M.A Architect Maria Jose Chiriboga

Aims and expectations

Through this platform, I hope to connect with practitioners, educators, and organizations working in earth and natural material construction, and to find opportunities for collaboration on future design-build projects with a strong social and ecological focus.

I'm looking to exchange knowledge on participatory building processes, learn from other DesignBuild experiences around the world, and share insights from projects I've been part of. I'm especially interested in initiatives that combine sustainable construction with community involvement, and would welcome the chance to contribute to or join projects where these values are central.

Short CV

Ecuadorian architect (M.A. in Architecture, Hochschule München) with over a decade of experience combining architectural design, natural material construction (earth, wood, bamboo), and participatory design-build processes across Europe, Latin America, and Ecuador.

Technical focus and natural construction:

Her path shows a growing specialization in bio-construction, starting with volunteer work at bamboo workshops (IMBAR, Ecuador, 2015) and continuing through bioarchitecture training in Brazil and Mexico, up to her current role developing housing projects using earth and timber systems in Germany. This is backed by advanced technical education, including the CAS ETH Zürich in Regenerative Materials, funded through a Ricola Foundation scholarship, along with hands-on site experience applying earth plaster and natural finishes.

Design-Build

Her strongest experience in this methodology comes from the Kultur und Ökologie Zentrum Quiané project (Oaxaca, Mexico, 2019–2021), where she combined participatory planning with the local community and direct on-site construction work. The project won the Fritz-Höger Award (2020) and was a finalist at the Quito Architecture Biennial. The process was documented in two publications released by Hochschule München.

Own projects and social commitment:

She co-founded initiatives connecting architecture, sustainability, and social development: SOLA e.V. (earth-timber construction systems, Germany) and AYAN (organic vanilla and fair trade with rural women, Ecuador, selected for the GIZ/BID program). She also led a construction project with women in Ecuador as part of GIZ's diaspora expert program.