Local seismic culture in Latin America

This article analyses some of the main Latin American vernacular architecture strategies in order to address the effects of earthquakes, which are widespread among the region. Most of this constructive knowledge results from the legacy of pre-Columbian indigenous cultures generated from ancestral processes of trial and error, which was combined withWestern building work, brought by European conquerors from the sixteenth century. Among the preventive measures in vernacular construction, one important aspect is finding ways to face earthquakes from the joints and flexibility of structures, instead of establishing a rigid opposition against telluric forces. Building components of plant origin such as wood, canes and ropes are used to reinforce masonry and therefore, control movements between structural parts.