Building Continuity in Central America: Architectural Practice Inspired by the Regional Vernacular

Abstract

This essay reviews 25 years of contemporary practice by the architect Marie Andreé Soundy Escobar, rooted in Central America’s vernacular traditions. Drawing on personal and professional experience, she argues that the erosion of millennia-old building knowledge, replaced by standardized modernist models, has led to a loss of cultural identity, environmental responsiveness, and urban cohesion across the region. Through a series of projects built and proposed in Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica, her work demonstrates how traditional principles—such as climate-responsive design, use of local materials, and established urban types—can inform innovative architectural solutions. By reestablishing vernacular continuity, contemporary practice can foster sustainability, cultural identity, and resilient urbanism across Central America.