Rural architecture and montuvio memory: a case study of the traditional houses of Canuto, Chone (Manabí, Ecuador)

Abstract

Vernacular architecture constitutes a material expression of the social, productive, and cultural dynamics of rural territories and represents a fundamental part of the architectural heritage of local communities. In the Ecuadorian coastal region, traditional montuvio dwellings reflect particular ways of inhabiting associated with productive practices, environmental conditions, and construction knowledge transmitted across generations. This study analyzes traditional houses in the parish of Canuto through the characterization of their urban, architectural, and expressive components. Based on the analysis of five case studies, spatial, constructive, and functional patterns are identified, revealing a typological logic characteristic of montuvio vernacular ar-chitecture. The findings show that traditional dwellings integrate domestic and productive functions within a socio-spatial system closely connected to territory and community dynamics. In this sense, the study contributes to the understanding of vernacular architecture in the Ecuadorian coastal region by demonstrating that these houses constitute the architectural expression of sociocultural practices linked to montuvio identity.