05/18/2026
Earlier this year brother Huerta traveled to Quito, Ecuador to build Bamboo Huts which will be used for researchers, professors, and collaborators for the Regeneration Field Institute.
“Studying architecture, I’ve always known that a lot of my future could be spent behind a desk. So when I saw an opportunity not only to design but actually to build something with my own hands, I had to take it.
After hearing about RFI in class and seeing their flyers around campus, I joined the Design-Build initiative. And it led me all the way to Quito, Ecuador, this past spring break.
Working alongside Group Caña Brava, our team designed and built two bamboo huts from the ground up, with everyone who participated in the experience. From digital renderings to full-scale construction, we were involved at every step: harvesting and treating bamboo, building structural systems such as CBFT walls and trusses, and even constructing bamboo dams to combat erosion.
Beyond building, I gained hands-on experience in soil science, agroforestry, and syntrophic farming systems, and we helped to prepare an elementary school site for a future agroforestry project.
RFI’s mission to combine design with social and ecological impact was an amazing experience to witness firsthand. The people I met and the work we did are things I’ll carry with me as I continue through school and into my career as an architect.
Im Grateful for this opportunity and for the brothers who continue to push me to grow.”