Apprenticeship overview
Nature Aligned Architecture is a methodology that combines geomancy, geometry, regenerative design and embodied perception to help people read the land, trust their perception and create meaningful relationships with plac and nature.
INVITATION
Architecture was once understood as a relationship rather than an object.
Buildings were created in dialogue with the living earth, the rhythms of the sun and cosmos, and the people who inhabited them. From this relationship emerged places that supported vitality, harmony and a deeper connection with nature.
Today, much of this awareness has been lost. Many spaces are designed without understanding the relationship between land and human wellbeing, often contributing to stress, disconnection and ecological degradation.
Every place carries its own qualities long before construction begins. Some environments naturally support life. Others generate tensions that people perceive without always understanding why.
Whether you already have a home or dream of building one, this program invites you to develop a deeper relationship with place, trust your perception, and rediscover how architecture can once again become a symbiosis between humans and nature.
The Nature Aligned Architecture Methodology
Nature Aligned Architecture is an original methodology developed by Rocío Araujo Geotitlan, integrating geomancy, geometry, embodied perception, regenerative design and bioconstruction into a cohesive approach to architecture.
NATURE ALIGNED ARCHITECTURE APPRENTICESHIPS
ONE MONTH APPRENTICESHIP
Availability: Year-Round
Duration: 1 Month
Price: $2,236 USD
Capacity: 1-2 Apprentices
- Payment Options:
- Pay in Full: $2,236
- $400 Non-Refundable Deposit
- 50% of the remaining balance due 40 days before arrival
- Final balance due 5 days before arrival
Includes:
A residential apprenticeship to the Nature Aligned Architecture methodology, integrated into the daily life of Geotitlan, through architecture, geomancy, bio-building, land stewardship and participation in real projects. Apprentices learn through direct experience, observation and meaningful contribution to ongoing projects.
ONE WEEK APPRENTICESHIP
Availability: October 2026 / December 2026 / March 2027 / April 2027
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Price: $1,325 USD
Capacity: 7-9 Apprentices
- Payment Options:
- Pay in Full: $1,325
- Early Bird: $1,111 ends August 2026
- $400 Non-Refundable Deposit + 4 Monthly Payments of $264
Includes:
An intensive introduction to the Nature Aligned Architecture methodology through embodied perception, geomancy, geometry and bio-building. Learning takes place through hands-on construction, land-based practices and community living within the Puertecita ecosystem.
What Skills Will You Develop
OBSERVATION
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
The program develops the ability to observe what is often overlooked within conventional design processes: landscape relationships, natural patterns and the qualities that shape the experience of a place long before construction begins. It also invites participants to slow down from the pace of daily life, creating space for deeper attention, presence and connection with the environment.
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
Participants learn to trust their perception through direct experience, cultivating a deeper awareness of space, orientation, atmosphere and the subtle qualities that shape the character of a place. Through practical exercises and guided exploration, they develop greater sensitivity to how landscapes, buildings and environmental conditions influence human wellbeing, emotional states and the overall experience of inhabiting a space.
SYSTEMIC THINKING
EMBODIED PERCEPTION
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & GEOMETRY
Develop the ability to understand how ecological, cultural, climatic, social and spatial systems interact. Rather than viewing elements in isolation, learn to recognize relationships, patterns and feedback loops, gaining a deeper understanding of the dynamics that shape living environments. This systemic perspective supports more informed design decisions within complex ecosystems.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & GEOMETRY
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & GEOMETRY
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & GEOMETRY
Explore how proportions, geometry, orientation and intention can guide the design process while learning to read the land through geomancy. Through site assessment, body dowsing, earth acupuncture and the observation of both visible and invisible qualities of place, participants develop a deeper understanding of how spatial relationships influence harmony, functionality and human experience.
BIO-BUILDING
DESIGN PRINCIPLES & GEOMETRY
BIO-BUILDING
Develop hands-on experience in designing and building with your own hands, turning ideas into real structures in the landscape. Through practical workshops, on-site experimentation, and collaborative construction projects, participants learn natural building techniques, work directly with ecological materials, and actively participate in creating regenerative, life-supporting spaces from the ground up.
TESTIMONIALS
¨Rocio bridges embodiment and architecture in a way I’ve never encountered before. I love how she invites you to feel and listen to your body while exploring the land and effects design. I’ve stayed in one of her spaces before I even knew her philosophy, and it remains one of the most rejuvenating places I’ve experienced in 16 years of living and traveling worldwide.
When I learned how she creates, and she showed me how to feel the signals in my body, it took me right back to the ancient temples I’ve traveled to all around the world. Her attentiveness to embodiment is woven into every prompt she offers, helping you tune into the subtleties your body is already communicating.
Walking the land and experiencing the solar geometry she teaches blew my mind open to capacities and information I’ve never heard people explain the way she has. She makes me eager to want to learn so much more!¨
MARIA
"Rocío's workshop opened new ways of seeing both architecture and ourselves. It encouraged us to work with greater awareness, intention and respect for the creative process, while discovering aspects of ourselves we had not previously explored.
Angela
How Nature Aligned Architecture Was Born
For many years, I felt that something essential was missing from the way architecture was being taught and practiced. Buildings were discussed through aesthetics, structure and function, yet little attention was given to how places are actually experienced, how territory influences wellbeing, or how our relationship with nature shapes the spaces we inhabit.
My search led me through heritage conservation, natural building, ecovillage design, permaculture, geomancy and ancient geometry. Along the way, I discovered that architecture is not only about constructing buildings, but also about learning to read the land, trust our perception and cultivate a deeper relationship with place.
Living around Lake Atitlán further transformed my understanding. Through direct experience, Indigenous knowledge and years of observation, I began to see the land not as a neutral site, but as a living system with its own intelligence and patterns.
Nature Aligned Architecture emerged from this ongoing exploration. More than a design methodology, it is an invitation to develop awareness, embodied perception and a more conscious relationship with the places we create and inhabit.