Temazcal – Traditional steam sauna
ATTENTION: THIS PROJECT IS THE RESULT OF A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS BETWEEN CTRL+Z AND DIFFERENT AGENTS. FOR A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING, I INVITE YOU TO LEARN ABOUT THE OTHER SUBJECTS DIRECTLY INVOLVED: CAJA ESFÉRICA (CANCÚN), SUSTAINABLE WORLD FOUNDATION (MONTERREY), NOT JUST STRAW (MASSANES).
During my stay in Mexico, I had the opportunity to come into contact with the Mundo Sustentable Foundation, which promotes culture and environmental education for sustainability and the green economy, opening “holistic centers” for the integral development of communities with particular attention to the development of indigenous peoples.
One of the centers is located in San Miguel de Bustamante, a town of Tlaxcalan heritage, which despite being located between two deserts has 180,000 walnut trees. This is possible thanks to a unique microclimate allowed by the numerous springs found in the canyon and the droughts that flow from there through the town. This very particular climatic situation allows the presence of different types of plant species, including numerous medicinal plants.
Carlos Gómez Flores, director of the Foundation and chronicler of the municipality of Bustamante, invited me, along with Manuel Rodríguez, with whom he was collaborating in Saltillo on a cooperation project, to visit the town on the occasion of some alternative medicine conferences. One of the objectives was to give our opinion on the situation of the holistic center, located in an old building and whose roof had suffered serious damage.
Carlos Gómez Flores, director of the Foundation and chronicler of the municipality of Bustamante, invited me, along with Manuel Rodríguez, with whom he was collaborating in Saltillo on a cooperation project, to visit the town on the occasion of some alternative medicine conferences. One of the objectives was to give our opinion on the situation of the holistic center, located in an old building and whose roof had suffered serious damage.
During the conversations of those days, Carlos's intention arose to give up his house, which has a large garden crossed by a drought, to university institutions for the development of educational programs in the town and the intention to build a Temazcal in that place, an indigenous ritual sauna of aromatic herb steam (from the Nahuatl temazcalli, "house of steam", from temaz "steam" and calli "house").
The mayor of Bustamante, Oscar Garcia, was immediately interested and offered his support for the initiative. Thus began the adventure of building a straw temazcal in Bustamante.
Thanks to the synergy with the different activities we were planning in the area, and the support of the foundation, we were able to count on Michele Pecoraro to compile the project remotely and direct the workshop, and on David Juárez as an expert assembler. In the weeks prior to the workshop, Manuel was in constant contact with Michele, with the shaman Lorena and with Enriqueta Santos from the Bustamante municipality, who with her efficiency proved to be a fundamental piece throughout the process.
The workshop was organised over two weekends to allow the first, thicker layers of clay to dry on the intervening days. Thanks to the teamwork, we had all the necessary materials available on arrival to begin construction, which the local population joined in large numbers.
Many of the inhabitants were familiar with the principles of the technique, before the construction of blocks began, in the village they built with adobe walls and concrete roofs. The village teacher Doña Bertha organized shifts with the school children to decorate the temazcal with traditional figures, a task in which she was supported by Pedro.
Technically, the foundation is made up of used tires filled with earth, on which a used reinforced tarpaulin (from the old municipal elections) has been laid, to protect the bales and the structure from possible humidity. The structure is a geodesic structure assembled from perforated metal plates, and it was a point to be able to rely on David's experience.
Technically, the foundation is made up of used tires filled with earth, on which a used reinforced tarpaulin (from the old municipal elections) has been laid, to protect the bales and the structure from possible humidity. The structure is a geodesic structure assembled from perforated metal plates, and it was a point to be able to rely on David's experience.
The bales of straw were placed on top of it, forming the door and the “coyote window”, also made with tires and protected with local reeds. The mud was laid in various layers, from the thickest to fill the holes to the thinnest. Curiously, Michele commented that the clay from the same site, the same one that had to be extracted to prepare the hole, was one of the best he had the opportunity to work with.
The workshop was organised over two weekends to allow the first, thicker layers of clay to dry on the intervening days. Thanks to the teamwork, we had all the necessary materials available on arrival to begin construction, which the local population joined in large numbers.
Many of the inhabitants were familiar with the principles of the technique, before the construction of blocks began, in the village they built with adobe walls and concrete roofs. The village teacher Doña Bertha organized shifts with the school children to decorate the temazcal with traditional figures, a task in which she was supported by Pedro.
Technically, the foundation is made up of used tires filled with earth, on which a used reinforced tarpaulin (from the old municipal elections) has been laid, to protect the bales and the structure from possible humidity. The structure is a geodesic structure assembled from perforated metal plates, and it was a point to be able to rely on David's experience.
The bales of straw were placed on top of it, forming the door and the “coyote window”, also made with tires and protected with local reeds. The mud was laid in various layers, from the thickest to fill the holes to the thinnest. Curiously, Michele commented that the clay from the same site, the same one that had to be extracted to prepare the hole, was one of the best he had the opportunity to work with.
Our stay was made more enjoyable by being able to visit the main tourist attractions: the Bustamante caves, famous throughout Mexico, the Bustamante Canyon and the Ojo de Agua de San Lorenzo, where Carlos was kind enough to accompany us at dawn to bathe as is tradition. However, thanks to the kindness and generosity of the people, we were able to experience the gastronomy inherited from the first inhabitants of the region, the famous bakery based on walnut bread, goat, and also Mezcal, of which Bustamante is a renowned producer.
During the workshop, many people came and were interested in straw construction and the geodesic system, and we tried to advise them. We are looking forward to photos of the results.
Upon completion of construction we were invited to take part in the inauguration and commissioning of the Temazcal, an unforgettable experience.
During the workshop, many people came and were interested in straw construction and the geodesic system, and we tried to advise them. We are looking forward to photos of the results.
Upon completion of construction we were invited to take part in the inauguration and commissioning of the Temazcal, an unforgettable experience.
He then reported a text by Manuel Rodríguez Peinado of Caja Esferica, for more information about the project see also the page of NotOnlyStraw
Do you have Temazcal?
A temazcal, “house of steam” or tamazcalli in Nahuatl, is a semi-spherical enclosure used for steam baths that the Mesoamerican indigenous people used in a ritual and collective manner. Through a small entrance, participants and the grandmothers enter almost crawling – selected stones that are red hot and used to create aromatic vapors by throwing water perfumed with herbs on them.
Entering a lunar temazcal is an experience similar to accessing the womb of Mother Earth. Narrowness, absence of light and being at a lower level than the ground, provide sensations of humidity, blindness, smells and everything that is intended with this ritual. During it, you can feel the company of the community even if you cannot distinguish anyone in absolute darkness and other times, you feel alone, being accompanied by voices that surround you.
The Sustainable World Foundation, in an effort to keep ancient traditions alive that coexist with our current way of life in a manner that is in harmony with the environment, promoted this project at the end of 2010 with the help of 4 architects based in Spain who were developing a cultural center in the nearby city of Saltillo, with the support of the municipal government of Bustamante, Nuevo León, Mexico.
The starting conditions for the project were:
– Quick construction (4 days), simple and economical.
– Work with the maximum amount of recycled or zero-kilometer materials.
– Carry out the work through an open and participatory training workshop, which would result in the transfer of knowledge that was easy to apply by laymen in the field. The practice was accompanied by theoretical classes prior to the start of each day.
The starting conditions for the project were:
– Quick construction (4 days), simple and economical.
– Work with the maximum amount of recycled or zero-kilometer materials.
– Carry out the work through an open and participatory training workshop, which would result in the transfer of knowledge that was easy to apply by laymen in the field. The practice was accompanied by theoretical classes prior to the start of each day.
A construction system was chosen that consisted of straw bales plastered with layers of clay with a high clay content, on a frequency 4 geodesic dome structure, made up of 4mm thick metal plates screwed together.
The mud and the bales of straw act as a living, transpiring skin. Given that the outer layer is exposed to the elements and the straw can get wet on the inside, transpiration, the sun and the respiration of both will do the drying work.
The use of straw and mud as building materials is not new and new trends are bringing it back as a system that provides buildings with enormous thermal insulation and is easy to install, so that in self-construction, it can be a real alternative for the unskilled or little skilled. Other advantages, such as the high fire resistance of pressed straw walls plastered with mud (tested in a laboratory) are making the current regulations in some European countries give the general public the possibility of building their homes with these materials.
Carlos Gómez Flores, director of the Foundation and chronicler of the municipality of Bustamante, invited me, along with Manuel Rodríguez, with whom he was collaborating in Saltillo on a cooperation project, to visit the town on the occasion of some alternative medicine conferences. One of the objectives was to give our opinion on the situation of the holistic center, located in an old building and whose roof had suffered serious damage.
