#2 VERNACULAR VOICES - Yana Garipova

Workshop "Arquitectura Maya", Becal, Mexico - August 2025

Taller&Patrimoine is, above all, a community of people driven by the same curiosity for traditional know-how. For this second edition of Vernacular Voices, we share the testimony of Yana, who joined us for two different stages of our project.

Her journey began in Bécal during the Architecture Maya Workshop, where she gained hands-on experience with earth construction and traditional tools. Later, she joined our conferences and workshops during the Festival de l'Arquitectura Tradicional to learn more about the cultural and spiritual context of these techniques.

Through her reflections, Yana speaks about the practical reality of the work, the spirit of cooperation she found in the Yucatan, and how this experience has shaped her own projects for sustainable living.

Yana folding the Huano leaves

"I have found Taller de Arquitectura Maya on ArchDaily, and it was the perfect adventure! Not only did I learn the mud skills needed for my future eco-village, but I also acquired inspiration and the sense of encouragement to pursue my architectural goals. 

This trip made me realize that my dreams of independent, sustainable living are much closer than I thought. We do not need a lot to get started:  a machete, a shovel, a bike cart, some rope, and a couple of friends (the hardest one). I am now a fan of the empowering side of vernacular architecture that teaches us not to be afraid of our fantasies and to create great things with less.

Another encouragement I gained from this workshop is to level up my survival skills. I could adapt to getting ready quickly (my sister would not believe), waking up early for sweaty hard work, and making peace with muddy hands. Now there are even fewer obstacles towards achieving my dreams, and I can say things like "let's camp for a week while searching for land" or "let's travel with a bike camper".

The third encouragement comes from the Mayan culture's spiritual approach to Architecture: we are not just making a building, we are making a place where friends gather, where life happens, where we are reminded that we are part of the cosmos around us. This architecture is meaningful (almost ritualistic) and healing. I would like to take this spirituality into my architectural purpose as well. 

The best discovery about Yucatan is that it is full of the warmest people on Earth. The locals were extremely kind, curious, thoughtful, and loving. Huge thanks to Regina for showing me her Merida and sharing her perspectives on life in Mexico. I would like to say a special THANK YOU to everyone who supported me when I needed help. I promise it is not very characteristic of me to lose things, but this trip, it happened a few times, and it was lifesaving to have kind people around. Huge thanks to the other volunteers, who, even though we did not always speak the same language, made their best effort to communicate with me and teach me.

I loved active learning, and I loved getting to know the true Maya."

Yana’s story is a great example of how learning vernacular techniques can lead to personal empowerment. From the physical work in Bécal to the insights gained during the Festival, she shows us that traditional architecture is not just about the past, but a very practical way to build a more independent future.

A sincere thank you to Yana for her energy and for sharing her journey with us. We are happy to have been a part of her learning process and wish her the best for her future eco-village.