Journeyman International and student designer Natalia Escobar has partnered with SERES, a non profit organization in Guatemala to design a youth leadership center called Communiversity at the base of a volcano in Antigua, Guatemala.  The SERES Communiversity will be a world-first leadership hub and learning village for unleashing the power of the next generation of emerging leaders, knowledge brokers and practitioners that are leading the transition towards healthy, thriving and resilient communities. As an internationally recognized gathering place, the SERES Communiversity facilitates cross-fertilization and pollination among local leaders, community-based development practitioners, researchers, scholars, students and the philanthropic community who are aligned in their commitment towards developing a more socially and environmentally equitable world.

• Humanitarian Partner: Seres
• Sponsor(s): Integral Group, Oakland
• Location: Antigua, Guatemala
• Designer: Natalia Escobar (architecture student) Fen Wang (structural engineering student)
• University: Northeastern University and Cal Poly
• Professor:
• Status: Design Pending

 

Location

The SERES Center will be built on a 25-acre property located near the town of El Rodeo in the town of Escuintla, Guatemala. It is located approximately 42km on the CA-1 from Guatemala City and 23km on Route-14 from the popular tourist destination of Antigua on well-maintained, paved highway.

The land is located in a stunning location that features views of 4 of Guatemala’s volcanoes to the north and east of the property – two of which are active (Fuego and Pacaya). To the south of the property, the landscape drops away towards the pacific slopes where sugarcane – Guatemala’s largest export – is grown and on clear days you can see the Pacific Ocean, approximately 60 kms away. It is also close to La Reunion Golf Resort which is regarded by many golfing enthusiasts as one of the world’s best golf courses and provides an option for top-end accommodation for people wishing to visit the center but requiring alternative accommodation arrangements.