AOA cooperates with the reconstruction of the Robinson Crusoe island

Casa Robinson Crusoe

A little over three months after the earthquake and tsunami that affected the Chilean south, a project promoted by the Municipality of Lo Barnechea and the Asociación de Oficinas de Arquitectos (AOA) will allow building new housing units in this legendary island, together with designing a master plan that will substantially improve the quality of living of its inhabitants.

A total of sixty-eight 42 square meter houses, manufactured in wood, located in the high zones, and expandable to 90 square meters with the option of building a room for tourists, will be built for the inhabitants of Robinson Crusoe, an island in the south of Chile that was one of the most affected by the earthquake and tsunami suffered by this country last February.

The new housing units, the construction of which will start in August, were decided by the inhabitants themselves, who chose among seven alternatives developed by professionals of the Asociación de Oficinas de Arquitectos (AOA), an organization that has worked in the reconstruction jointly with the Municipality of Lo Barnechea.

“We are very happy with the work we’ve been able to carry out for the island”, explained Patrick Turner, president of the AOA. “In addition, we appreciate the cooperation provided by all of the island’s inhabitants and authorities, which has allowed us to develop a plan that could eventually be replicated in other affected areas of the country”, he added.

The new housing units, which were presented at the end of May, are framed within a reconstruction plan that involves complete urban renovation, including 120 boxes for fishermen, carpentry, and restaurants , a public space and green area system, and a seaside promenade expressly requested by the islanders.

“Thanks to this plan”, explained Turner, “the island’s inhabitants will no longer depend exclusively on fishing, but the island will become an international level tourist attraction”.

Robinson Crusoe island is part of the Juan Fernández archipielago, located in the South Pacific, at a distance of more than 670 kilometers from the American continent. Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk, who served as inspiration for the Robinson Crusoe novel, was shipwrecked in this island early in the 18th Century. In 1977, the island was declared a World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve site by the UNESCO.