Lo cotidiano, lo social y lo ritual en la práctica del construir: Aproximaciones desde la arquitectura puneña (Susques, provincia de Jujuy, Argentina)

Construction practices are a fertile field not just to discuss technical issues but also to think about the social world. In this text we propose to consider the constructive dimensions focusing more on the processes of architectural production than in the material results. We will use the material emerged in the fieldwork we have been developing since 2004 in the town of Susques in the highlands north of Argentina. First we will describe the general characteristics of a constructive logic which relies on the use of earth techniques. On a second point we will reflect on the subjectivity of the different builders in the framework of shared rules. Then we will describe how building is established as an everyday practice rather than sporadic, and how the knowledge on the subject is widely spread in the whole population. Finally, we will cover briefly the different rituals that go through the process of building a house to show how technical, social and symbolic are deeply embedded.