Of earth, water and wine

The objective of this research is the definition of a strategy of development and enhancement of the rural territory of the Calchaquí valley (northwestern Argentina). The analysis of the pre-existing urban and architectural structures in the territory makes possible to identify the principles of settlement, to define architectural interventions.

The strategic approach aims to integrate the agricultural production along with the sites of heritage interests, generating ecotouristics itineraries and environmental protection. The creation of a viticulture network consents the farmers to create alternative ways of production, in forms of cooperatives which absorbs the costs of each individual producer. The main element proposed is in fact, a wine production pole, besides fulfilling as an industrial function, performs as well as a cultural center to promote and enhance the rural landscape. Payogasta (Department of Cachi) results as the suitable area for developing this intervention. The small village is located along the “Camino del Inca” an ancient traced and is a lead gate for the archeological sites that date back to the Inca period. The system over been a productive pole, is characterized by a series of micro poles. These nodes assume the functions of gathering the produced grapes, simultaneously, can become information centers for the ecotouristics itineraries. The village of Payogasta is the most suitable area for the development of a social winery for several reasons: its accessibility from the main road, the terrain slope that helps in the winemaking process by gravity, the wide uncultivated area that can be occupied by new vineyards and finally the presence of irrigation canals that guarantees the access to water. Therefore, water becomes a valuable resource in the winemaking process and the reason why the route of an irrigation canal is the generating principle of the project. The distribution volume of the building, which allows the movement of people and products, is inserted in correspondence with the canal. This “stick” follows the terrain slope and like a kind of aqueduct, generates the path of the water inside of it. The functions related to the production of the winery are established in three courtyards arranged on three distinct levels of the terrain, each of them is reached by a path generated following the contour lines.