{"id":25439,"date":"2026-06-15T10:39:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T13:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.archiplan.cl\/?p=25439"},"modified":"2026-06-15T12:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T15:34:34","slug":"mining-camps-in-chile-their-evolution-over-the-past-35-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.archiplan.cl\/en\/2026\/06\/15\/mining-camps-in-chile-their-evolution-over-the-past-35-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Mining Camps in Chile: Their Evolution Over the Past 35 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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By Svitlana Slusarenko<\/strong> \u00b7 Architect Developer at ARCHIPLAN. Mining specialist.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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From Precarious Infrastructure to Livable Spaces<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mining camps in Chile have changed radically over the past three decades. What was considered a temporary living space in the 1990s\u2014with basic infrastructure and minimal standards of comfort\u2014is now a strategic part of mining operations: spaces designed to ensure rest, livability, health, and operational continuity in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. The first modern camp, as we understand it today, did not appear until 1990, when Minera Escondida built Villa San Lorenzo in the Antofagasta Desert. Before that, there were iconic mining towns such as Sewell, Chuquicamata, Humberstone, and Lota, but those were complete towns: they included families, schools, squares, and churches. The temporary, modular camp, designed for shift work and temporary stays, is a much more recent solution within Chilean mining architecture.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What mining camps were like in the 1990s<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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To understand the transformation of mining living conditions in Chile, we spoke with Leonardo L\u00f3pez, Project Manager at BHP Chile, who has worked on mining projects for over 30 years.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cI remember, almost 30 years ago, when I started out during the mining boom of the 1990s. The working conditions were good, but the infrastructure was poor: the quality of construction, the ventilation and heating systems, and even things as simple as the bedding. On my first project, the four lead professionals from the contractor\u2019s team shared a single room with a single bathroom. You don\u2019t see that anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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At that time, shift schedules could last for 21 consecutive days on the job. The climatic conditions in northern and southern Chile\u2014with high daytime temperatures, extreme nighttime cold, and geographical isolation\u2014made it clear that living conditions directly impact workers\u2019 health, rest, and productivity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The regulations that transformed mining architecture in Chile<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Common area at Los Bronces mining camp, designed as a space for workers to meet, rest, and socialize. <\/em>ARCHIPLAN.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0<\/p>\n

The evolution of mining camps was not limited to technological or structural advancements. It was also driven by new environmental and health requirements.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Law 19.300 and Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining Projects<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Law 19.300 on General Environmental Principles, enacted in 1994, established the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA). Since 1997, every mining project in Chile, including camps and support infrastructure, must be submitted to the system before construction begins.<\/p>\n

This completely changed the way mining facilities are designed, incorporating variables such as environmental impact, water consumption, sanitation, and operational sustainability.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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DS 594\/1999: The Most Significant Change in Mining Living Conditions<\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Supreme Decree 594\/1999 of the Ministry of Health, effective since April 2001 and subsequently updated by DS 123 in 2014, established mandatory minimum standards for work facilities and camps. Among them:<\/p>\n