Brochure Ecocamp Patagonia

The basic premise on designing the EcoCamp was to maintain the nomadic spirit of the ancient inhabitants that moved along the dismembered coast looking for food and shelter. This people lived in harmony with “Mother Nature” and built their huts out of wood, furs and leathers, all organic materials they found on site.

In Patagonia, from Golfo de Penas to the Strait of Magellan, these natives were called Kawesqar or Alacalufes, sadly nowadays the few remaining pure blood Alacalufes are no more than 10 and live in the remote village of Puerto Eden.
Kawesqar people built their huts on a geodesic shape bending branches and covering the structure with guanaco and sea lion skins. When whale hunters and marines established bases on their domains they abandoned their traditional ways of shelter and adopted new materials
and construction patterns.

Patagonia EcoCamp design was inspired on the traditional Kawesqar hut resembling and igloo and a dome at the same time. The instinctive engineering ability of the Kawesqar can be easily understood these days. The semi-hemispherical structure of the EcoCamp domes is formed by a number of isosceles triangles that provides uniform distribution of the stress caused by severe wind loads. Wind speed in Patagonia often surpasses 160-180km per hour which makes traditional straight and flat walls extremely vulnerable if the structure is meant to be light. Other significant aspect is that rounded bodies minimize the external surface in contact with the cold environment allowing less exchange of temperature with the warm interiors. Finally, semi-hemisphere gave Kawesqars the maximum internal space in relation to the surface they had to cover with valuable and sometimes scarce animal skins.

Patagonia EcoCamp is a tribute to Kawesqar dwellings and way of life. Should you be interested in more information please visit: www.kawesqar.uchile.cl

Patterns for Designing:

The main concepts that we kept on mind when designing the EcoCamp were the followings:

• To be exposed to nature as in a camp tent but with the comfort and sophistication of a four stars hotel;
• Design and build interfering as little as possible with the environment. Our hotel is not meant to be seen. We are not interested on advertising our EcoCamp on site;
• Take advantage of the sight. EcoCamp gives sight to the Torres del Paine granite pillars right from the dinning room and from many dormitory domes;
• We feel to be innovative so it should be our design;
• The nomadic spirit should be brought alive, let's make the hotel portable, so when we move very little tracks of our previous existence on site will be left;
• We should allow the terrain to recover after each season, let's the grass grow, the animals graze, the sun shines and the wind blow all over the place. We remove the domes each winter.
• The wind is an active part of Patagonia, we want our guests to experience it, so the canvas that covers the domes will react to the wind. You will be perfectly comfortable on bed but aware that nature is outside knocking at the door;
• The skies in Patagonia can be spectacular at nights, let's allow our guest to fall asleep looking at the stars above;
• Days in Patagonia are long from 5:30AM to 11PM and the best light for photographs is at dusk and down. The domes let the light flood the interior warning you that day is on. Grab your camera and get out to catch the first lights striking the mountains;
• We came this far to be outdoors, let's make the indoor's amenities as little as possible;
• Our maximum capacity will be 56 guests so the feeling of intimacy, the idea of being in a Nomadic convoy will be kept even if the EcoCamp is full.