The Naxií Jam Manufactory is a kitchen and community building designed and built by a group of architects, landscape architects and engineers for a women’s cooperative in the Mazateca Alta region of Oaxaca. The design was developed in Berlin through a constant dialogue with the women of the Naxií cooperative, in order to adress their specific needs and understand their unique culture. The result of this collaborative design process was then built in 6 weeks on site by the design team with the invaluable help of the local community, who shared local ways of building with the existing context and through available materials on site.

The result is an adobe and wood facility for the production of jams and conserves, composed by a main production space and an educational aula, both connected through an outdoor amphitheater. The productive space is design for flexibility, privileging natural light and ventilation. The educational aula opens up to the outside, enabling social interactions and community gatherings.

The Jam Manufactory has since created a common identity for the Naxií women in this precious but often forgotten rural context. The project won the 2015 SEED award for Excellence in Public Interest Design.