Exploring Bolivia's Middle-Class Housing: A Local Perspective

The typical middle-class house in Bolivia is influenced by the country's diverse cultural and historical context, including indigenous traditions, colonial architecture, and modern developments. Bolivia's middle class encompasses a range of occupations, from truck drivers and merchants to professionals and business owners, reflecting the country's economic growth in sectors like commerce, services, mining, and agriculture. The country's architectural landscape is diverse, with Spanish Colonial and neo-Colonial styles prevalent in cities like Sucre, Potosí, and Cochabamba, while modern architecture is also present in major cities.

Spanish Colonial architecture

In Bolivia, the Spanish colonial style of architecture can be seen in the cities of Sucre, Potosí and Cochabamba, where even today there are entire towns of colonial architecture. The most predominant style of architecture in Bolivia is Spanish Colonial, with slight variations as people adapt their homes to the climate of each region. Colonial-style homes are typical of the towns and cities settled by the Spanish Conquistadors, who replicated their construction style throughout the South American colonies.

Colonial Bolivian houses are built in a rectangular fashion with an open patio or courtyard in the middle, around which all the rooms are built. Covered walkways with roofs held up by columns or posts allow people to walk around the house without getting wet when it rains. Sometimes the homes have two patios: one in the front, some with water fountains and fruit trees, used as a reception area for guests and for resting in the afternoons, and one in the back used for storage, to corral animals, and for servant’s quarters.

Most colonial Bolivian houses were made with adobe (mud mixed with straw) walls, although sometimes they were made of stone. The adobe walls were covered with plaster, and the roofs almost always had red clay roofing tiles or shingles made from cooked mud. Sometimes the roofs had ceramic shingles, although this wasn’t the norm. Many roofs were covered with straw or other materials native to the area.

The Spanish and their descendants appreciated simplicity, so these houses are not usually decorated very much. This can also be seen in their furniture, which was heavy and solid and made of straight lines, without many carvings or applications.

Indigenous construction in the Andean highlands

In the central valleys, the Spanish influenced the construction style, and adobe walls with clay tile roofs became common. The Tarabuco ethnic group of Chuquisaca, for example, typically build small one or two-room houses with adobe walls, tiny windows, and medium-sized doors, with roofs made of straw or red clay shingles. These houses usually have a small back patio for corralling animals, made of stones or sticks.

In the tropical lowlands, the Guaraní build "tentas" with huaraguay sticks tied together and filled in with mud. They often feature a round wall made of loosely intertwined branches and sticks, and an outdoor kitchen with a clay oven. Similar homes are built by the tropical tribes of Beni, Pando, and Santa Cruz, but with roofs made from interwoven dried palm fronds.

Social mobility

In Bolivia, the middle class encompasses a wide range of occupations and economic statuses, from truck drivers and merchants to business owners and professionals. The common thread among them is their occupational specialization and economic success.

The typical Bolivian home varies depending on the region and the cultural influences present. Bolivia's architecture is a mix of indigenous, Colonial, and modern styles. The most predominant style is Spanish Colonial, with rectangular homes built around a central patio or courtyard. These homes often feature covered walkways and roofs made of red clay tiles or shingles. In the Andean highlands, indigenous construction utilizes stone and adobe (mud mixed with straw), while in the tropical lowlands, homes are constructed from sticks and plants filled with mud.

The improvement in social mobility in Bolivia, particularly for certain groups, has positive implications for poverty reduction and long-term growth. It suggests that individuals are gaining greater access to opportunities that can improve their socio-economic status, which in turn can contribute to economic development.

Commerce and services sectors

The commerce and services sectors have had the biggest impact on the growth of the middle class in Bolivia. Members of the middle class include successful merchants, white-collar workers in commerce or government service, and educated professionals.

The middle class in Bolivia is largely defined by occupational specialisation and economic status. They tend to aspire towards "modern" or Western cultural ideals in their choices of music, clothing, daily entertainment, reading material, and visual arts. They are also more likely to own telephones and computers and to enjoy the offerings of mass culture, such as internet cafes, discotheques, and cable TV programming.

The emergence of the middle class in Bolivia can be attributed to social mobility and elite exclusiveness. The group first emerged through the upheaval of colonial society, including intermarriage between Spaniards and Indians, and the influx of Indians into cities and towns. However, the modern middle class was spurred by the tin-mining boom, which created a demand for educated administrators and expanded opportunities for those traditionally tied to commerce.

The wealthier members of the middle class in Bolivia often aspire to an upper-class lifestyle and acceptance into that group. As one moves down the social scale, these values become less pronounced. Cholos, who are typically bilingual in Spanish and one or more Indian languages, make up the lower levels of the middle class. They reflect the influence of their Indian heritage and often engage in commerce.

Modern architecture

One notable example is the "cholet", a term coined by combining the high-class "chalet" and the derogatory "cholo". Cholets are colourful, neo-Andean buildings designed by architect Freddy Mamani, who is of Aymara descent, one of the two largest indigenous groups in Bolivia. Inspired by the brightly coloured aguayo cloth used by indigenous women in the Andes, Mamani's cholets stand out against the drab brick buildings of El Alto, Bolivia's second-largest city. They feature commercial space on the first floor, a ballroom on the second, apartments above, and the owner's living space on the top floor. The interiors are just as bold as the exteriors, with swirling shapes, LED lights, chandeliers, and mirrors. Cholets are more than just unique buildings; they are a symbol of cultural pride and a way for the wealthy Aymara to express themselves after centuries of oppression.

Another example of modern architecture in Bolivia is the "Neo-Andean architecture" style, also pioneered by Freddy Mamani. This style rejects minimalist and Baroque styles in favour of colourful facades and large glass panels. Mamani's designs have inspired a generation of architects who are creating a new wave of modern architecture in Bolivia that celebrates the country's indigenous heritage.

In addition to these distinct styles, Bolivia's major cities, such as La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz, feature modern architecture similar to that found in North America and Europe. These cities showcase a mix of indigenous, colonial, and modern styles, with historical centres and rural areas preserving traditional construction methods.

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