ELAN
La Escuela Libre de Arquitectura, Nicaragua
Mission Statement
ELAN, La Escuela Libre de Arquitectura, Nicaragua (the Free School of Architecture, Nicaragua), is:
A post graduate tropical architectural design and construction school additionally focused on building technology, construction, construction and project management, long range facility operations, and real estate development.
A nomadic, fluid and organic entity that will embark on a groundbreaking journey from 2025 to 2040, circumnavigating the globe along the equator.
Launching its campus property near San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua at 12:01 am on January 1, 2026 the school will build out full facilities by 2030, travel internationally for a decade and then pause for a year in August of 2040, having established five semi-autonomous but linked fully operational architecture campuses with 150 students, 50 Faculty and 5 Directors distributed across 4 continents and 1 sub continent.
ELAN Tropical Traveling Summer Studio 2025
Initially, ELAN will launch as a 3 month long pilot Summer Traveling Studio in Nicaragua, focused on the pre-design and planning of ELAN’s future facilities. 3 courses will be taught in person by the author with remote and live guest lectures.
The working title for the inaugural kick off ELAN Tropical Summer Studio is A School for Contemporary Tropical Architecture in Nicaragua.
- **Studio Duration:** Three months (June 1 - September 1, 2025)
- **Location:** Managua, Granada, Leon, and San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
- **Lead Instructor:** Pedro Joaquin Martinez Zellner
- **Focus Areas:** Urban research, architectural design, campus planning, sustainable materials, vernacular construction and advanced technology.
- Lectures and workshops focusing on local culture, architecture, and geography.
- Engagement with local architects, historians, and community leaders.
The brief program will be open to current architecture students anD recent graduates only, and will cost $4200.00 for three months of design studio and seminar instruction, 14 hours per week, in San Juan del Sur,Rivas Nicaragua with research trips to Managua, Leon, Granada, and Rivas
Admissions
Applications will be accepted until April 15, 2025 and the studio will kick off on June 1, 2025.
To secure teaching space prior to kick off, deposits of 50% of tuition will be due no later than May 1, 2025.
Up to 15 students will join the first cohort.
Travel, accommodations, insurance and food will not be covered directly but it is estimated that the total costs will be about $7000.00, all in.
ELAN hats and tee shirts will be provided. Additional lessons will include Spanish language instruction, yoga, surfing instruction, horse and motorcycle riding, diving and cooking courses. These services will be provided by other organizations not included in the cost of tuition.
In 2026, as a follow up, ELAN will conduct an open 14 month long uncertified experience investigation into the possibilities of collaborative design and construction in collaboration with community and local builders. The outcome of the project will be the realization of a portion of the ELAN campus.
Long term, the program will be open to anybody interested how to design, build, manage and maintain a small structure for public or private use. Priority will be given to individuals with a background in architecture, construction or real estate, however, other individuals, such as artists and engineers with experience in fabrication and making small to medium scaled semi-inhabitable structures will also be welcome.
Eventually a two year certified degree in Design Build, Construction Management and Real Estate Development for postgraduate Architects.
Initially an intensive, three semester program focused on research, design and construction to be broken up by two 2 week breaks, one summer break, lasting 3 weeks and one winter break lasting one month.
Eventually an intensive, seven semester program focused on research, design and construction culminating with a finishing project, to be built be two students: a two person off grid micro house to located on a nearby property owned by the school, this being an idea borrowed directly from Taliesen West. The structures which will eventually make up a small village will be rented to future students, tourists or locals at competitive rental rates to help support the school’s on going running costs.
A scholarship program for local students seeking financial support.
A legitimate track towards a local career as designer-builder-teacher with bursaries and end-of-term prizes for students who wish to stay on as teaching assistants in the second year and beyond.
Like Taliesen West and the Sam Mockbee led Rural Studio before it, ELAN will liberate emerging architects and others to chart their own course, as original researchers, as innovative designers, as meticulous builders, as successful property managers or owners, and potentially as impactful non-profit developers but mostly as thriving, empowered and independent, creative, personally fulfilled business people dedicated to community and environmental stewardship.
Other
Finally, the school won’t just be focused on the Construction of Architecture or the Art of Construction.
Student and faculty led night classes and weekend workshops will be taught on cultural history and aesthetic theory, philosophy, art history, cooking, dancing, pottery, grilling, sculpture, surfing, fishing, motorcycle riding, kite making, Italian Neorealist Cinema, knitting, Ikebana, painting, life drawing, horseback riding, poetry writing, brush painting, gardening, raising farm animals, skateboarding, dj culture, making clothing and singing amongst other topics.
They will also be opportunities to get involved with local nonprofits such as ESL for the local kids, the cat and dog rescue, and other community focused groups as long as these activities are balanced with academic schedules.