Between March and June 2026, the PSSI team visited Pamplona Alta in San Juan de Miraflores (Lima) to study how residents adapt their homes to harsh local conditions.
Working together with our main partner Habitat for Humanity (Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter) and TECHO, our team conducted household interviews in selected self-built houses.
During these visits, we observed the major physical and environmental challenges families face every day:
Difficult Terrain: Families often have to do heavy earthwork to level steep slopes before building.
Structural & Seismic Risk: In a high seismic zone, households make step-by-step efforts to build proper footings and concrete columns to make their homes safer.
Climate Challenges: Residents deal with high indoor humidity, winter drizzle (garúa), and extreme daily temperatures.
Lack of Basic Services: Many homes still lack direct access to water, sewage, and other basic infrastructure.
These field interviews allow us to understand how residents cope with these combined risks. By capturing these real-world conditions, we can design passive solutions that respond directly to local needs.
