance of cooperation in architecture, as the students organized and recognized the individual competencies of the team, ranging from technical expertise and spatial vision to physical execution and general coordination.
Conceived as a spatial experience aimed at contemplation, La Grieta investigates the intangible qualities of architecture through the use of darkness, luminosity, and the passage of time. The pavilion adopts the form of a dark volume cut by a narrow fissure, the 'slit' (grieta), whose position was meticulously defined after solar studies to capture the movement of light throughout the day. As the light breaks into the space, it gradually covers the wooden surfaces, generating variable atmospheres and sensory experiences in continuous metamorphosis. Each visit to the pavilion becomes unique, depending on the moment, the time of year, and individual perception.
Internally, the pavilion acts as a labyrinthine passage between twilight and clarity. The project encourages distancing from external distractions and reconnecting with primary spatial sensations: shadow, texture, silence, scale, and the inherent warmth of the material itself. Through this controlled interaction between enclosure and light entry, the pavilion establishes itself as an instrument of self-awareness and meditation.
Pabellón La Grieta transcended the status of a mere temporary structure. It functioned as a platform for collective learning, demonstrating how sustainable construction, experimentation with materials, and collaborative practice can influence not only architecture but also how future generations of architects understand their responsibility towards society and the environment.
