EL CENTRO DE AGRICULTURA DE LA RAYA, OAXACA (THE AGRICULTURE CENTER OF LA RAYA, OAXACA)

Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Department of Architecture & Design at SUNY Alfred State

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Architecture

By EZEQUIEL CASTELLANOS LAVARIEGA Prof. Betty R Torrell, Thesis Chair May 2019

Acknowledgements I want to start by thanking everyone that was involved and supported me throughout this year’s long architecture thesis project. To start off, I have to thank my mom and dad, David Castellanos and

Betty Castellanos for supporting me throughout my college career. Professor Juan Luis Burke for pushing me to pursue a project in Mexico and introducing me to the architecture over there. Without you

I would have never started this thesis in Mexico. My godfather Fredy Lavariega Castellanos who took his time out to help me throughout the whole project by sharing a better understanding about the farmers lifestyle, construction in Mexico, teaching me how concrete blocks are made, guiding me on how to approach this project, and supporting me. Both of my grandfather’s Elpidio and Rene for their experience and knowledge on traditional construction methods in Mexico. I would also like to thank

Oliver Castellanos Lavariega for helping me understand the infrastructure for the town of “La Raya” and construction as well. My thesis advisor, professor Betty Torrell for her guidance and pushing me to think deeper about the people and the social need for this project. My uncle Benny Lavariega and cousin

Margarita Lavariega for showing me and telling me more about Oaxaca. My cousin Cristo Lavariega, as a student, he helped me understand what students needed in schools in order to accommodate their needs. Finally, all of my classmates! Going to class the next day with little or no sleep. The stress that we went through. We did it! Thank you

Table of Contents Abstract ...... 1 Initial Proposal ...... 2 Problem ...... 2 Societal Need ...... 2 Summary of Process ...... 3 Architecture Thesis ...... 4 Expected Conclusion ...... 4 Deliverables ...... 5 Signature Page ...... 6 Methodology ...... 7 Hypothesis ...... 7 Background ...... 7 History of farming in Oaxaca ...... 8 Current farming in La Raya, Oaxaca ...... 8 Why hasn’t farming been modernized in La Raya, Oaxaca? ...... 8 Effects of no modernization ...... 9 Benefits of the location ...... 9 Spaces for agriculture center ...... 10 Precedent Studies ...... 12 Randolph County, NC Agricultural Center ...... 12 CIALE Agriculture Center ...... 14 Teotitlán del Valle Community Cultural Center ...... 16 Sport City Oaxaca ...... 18 Agriculture school in Bella Vista ...... 20 RUCID College for Organic Agriculture ...... 22 Centro De Interpretación De La Agricultura Y La Ganadería ...... 24 Literature Review ...... 26 Site Analysis ...... 31 Parking ...... 32 Circulation ...... 33 Vegetation ...... 35 Climate ...... 36 Soil Type ...... 37 Views ...... 38 Infrastructure ...... 41 Existing structures ...... 42 Program ...... 43 Schematic Design ...... 55 Structural Design ...... 62 Final Design ...... 70 Signature Page ...... 86 References ...... 87

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Abstract La Raya is one of the smallest towns in Oaxaca, Mexico. Different climates within its region, diverse land types and difficulty to access to water for agriculture requires specific agricultural skills.

Unfortunately, farmers and young adults living in poverty have limited access to such know-how and little opportunity to work on a common goal in the agriculture field. The Agriculture Center of La Raya,

Oaxaca, aims to give personal and professional development to the future and present farmers from rural parts of La Raya. In order to improve their quality of life, the agriculture center will provide agriculture knowledge, agricultural research, microloans for farmers, as well as practical and management skills. In the other hand to the agricultural education program, architecturally, the traditional vernacular architecture of Mexico is starting to fade away. The agriculture center will include the traditional vernacular architecture of Mexico to bring awareness to the people of Oaxaca.

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Initial Proposal Problem

“Undoubtedly, Mexico’s agricultural sector represents innumerable opportunities for the global private sector, which cannot be ignored. Mexico has many competitive advantages, such as its population size (112 million), its sizable domestic market and its strategic location between the largest consumer market in the world, the US, and the rest of Latin America” (Carvallo, 2012). La Raya is one of the smallest towns in Oaxaca, Mexico. Within its region there are different climates, diverse land types, and the challenge to access water for crops requires specific agricultural skills. Unfortunately, farmers and young adults living in La Raya have limited access to such knowledge and opportunity to work on a common goal in the agriculture field. Farmers do not have the right equipment to advance productivity, there is a lack of agriculture education, and not enough support for farmers. Agriculture has been an important factor for La Raya for generations. For a design proposal, perhaps an agriculture center that focuses on giving educational, personal, and professional development to future and present farmers to help improve their quality of life.

Societal Need

In La Raya, agronomy is one of many ways to receive an income, but farming has not yet progressed to the scale it should be. A lack of grassroots mobilization and political action is one of the reasons why farming has not reached the next step. Farmers are individually going to local supermarkets to sell their produce for a low price because farmers are scared their produce will not sell to reach an income that is habitable. However, they continue to farm since it’s the only way they know how to receive revenue. On the other hand, many agriculturalists get desperate and take a risk to move to the

United States or look for retail jobs in the towns nearby. This is causing La Raya’s agricultural community to collapse. Also, lack of income is creating an unoccupied municipality. Possibly, with this 3

agriculture center, farmers and future farmers will receive a better education to understand the business side of husbandry, more job opportunities will be available for the community of farmers, farmers will stay in the town, and they will have access to better equipment to improve productivity, which will improve the agricultural community.

Summary of Process

To accomplish this goal, extensive research must be done. Researching the location, demographics, investigating the history of agriculture in Oaxaca, past construction techniques, and looking at other examples of agriculture centers for the precedent studies will help to determine the final project.

Researching the location will be an important part of this thesis. There are three main scales that will be included: the country Mexico, the region Oaxaca, and the town of La Raya. However, for this thesis, the main focus will be La Raya. Research will include the historical background of the region, climate, geography, demographics, and economic data. This will be needed to regulate different factors for the agriculture center.

A study on agriculture in La Raya, Oaxaca is another influence that has to be explored.

Researching the different methods used by farmers to grow their crops will help give a better understanding of what the harvester goes through to have a successful final product. Also, research will be conducted not only to understand what methods are used but what equipment is used during the process of farming. This will help to figure out what equipment can be improved to increase production.

Also, knowing what crops are grown in specific seasons for the harvests to have a high growth rate is important because not all the crops grow during the same season. 4

Lastly, researching successful agriculture centers that are similar to what is being proposed will help determine a program for this thesis. Analyzing what works in the program of other centers will also help to visually see the relationships between the rooms.

Architecture Thesis

“Architecture is not just one thing. It is not just an art. … It has to deal with the real situation; it has to do something good for the society. Architecture can provide a better life for people” (Vinnitskaya,

2011). The Agriculture Center of La Raya will serve as a space for farmers and future farmers to come together, develop their knowledge and experiences through workshops and education, and develop a strategic plan to improve agricultural practices in La Raya. The agriculturists have a major role in influencing the next step for the town but do not know it yet. Some of the rooms that will be included in the program are a reception area, lobby, administration offices, conference rooms, storage for farming equipment/materials, testing rooms to test out and study new techniques of harvesting, green area to grow crops, sanitary rooms, and a kitchen. A vernacular architecture style for this project will used.

Local materials such as adobe and red bricks, concrete, and bamboo will contribute to keep a traditional/sustainable design.

Expected Conclusion

This agricultural center provides the farmers with a sense of appreciation for their work.

Comprehending how important agronomy is for a family and the local community is important. Some take it for granted and think agronomy doesn’t provide enough value but regardless of whether it’s the most interesting job or not, farming plays a big role in La Raya. Farming has been passed down from generation to generation. There needs to be an awareness that harvesting is a respected art that takes time to master. Farmers are not receiving the credit they deserve for their hard work. 5

Deliverables

During the earlier phases of the project, having a precise foundation of information will be represented within presentation boards and a video. The boards will show a visual representation of the site and the video will display traditional agriculture/construction techniques. Later, in the second part of the semester, series of boards with visual representations will be obtainable. A possible model of the agriculture center will also be completed to exhibit the building on the site.

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Methodology

Hypothesis If the Agriculture Center in La Raya is constructed, then the economy and agriculture sector will grow.

Background If farmers had an agriculture center where they can get together and learn from other agricultural experts and each other, then farmers in La Raya could begin to develop the knowledge, skills and create a community to jumpstart their agricultural needs. In Randolph County, North Carolina, a study was done to figure out if an agriculture center was needed in the area. Researchers found that there are about one thousand five hundred farms with an estimation of one thousand eight hundred employees

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). However, researchers found that in order to make this building work, the agriculture center had to solely focus on being an agriculture center first and for its complementary features to be a place where people can hold meetings and events (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017).

Their main goal is to use the agriculture center for different farmers markets, to bring the farmers community closer, and use the space for events. (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). “In the beginning in

November 2017, the design team and County staff met with numerous groups to gather information regarding spaces and goals for the Randolph County Agricultural Center. Some of these citizen groups included: Event Center Sub-Committee, Cooperative Extension Service, Soil and Water, Rural

Development, County Facilities Committee, Livestock Arena Sub-Committee, Forest Service, Farm

Service Agency, Natural Resources & Conservation, and the Municipal & Visitor Support Groups

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). However, to conclude, through numerous attempts, the project has been accepted but funding for the agriculture center would not be fully paid through grants and other 8

contributions (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). Farming is an important role all over the world, but sometimes financial problems are what stops farming to improve.

History of farming in Oaxaca

Farming in Oaxaca goes back to over two thousand years where the Zapotec and Mixtec Indians dominated the city (Schmal, 2002). The society of the Zapotec were oriented around central villages or towns and has an agricultural base. Some of the main crops grown back then and still today are corn beans, and squash. In the past, agriculture was based on clearing the land, and the latest technology that was used for cultivation was a plow and oxen (Britannica, 2012).

Current farming in La Raya, Oaxaca

Today, farmers are individually going to local supermarkets to sell their produce for a low price because farmers are scared their produce will not sell to reach an income that is sustainable. However, they continue to farm since it’s the only way they know how to receive revenue. On the other hand, farmers are still using traditional agricultural methods to farm. A plow and two cattle are used to prepare the soil and manual labor is needed to plant the seeds. The farmers are lacking the use of up to date equipment and technology. Some equipment that the farmers are missing are a tractor, irrigation systems, and smaller equipment to help soften the earth. If the farmers had the appropriate machinery, then the farmers lives would be easier, at least labor wise.

Why hasn’t farming been modernized in La Raya?

In La Raya, agronomy is one of many ways to receive an income, but farming has not yet progressed to the scale it should be to be considered modernized or profitable. Why? The lack of grassroots mobilization and political action is one of the reasons why farming has not reached the next 9

step. Also, lack of entrepreneur knowledge, skills, and characteristics are missing. Some include: managerial skills, interpersonal skills, creative and critical thinking skills, and practical skills needed to run a successful farm business that will eventually provide an income that is habitable. Characteristics include: optimism, leadership, vision, communication, initiative to solve problems, and risk taking when uncertainty is implied (MindTools, 2018). Interpersonal skills that can improve consist of: leadership and the ability to motivate others, communication skills so farmers can express their vision to potential clients, listening skills, and negotiation skills to sell their produce (MindTools, 2018). Another skill that can be enhanced is creative and critical thinking skills; thinking of strategies to solve a problem will be beneficial for the farmer in difficult situations (MindTools, 2018). Finally, practical skills and knowledge which include decision making, planning and organizing towards goals in the agriculture business, knowing the agriculture business, and business knowledge such as sales, and understanding micro-loans(MindTools, 2018). Even though these attributes are lacking, they can be developed through time and training.

Effects of no Modernization

On the contrary, there are effects that lack of cultivation brings. Many farmers get desperate and take a risk to move to the United States or look for retail jobs in the towns nearby. By moving to the

United States, farmers believe there are better opportunities for a better life. In some cases, this is true.

Since farmers are migrating to other countries, La Rayas agricultural population is starting to collapse.

Also, lack of income is creating an unoccupied municipality.

Benefits of the location

Since the agriculture center is proposed to be located in La Raya, the context for learning can be better because of the close relationship between the local farmer and his farm. As an alternative from 10

learning in theory, the farmer will be able to learn by taking action and applying their learnings. The location also makes it perfect to include a distribution center that will help farmers to distribute their produce to different towns nearby and hopefully expand to other cities in Mexico. People in the local towns, around La Raya, are demanding organic produce that are produced in the farms. Creating a logistic dispersal of agronomic crops would be the key to improve international and local competitive capability of La Raya’s agricultural crops, to promote the growth of agriculture, and to increase the salary of the farmer in La Raya. First the farming community of La Raya will start off by distributing to local stores, markets, and private owners. If there is a high demand for the produce, the farmers in the agriculture center will provide a strategic solution to start expanding slowly while still prioritizing the local towns first. This might create more job opportunities and unite the farmers and locals of La Raya.

Spaces for agriculture center

The Agriculture Center of La Raya will serve as a space for agriculturists and the community to come together. Based off the services that the agriculture center will provide, a program has been developed. Some of the spaces that will be included are a distribution center, storage space for equipment, reception spaces, a lobby, a workshop with a safety/eye wash shower unit and sink, a financial space, administration offices, courtyard, classrooms, a conference room, outdoor event space, and restrooms. In the distribution center, the space will have to be large enough for the storage of crops that will be distributed to local towns around the area. The next space that is important is the storage space for equipment. Here, farmers will first be welcomed by a reception area where the farmer will be able to talk with the receptionist about renting or returning equipment. Small machines to large tractors will be stored here. The storage room will have to be able to fit at least on tractor. Complementary to the 11

storage space, a workshop area will be required to fix any equipment that needs maintenance. Here, there will be storage for tools, workshop tables, natural ventilation for fresh air, a safety/eye wash shower unit and sink, and electrical outlets. A lobby and reception spaces will be required in the main entrance and only where someone must go through a process in order to rent or buy something, such as renting out equipment. A financial space will also be included. A financial space is needed in order to offer micro-loans to farmers. Micro-loans give the farmer an opportunity to start and improve farming operations. There will also be administration offices and a conference room. Here administrative workers can support the agriculture center by maintaining records that occur and the conference room will allow administrators to hold important meetings. In relation to these rooms, classrooms will be essential for farmers that want to develop their knowledge and experiences through workshops and education. Away from offices and classroom spaces, an outdoor courtyard will provide a space for the people to come together and it will be used to connect difference spaces together. The last room will be an outdoor event space. Here, the main priority is to use it to host local food markets every week but can also be used for different events. In addition, an outdoor kitchen and restrooms will be connected to this space. People from the nearby towns will come together to buy fresh organic crops.

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Precedent Studies Randolph County, NC Agricultural Center

Randolph County, Nc Agriculture Center. ND. https://hh-arch.com/portfolio/randolph-county-agricultural-event-center- rcaec/e In order to further this thesis, looking at a similar agriculture center will help develop a program to see what spaces are needed. The agriculture center in the Randolph County, North Carolina has been chosen as one of the precedent studies. In Randolph County, there are about one thousand five hundred farms with an estimation of one thousand eight hundred employees (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017).

This makes the agriculture industry in Randolph’s County one of the largest in North Carolina

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). Since the agriculture industry is growing, an agriculture center was developed to perpetuate agriculture. Before proposing this building, research was completed to make a final decision to understand if an agriculture center was needed in Randolph’s County. Other counties in

North Carolina such as Anson County, NC; Stanly County, NC; Wytheville, VA; and Wayne County,

NC have already built agriculture centers and are expanding in order to accommodate their needs 13

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). This means that there’s more competition to attract farmers and the community to the agriculture center in Randolph’s county. However, to make this building work, the agriculture center had to solely focus on being an agriculture center first and for its complementary features to be a place where people can hold meetings and events (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). The main goal is to augment the flexibility of the center and allow for future additions while still strictly focusing on its fundamental uses.

There are three main strategic principles were used in order to create a facility program for this agriculture center. The first one being the usage for agriculture related needs. Second, the agriculture center had to be designed to create maximum event flexibility but at the same time keeping cost in mind.

Lastly, this building will produce its return on investment in the form of community economic impact

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). Two of the main spaces include a meeting and event space. In the event space, walls are moveable, so the people can arrange and set the walls as they please. Attached to this room is a kitchen and restrooms. The office spaces are for used for agricultural agencies. Agencies include Soil and Water Conservation District, North Carolina Forest Service, USDA Rural

Development, USDA Farm Service Agency, and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service

(Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). Each agency has four personnel offices, a conference room (only one for all agencies), workshop, break room, storage rooms for educational supplies, kitchen, refrigerator, sink, lockable file room, a printing room for employees to copy, plot, and fax (Magellan Strategy Group,

2017). Apart from the internal spaces of the agriculture center, external spaces are required for related agency’s needs. A storage area was needed for storage of forklift, gator, backhoe, dump trailer, equipment trailer, and other smaller agricultural equipment (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). Another external space is a tool/welding room attached to a shop. The tool/welding room includes a fourteen- 14

foot-wide garage door with fourteen feet of head clearance, a welding area, steel work benches, a safety cage for welding and torch tanks, and electrical outlets (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017). The last space is a heated shop which includes electrical outlets with a minimum of eight feet apart, a truck lift for tractor maintenance, a safety/eye wash shower unit and sink, storage cabinets for dangerous liquids, work benches with lights, and two drive-thru bays with one fourteen-foot-wide garage door with fourteen feet of head clearance garage door on each side (Magellan Strategy Group, 2017).

CIALE Agriculture Center

CIALE Agriculture Center. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/226090/ciale-vicente-nunez- arquitectos/5017dade28ba0d49f5000b9e-ciale-vicente-nunez-arquitectos-photo Located in Salamanca, Spain, Spanish architecture firm CANVAS Arquitectos, were hired by the

USAL Science Park Foundation from the University of Salamenca to design an agricultural research center which they named “CIALE.” The site for the agriculture center CIALE, is an important environmental location in which a river names Tormes is associated in the site. By doing a site analysis 15

and taking its characteristics into consideration, CANVAS Arquitectos, was able to transform the landscape and make the building become part of the site. In addition, by redeveloping the topography, the site was able to be developed into two levels. The lower level unlocks its door to the Tormes river which is separated away from the ground. It is separated by using piles that lift the building up separating it from the ground for possible floods in the near future. The upper level has the main entrance from the street and has straight access to the educational and administrative program.

This agriculture research center is intended for experimentation and studies in plant maintenance and farming. “Its objectives are focused on agricultural R & D research within the areas of biodiversity, genetic improvement, plant production, plant health, water resources and others that may arise in the future” (Nunez, 2012). It has the necessary equipment to manage and do research related to farming- based activities in the field of biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and molecular biology of plants, fungus and microorganism (Nunez, 2012). In CIALE researchers work from a genetic approach on both basic and applied aspects of the biology of plant-pathogen interactions relevant in agriculture.

On the architecture side, one of the main goals for this project was to get absorptivity and transparency between the structure and the site. In order for this to occur, a light multilayer facade system was used (Nunez, 2012). This resulted in a dense façade filter that met both the heat and sunlight requirements as well as the essential privacy (Nunez, 2012). On the upper level, the educational program is located along with the research rooms. The support facility rooms dwell in an extended half-buried space that gives access to different nuanced amenities through an interior street (Nunez, 2012). Extended but still connected to the main building are four small cube buildings standing on piles that are designed to situate laboratories. Here, the four small cube buildings are guiding their views to the river and positioned to allow an arrangement of views to the river bank from the common area. The connection between the spaces of the laboratories and the space holding the educational program set up a wide 16

balance associated to the flow of the vegetation and topography of the bank, which helps the building blend in itself into the landscape (Nunez, 2012). On the other hand, on the closest part to the river, several of greenhouses are linked by a pathway outside. On the inside, the greenhouses hold research related programs related to the agrobiotechnology. The research area is reached after crossing the slab that supports the green roof (Nunez, 2012). The green roof contributes to its landscape and has a research proven ecological system with seasonal flowering and drip irrigation with low consumption and maintenance (Nunez, 2012).

Teotitlán del Valle Community Cultural Center

Teotitlán del Valle Community Cultural Center. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/881708/teotitlan-del-valle-cultural-center- productora/59e51359b22e383934000021-teotitlan-del-valle-cultural-center-productora-photo In a small village, Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca, Mexico, on the hills of the Sierra Juarez mountains, Productora architects designed a community cultural center to celebrate the heritage of the community, which was established in 1495 and is known for textile production, particularly interlacing 17

and natural dying techniques (Gibson, 2018). The location is also home to a large archeological site where tourist from all around the world come to (Gibson, 2018). This community cultural center can relate back to the proposed agriculture center by celebrating the farming community in La Raya,

Oaxaca, which has been established for generations.

Productora architects, built this center as two separate buildings on a stepped site. The smaller building to house the library/service zone and the larger building for a museum in which art collections and activities will be held (Gibson, 2018). For the program, the museum includes a textile exhibition hall, temporary exhibition room, archeological exhibition hall, archeological bodega, restoration room, multipurpose room, patio, a store, offices, reception area, and public restrooms (Gibson, 2018). On the other hand, the library holds a lecture room, a children’s reading room, computer room, bodega, service room, and a reception area (Gibson, 2018). By looking at this project, some of the spaces from this program will be included into the agriculture center.

Architecturally, the materials chosen for this project complemented the colors of the neighboring buildings such as the red brickwork, orange rendering, and stone paved public plazas around the village

(Gibson, 2018). For the walls, concrete was used with pigmented and textured imprints of vertical wooden planks to give the building a wood like siding exterior (Gibson, 2018). On the inside, it is also left exposed to show texture. Other materials that were implemented in this project are clay, timber, and brickwork and clay (Gibson, 2018). All of these materials were sourced from the surrounding area making this building more sustainable (Gibson, 2018). With the proposed agriculture center, in La Raya, local materials will be used as well. In the interior, a vast arrangement of brick steps with a timber handrail are set to fill a voided space to unite the plaza with another on the lower level (Gibson, 2018).

This enhances the person to walk through the site and associate it with the main square (Gibson, 2018). 18

Embedding the new open spaces made by the community cultural center into the circuit of existing courts characterize the urban structure of the town (Gibson, 2018).

Sport City Oaxaca

Sport City Oaxaca. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/571314/sport-city-oaxaca-rootstudio-arquitectos- artesanos/545ff70ae58ece1e47000104-sportcity_17-jpg Vernacular architecture is not just a building made of stick’s and mud like some people think. It is characterized by its dependence on necessities, construction materials, and its uniqueness to its location. It is a type of architecture which is primitive to a specific time, place, and cannot be duplicated somewhere else. In the past and today, vernacular architecture has fused the skills and knowledge of local builders as opposed to professional architects or engineers. Most of the people living in small villages cannot afford to hire a professional or buy expensive materials. Buildings are designed to the setting in which it exists. Some of the ideas that vernacular architecture is based off are the availability 19

of local resources such as workers and materials. Although materials are now available well beyond any area, it is important to consider the energy lost in the transportation of goods. Another factor taken into consideration is the climate. The climate includes sun exposure, rain, humidity, wind, and temperatures during the year. Another influence on the design is the people who are going to be using the building.

This includes local customs, religious values, social conditions, the way the building will be occupied, and the size of the family. In addition, the environment also has an important impact. The design can be influenced by its surroundings such as a river, forest, desert, mountains, and more.

In Mexico, vernacular architecture is important. It’s not only seen in traditional houses but in important buildings such as cathedrals, museums, and theatres. Traditional methods used in vernacular architecture has helped shape Mexico. In Sport City Oaxaca, designed by Rootstudio and Arquitectos

Artesanos, the architects mix a combination of vernacular architecture with modern technology. It has a different aesthetic compared to the other Sport City Oaxaca gyms throughout Mexico. In this building, traditional materials were used. Materials such as adobe, wood, stone, tiles, brick, lime, concrete, steel, and bamboo (Quintana, 2014). Artisan groups from Oaxaca, made thirty-three thousand brown adobe bricks in about a month and a half to use for the main walls (Quintana, 2014). The foundation was stoned carved by hand and set with lime and sand mortar (Quintana, 2014). To show that natural materials can hold up like any industrialized material, the main walls were used as load bearing walls to respect the traditional structure schemes without any vertical concrete reinforcements (Quintana, 2014).

In the courtyard, a bamboo roof was built by students from local universities, who have worked as part of a team in community. The roof was settled onto concrete pillars by using metal connectors (Quintana,

2014). Also taken into consideration, was harvesting water and using the climate for natural ventilation

(Quintana, 2014). 20

Vernacular architecture provides a fundamental connection among individuals and the environment. It makes us think in ways of survival instead of seeing what we can purchase and have.

These buildings are represented to be climate responsive. Through a large part of history, the benefits of vernacular architecture have been realized and architects are now are using it among what is called green architecture. To advance in sustainable building, we must learn from the people who have lived in the specific region for a long time and use old methods of building without any technological use.

Agriculture school in Bella Vista

Agriculture school in Bella Vista. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/875095/agricultural-school-bella-vista- code/595b8da9b22e38e8190001d1-agricultural-school-bella-vista-code-photo In a two-year process, in Bolivia, both CODE architects and a foundation named Fundacion

Cristo Vive Bolivia, who’s goal is to reduce poverty in Latin America, have established a new educational building. Under the supervision of the Prof. Pasel along with forty students and local people, the project was created. This school is part of a trade school “sayarinapaj” that gives young students 21

from Bolivia living in rural areas to acquire a professional perspective within the field of agriculture

(CODE, 2017). With this goal in mind, the building was able to produce a learning environment that connected agriculture and education together. There is also a separate building right next to the school that serves as a place for the students to stay.

Architecturally, the general mission was to design an environmental responsive, resource saving, low-cost, and energy efficient building that serves as a place for learning (CODE, 2017). This building is an example of sustainable building developments in low-tech settings, innovation and smart low-cost building methods (CODE, 2017). The design is based off a modular concept with six rooms that can be used for different purposes in the future. There are three main spaces, each one of them containing two classrooms and an additional space that serves as a library, a laboratory, and an installation room for a solar plant (CODE, 2017). On the roof, there is a shed roof that is continuous to cover the whole building. This shed roof includes, two open air flow spaces in between the three main spaces to ensure natural ventilation (CODE, 2017). The spaces in between allow for a connection of the two classrooms into larger multi-functional rooms. This building responds to its climatic conditions in a basic but effective way (CODE, 2017). With the use of brick, the structure maintains comfortable temperatures in the interior of the building (CODE, 2017). Also, the roof construction is ventilated which also stops the interior from overheating in extreme climates. The building is also oriented in order to take advantage of the sun for natural daylight and the slope of the roof allows the solar panels to receive as much sunlight from the sun (CODE, 2017).

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RUCID College for Organic Agriculture

RUCID College for Organic Agriculture. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/887609/rucid-college-for-organic-agriculture- studio-fh-architects-plus-light-earth-designs/5a674cc4f197cc48d7000193-rucid-college-for-organic-agriculture-studio-fh- architects-plus-light-earth-designs-photo Located in Mityana, Uganda, RUCID Agriculture college is a college in a rural community developed by Studio FH Architects and Light Earth Designs (Architects, 2018). Light Earth Designs organized the schematic design for the dorms and the master floor plan while Studio FH included pentagon-shaped teaching spaces, made sure the construction was correct, and detailed the buildings for the college (Architects, 2018). Started in 2007, the school offered diplomas and certification in principles and practices of organic architecture (RUCID, 2018). Before 2007, in 1994 this school collaborated with local rural famers but did not work with young people because of lack of interest in the agriculture sector (RUCID, 2018). This college was established in order to give the youth an opportunity to demonstrate to them that agriculture can be sustainable way of living (RUCID, 2018).

One of the goals for this agricultural college is to spread the use of sustainable and heathy food 23

production among Uganda (RUCID, 2018). As of right now, the main focus is on small-scale farmers and the youth.

Architecturally, in a rural area, vernacular architecture has had a major impact for this college.

By using eco solutions, most of the construction uses ecofriendly materials such as soil blocks that are compressed manually, the soil was all from the site, and the roofs along with the shading screens are made of eucalyptus wood that were found in farms near the site (Architects, 2018). Along with using local materials, water harvesting systems have also been included to recycle rain water for plants

(Architects, 2018). Kitchens have been installed with wooden stoves instead of gas or electric stoves

(Architects, 2018). To construct this building, no outside workers were involved. Only local people were involved in this project to bring a sense of value for the community (Architects, 2018).

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Centro De Interpretación De La Agricultura Y La Ganadería (Center for the Interpretation of Agriculture and Livestock)

Centro De Interpretación De La Agricultura Y La Ganadería. ND. https://www.archdaily.com/349200/centro-de- interpretacion-de-la-agricultura-y-la-ganaderia-aldayjover/50d1278eb3fc4b41b300005b-centro-de-interpretacion-de-la- agricultura-y-la-ganaderia-aldayjover-photo Located in Aranzadi Park, near a river, in Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, Centro De Interpretación

De La Agricultura Y La Ganadería is an organization for the advancement in organic farming and the restoration of different garden vegetable seeds (Quintana, 2013). Unique to its context, the building provides agriculture education, community activities, agricultural research, and agricultural testing of farming methods and seeds (Quintana, 2013).

The building on this site a single-story building that is supposed to resemble a greenhouse. The materials used for this project are glass, greenhouse shade cloth, polycarbonate, a light structure for the support of the building, and vines (Quintana, 2013). Placed on a concrete base, there are three extended 25

separated naves that are accompanied by a vestibule as access, give a shape to this building (Quintana,

2013). Since the building is one story high, the building is set on a foundation one meter above the ground (Quintana, 2013). When its winter, the roof absorbs the sunlight to heat up the interior and, in the summer, the roof opens so natural air flow can move through the building for natural ventilation

(Quintana, 2013). This building is supposed to function just like the greenhouses located in the park for maximum sustainability and self-reliance. For the program, the building contains a restoration space that is linked to the produce in the garden, an exhibition space to display different artifacts, classrooms, and office spaces (Quintana, 2013).

The “Centro De Interpretación De La Agricultura Y La Ganadería” makes a connection in between two different subjects, Agriculture and education. The agriculture center provides different services such as maintaining the garden, education for professions and citizens about agriculture and how it can be developed, preservation of native species, improving seeds, and passing down farming techniques that were used in the past and will continue on today (Quintana, 2013)

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Literature Review

In the southeastern sector of Mexico, along the Pacific Ocean, the state of Oaxaca is surrounded by Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas, Guerrero, and Veracruz. Oaxaca received its name from a Náhuatl word,

Huayacac, which refers to a tree called “guaje” (Schmal, 2002). The average altitude in the state of

Oaxaca is five thousand and eighty-five feet above sea level. There are five hundred and seventy-one municipalities. In Mexico, Oaxaca is the fifth largest state and is characterized by its geographic features. Oaxaca’s rocky topography has made an impact on its cultural diversity. Since tribal groups in

Oaxaca lived apart from each other in individual towns, in isolation, sixteen ethnolinguistic groups were able to carry on their language from their ancestors. The three main languages spoken in Oaxaca are spanish, zapoteco, and mixteca. Past traditions and customs are also still practiced today (Schmal, 2002).

“The Zapotec (347,000 people) and the Mixtec (241,000 people) are the two largest groups of Indians, but they make up only two parts of the big puzzle” (Schmal, 2002). These historical groups harvested black beans, corn, tomatoes, chocolate, chili, pumpkin, squash and gourds and fished in rivers for a wide range of fish (Schmal, 2002). Their main sources of meat were tepezuintle, turkey, deer, jabali, armadillo and iguana (Schmal, 2002) The genealogy of these two native born groups go back to the

Mesoamerican era of Oaxaca (Schmal, 2002). In 1521, when the Spaniards arrived to Oaxaca, the residents were split into various independent villages. One of these villages is “La Raya.”

La Raya, a small village, is located about forty-five minutes from the main city of Oaxaca. The overall population in La Raya are five hundred and twenty people with two hundred and sixty-four of them being male and two hundred and fifty-six of them being female (La Raya - Oaxaca, n.d.). Here, the main language is Spanish and only seventy-two people speak an indigenous language (La Raya -

Oaxaca, n.d.). There are a hundred and ninety-one minorities and three hundred and twenty-nine adults, 27

with fifty-five of them being sixty years or older (La Raya - Oaxaca, n.d.). For housing, two hundred and two people in La Raya live in primitive homes, one hundred and fifteen of the household have sanitary equipment, one hundred and twenty six of the dwellings are connected to the public water supply, and one hundred and twenty three people have access to electricity (La Raya - Oaxaca, n.d.).

Until this day, people are still living in traditional dwellings where no high-tech material is used.

Educationally, sixty-nine people of the age of fifteen or older cannot read or write, sixty-eight people that are fifteen years or older did not attend school, one hundred and sixty-seven people did not finish their education, sixty nine of them only went to school for six years, and fifty students completed college (La Raya - Oaxaca, n.d.).

One of the greatest educational challenges in Oaxaca is the lack of amount and high-quality teachers to teach. The evaluation methods to assess the abilities and skills of the people who desire to become public teachers are inefficient (Quiroz, 2017). Some teachers are hired by schools where the language is not native to them. For example, a teacher may only speak Spanish and in an indigenous location, the natives might only speak the mixteco language (Quiroz, 2017). This makes it frustrating for teachers to teach causing them to leave and abandon the school. As a result of this, by the time a new teacher arrives, families are discouraged and give up on influencing their children to go through the educational system (Quiroz, 2017). Instead, families prefer the children to go straight to work to contribute to the family’s income (Quiroz, 2017). The education also contributes the poverty rates in

Oaxaca (Quiroz, 2017).

In Mexico, southern states, such as Oaxaca, are falling behind. In between the years 2012 and

2014, two million Mexicans plunged into the positions of being considered poor, resulting in a national poverty rate of 46.2%. (Aguilera, 2017). Poverty was on the rise statistically speaking in between 2012 and 2014. “It is identified that the three southern states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, have the 28

highest poverty rates in the entire country, partly (but not entirely) as a result, indigenous populations suffer from poverty levels four times higher than the national average” (Aguilera, 2017). In 2014, 70.2% of the population in Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Chiapas were poor (Aguilera, 2017). This rate of extreme poverty in 2014 is three times higher than the national average (28.7% versus .5%) (Aguilera, 2017).

One of the main issues that drive poverty in these three states is the large indigenous population

(Aguilera, 2017). The statistic institute in Mexico does take collect data based on racial and ethnic groups but data on native languages are recorded. “According to the latest census, these three states

(especially Oaxaca and Chiapas) have some of the highest proportions of indigenous language speakers in the country” (Aguilera, 2017). However, some the reason that some states are poor because of the language each state speaks, does not seem convincing. “In Yucatan’s lower levels of marginalization is that it has done much better at integrating its indigenous population to the modern economy, possibly as a result of its world-class tourism industry as well as the fact that the peninsula has a much more benign topography that inhibits isolation” (Aguilera, 2017). Evidence seems to propose; linguistically homogenous countries tend to do better so this could better explain the difference in socio-economic outcomes. Another main factor describing the infrastructure in Oaxaca, Guerrero, and Michoacán is the geographic topography (Aguilera, 2017). “All these states run through one of three major mountain ranges - the Sierra Madre del Sur (Michoacán, Guerrero, and Oaxaca), the Sierra Madre de Chiapas

(Chiapas), and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Puebla and Veracruz)” (Aguilera, 2017). This makes communication for thousands of small rural communities expensive. Since its expensive to travel, it puts modern markets in isolation from small communities. If there were better opportunities educationally and job wise in major cities, productivity and migration from rural areas to urban areas would be higher.

(Aguilera, 2017). The last factor of why these states are educationally falling behind is because of the repetition of bad governments. “Some of the worst state governments in recent memory have been found 29

in the South-6 which include a governor nearly overthrown by protesting teachers (Ulises Ruiz of

Oaxaca, 2004-10), one that has increased his state’s debt by a factor of 18 during his term and with little to show for it (Juan Sabines of Chiapas, 2006-12), one who came two Supreme Court votes away from a possible impeachment (Mario Marín of Puebla, 2005-11), and one that has presided over the greatest number of journalist murders of any other state in the last decade (Javier Duarte of Veracruz, 2010- current)” (Aguilera, 2017). In Mexico, handling poverty has demonstrated to be a far more profitable business for the political establishment than eliminating it.

In the year of 2000, Agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the highest percentage, 41.1%, of employed people in the state of Oaxaca (Juarez). One of the main reasons for the high levels of poverty in Oaxaca, is the fact that the educational development in agricultural activities have failed to be developed (Juarez). The limitations of rural development in the state are listed: poor or no production planning, use of inappropriate technologies, poor technical support and lack of educational training, research unrelated to the productivity; low productivity, no support in organizations in the supply and marketing, lack of information systems in the agricultural sector, excessive middlemen, limited and obsolete agro-industrial infrastructure, and lack of funding’s to further research” (Juarez). “Other productive activities have little relevance in the educational activity, as in the case of technical services, transportation and construction, which absorb 11% of the total population” (Juarez). Agriculture contributes 66.8% to 8.9% GDP State agriculture (Juarez). “The extent to which this activity is carried out is 1.2 million hectares. 91% of this surface is temporary, 6% of irrigation and the remaining 3% residual moisture (Juarez). The characteristics of soil minimize the opportunities for farming. More than half of the land in Oaxaca does not have the proper requirements to increase productivity in farming

(Juarez). “Land with mechanized farming skills are continuous account 11.7% and are located in two districts bordering the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in addition to those of Tuxtepec, Choapan and Mixe, 30

mainly. The mechanized farming season, with 0.3%, is in Juquila districts and Jamiltepec, while the continuous animal traction, with 8.3%, is distributed in the districts of Jamiltepec Putla, Tuxtepec,

Choapam, Mixe and Juchitán” (Juarez). Common land use, agricultural activity has a total of 31.8%

(Juarez). Making it the highest percentage for the use of land. Agriculturist use the land to produce over thirty-five different crops. Twenty-one of them are annual and fourteen are perennial (Juarez). Crops include corn and beans, coffee beans, pastures, plantations of sugar cane, pineapple, banana, mangos and lemon.

It is important to support productive agriculture activities in rural areas to improve living conditions and income of the farmers. Also, overtime the people with disadvantages will need to change their arrogances, values and outlooks for a positive attitude, a characteristic needed to move on from poverty. The government is in a position to connect the existing openings in infrastructure, investments, improving education, controlling the growth of the population, and keeping the budget for communities under control in order to progress. Oaxaca has some the lowest levels of student achievement and highest dropout rates in Mexico.

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Site Analysis

The site in La Raya, Oaxaca is unique to it context. There are different factors that make the site suitable for an agriculture center. When deciding on the site to choose, the site had to be big enough to be able to accommodate for the agriculture center and close to the farmland.

Figure 1 Site Plan 32

Parking

Another important factor that must be acknowledged on the site is parking. There are four main ways of transportation: driving a car, moto-taxi which is just a taxi on a motorcycle, livestock such as horses and donkeys, riding a bike, and the most common way of getting from one place to another is walking. As a result of this, a designated parking area that can hold up to five cars will be included, wooden posts to tie up any livestock, a bike rack, a designated path so people can walk to the agriculture center. Since some farmers will prefer to use their bulls for farming, farmers can come back to the agriculture center with their bulls after and tie them up. A space with food and water will be provided for livestock.

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Circulation

The circulation in which people will get to the site and leave the site is important. People will be able to access the agriculture center from the east or west side of the street. The diagram below shows the circulation of the farmers/students and director/administrators. Enough space for cars to get to the agriculture center and leave will be taken into consideration but will not be as important as a person with a bike or livestock. Parking for cars in La Raya are not as common as they are in the United States. In the United States, paved parking or parking lots are needed for cars. In La Raya or any rural area in

Mexico, a empty space will accommodate for cars. There will be no need to design a designated parking lot for cars, however a space will be needed away from the animals. Since animals fear the noise cars and moto-taxis make, the livestock will be separated from the motor vehicles. 34

Figure 2: Circulation within the site and building.

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Vegetation

Some of the trees that are in Oaxaca are guamuchil trees, palm trees, arbol de nogal (walnut trees), jacaranda trees, huizache tree, pinguica tree, huaje tree, laurel tree, and more. Having said that, the trees that rest near the site are palm trees, laurel trees, guamuchil trees, and walnut trees.

Figure 3: Native trees around and on Site.

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Climate

All year round, the weather is hot, and shading is important for the people, especially for the farmers who work outside most of the day. New trees and plants will be planted on the south side of the site to provide natural shading all year round from the sun. As well as louvers to shade the spaces from the sun.

The sun rises from the east and sets in west making the south the highest and hottest point where the sun is out. Since the south is where the sun will be hottest point spaces such as the restroom, showers, mudrooms, and lobby will be located.

From April until July, the wind comes from the east and west side. From July to April, the wind approaches from the north to the south. Considering that the temperature are harsh in La Raya, using the wind for passive cooling will help cool down the building. The courtyard will also take advantage of the wind. Seeing that microclimate conditions are created in courtyards due to limited ventilation, little sky view factor of slender spaces, and proportions of the open space, some parts of the walls on the north, south, east and west, will have small openings for predominant winds to flow through the building efficiently and eliminate the heat to cool the people by convection and evaporation as appropriate.

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Soil Type

Another important factor about the site is the soil type. The soil type on this site is classified as sandy soil. Sandy soil is one of the most difficult soil types to farm with because of its high sand attributes and water is drained quickly. Water is consistently needed for crops to grow in this type of soil. The texture for sandy soil is gritty and when it is squeezed in the hand, the sand easily falls apart. This type of soil has large particles, these particles with are solid which make it more difficult to retain water and nutrients. As a result, it is more difficult for crops to survive in this soil.

Figure 4: Sandy Soil

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Views

The best views on the site are looking out towards the east and south side. Both the east and south side provide views to farmlands, vegetation, and the mountain ranges of Oaxaca. For this reason, the classroom on the north east, administrative office on the south west, pavilion, porch, workshop and storage space are positioned to take advantage of the scenery views. Yet, the financial office will be more private from the center courtyard and will also have views towards the mountain ranges on the east side. On the site, the north side views private homes and vegetations. As a result of this, the private testing space, greenhouses, and research space will be located facing north. The west side also views private homes, vegetations and mountain ranges. The north west classroom is more private, yet students will be able to view the center courtyard, mountain ranges on the west and vegetation on the north. The conference room is more private which will have less access for views towards the inside of the space from the courtyard and better views towards the west side. On the south side, the lobby and pavilion will be able to view out to the farmland, mountain ranges, and vegetations but the bathroom and showers will be more private. The views coming into the site will show the pavilion, porch, classroom, workshop, and storage space. The testing area and the greenhouses will be privately hidden with organ pipe cactus.

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Figure 5: View to North on the site

Figure 6: View to North on the site

Figure 7: View to East on the site

Figure 8: View to the East on the site 40

Figure 9: View to the West on the site

Figure 10: View to the West on the site

Figure 11: View to the South on the site 41

Infrastructure

The availability of utilities on this site such as a storm sewer, sewer system, water, gas, electric, light, etc. are important. However, in La Raya, a sewage system, a storm sewer, and gas lines are non- existent. The town of La Raya does not have a sewage system, instead a septic tank is located underground in every home. Since there is no sewage system, a septic tank will be located underground for the agriculture center. In La Raya, there is also no storm sewer, but this is not a problem because houses are usually high enough off the ground where water will not overflow into the houses, the soil retains the water, and the heavy rains created their own paths overtime for the water to run off. Even though the agriculture center will be higher than the ground level, the soil will be sloped off the building for water run-off. To supply water for the sinks and showers in the agriculture center, underground water pipes will be connected to the towns water tower. The water tower holds water for up to a thousand people. However, when there is no water in the tower, the people will have to go to the water well, which is located right on the west side of the site, and pump water out. This well is important to take into consideration since it’s one of the main sources of water the community has. On the other hand, the electricity lines are important also. They provide the town with street lights and electricity in every home. For the agriculture center, new electrical line will be settled on the south side of the site in order to get electrical power into the building.

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Existing Structures

On the west and north side of the site, there are private homes. Two private homes on the west side and two private homes on the north side. Since there are private homes in theses directions, the views of the classroom, administrative office, conference room, and porch will be minimal yet enough for the people to view and connect to the outdoors. The research space, testing space, and greenhouse will be more private with organ pipe cactus located on the perimeter of the north side of the agriculture center.

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Program

The overall program will determine how the farmers, young students, and the community will learn and interact with each other in the agriculture center. The program will be the motive behind the circulation of the spaces in the building as well as the spaces. The types of spaces that are usually in an agriculture center can be different depending on the goal of the building. Some agriculture centers are programmed to be for livestock related events such as horse riding. Others serve educational and research purposes. The goals for this specific Agriculture Center in La Raya are: to promote agricultural and entrepreneurship education, provide research and test new agricultural methods in dry land farming, provide up to date farming equipment for better productivity, which will provide economic benefits to the community. The program for this agriculture center will be created with these goals taken into consideration.

Program for The Agriculture Center of La Raya • Pavilion/ Outdoor event space • Kitchen • Outdoor seating • Mudroom • Restrooms with showers • Porch • Lobby • Courtyard • Classrooms • Directors office • Administrative offices • Financial office • Conference room • Research and Testing space • Greenhouse • Workshop • Storage space for farming equipment

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SPACE QUANTITY SQUARE FOOTAGE (SQFT) PER SPACE

PAVILION/OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE 1 1400 KITCHEN 1 800 OUTDOOR SEATING 1 1,000

MUDROOM 2 300 RESTROOMS 2 300 SHOWERS 4 16 PORCH 2 80 LOBBY 1 370 COURTYARD 1 1,300 STORAGE ROOM (CLEANING 1 80 SUPPLIES) CLASSROOMS 2 800 DIRECTORS OFFICE 1 220 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 2 150 FINANCIAL OFFICE 1 330 CONFERENCE ROOM 1 400 RESEARCH ROOM 1 600

TESTING SPACE 1 1,000 GREENHOUSE 2 96 WORKSHOP 1 570 STORAGE SPACE FOR FARMING 1 570 EQUIPMENT

TOTAL 12,172 SQFT

Table above: Square Footage for spaces in the agriculture center of La Raya.

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Figure 12: Program Diagram

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Pavilion/ Outdoor event space

The main priority is to use this outdoor space to host local food markets every week but can also be used for different informal and formal community events. Local farmers will be able to set up a stand and sell their fresh organic crops to customers in the community and from neighboring towns. The community can also host different events such as festivities, fundraising events, sports events, and more.

The pavilion/ outdoor event space will be one of the most important spaces for this agriculture center since it will help the farmers financially and support the community. In addition, this space will be directly accessible from the exterior of the building or coming out of the lobby from inside the agriculture center. Other spaces can be securely closed if the pavilion is used for events. Electrical lighting will be provided for night time use and, in the daytime,, the sun will provide light for the space.

The open pavilion will allow for the east to west wind to flow right through while having views towards the east and west side of the site.

Kitchen

This component of the building serves the purpose of providing a place to provide food for the farmers, people who would like to make food when the market is occurring and sell it, or for the farmers to come in and use it for personal use. The storage will be able to store food straight from the farms.

This kitchen will be accessible from the interior of the building but easily accessible from the outdoor pavilion as well. In this kitchen there will be shelves for storage, a comal to make food, a table to prep the food, sink to wash any food coming from the farms, and a oven for baking. Electrical lighting will be provided in this space and natural lighting from the sun coming from the south.

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Storage Room (cleaning space)

Cleaning supplies will be stored in this space. It can be accessed through the lobby or courtyard.

Outdoor Seating

For this space, farmers, students, and the community will be able to come together and have a place to sit, eat, and socialize. To access this space, the people will need to go through the kitchen to receive their food or it can also be accessed through the front of the building. Located in this space will be tables and chairs with soft natural light coming in. The space will be looking out towards the mountains on the east side. Electrical lighting will also be provided and the wind from the east side to the west will provide a natural air flow through the space.

Mudroom

This space is for the farmers that are coming from the farms, testing area or greenhouses into the building so the dirt is not carried in. Farmers will be able to have a comfortable place to change and wash. If it’s raining, jackets can be placed here as well. There will be sinks for washing, benches, and lockers in this room. This mudroom will be accessed through the pavilion. Electrical lighting will be provided in this space and the use of the sun, when its in south, for natural lighting.

Restrooms/Showers

The restrooms and showers are connected to the mudroom and pavilion for the farmers, who prefer to be able to shower right in the agriculture center, will be able to instead of going home. In this space there will be hangers to hang cloths and towels, and a vent so moisture from the hot water and be evaporated. Electrical light will be provided in these spaces.

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Porch

The porch will be easily accessed from either the outdoor pavilion or through the showers on the east and west side. Here there will be seating for farmers and students who had a long day working in the fields. The farmers will be able to relax and enjoy the views. Electrical lighting will also be provided when it gets dark.

Lobby

The lobby will be accessed through the Pavilion/ Outdoor event space. A receptionist and reception desk will be in the lobby to guide people to specific spaces and answer any questions about the agriculture center. There will be seating in the lobby for visitors and locals to socialize. In addition to the lobby, an exhibition of either local art work or artifacts of tools used in the past for agriculture will be displayed. Display cases will be required for the artifacts. People will be able to observe and read about the different artifacts that will be exhibited. In this space the north wind will be able to flow through the courtyard and right through the lobby to the outdoor pavilion. There will also be electrical light in this space since the space will be shaded from the north and south side.

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Courtyard/garden

After going through the lobby, there will be an open courtyard that will provide a space for the people to come together immediately right after walking out of class or office and it will be used as a focal point for this agriculture center to connect different spaces together. The center courtyard will be easily accessible coming out from the rooms on the perimeter. In the center courtyard, the space will be in a slightly lower level than the rest of the building. There will be benches, a tree, and more plants around the courtyard to create a space where people will come together and feel comfortable. Since courtyards usually create thermal impacts, there will be spaces in between rooms for the north and east winds to come into the courtyard and flow right through.

Classrooms

Two classrooms will be located on the north east and north west side of the building. The classrooms will be essential for farmers and future farmers that want to develop their knowledge and experiences through workshops and education but can also be used for other purposes. Teachers will be able to use this space to communicate their knowledge and teach upcoming farmers about agriculture and personal development skills. The classrooms will be able to be accessed through the lobby or center courtyard.

Inside these classrooms, there will be desks, chairs, a chalkboard, and shelf spaces for books. The north east classroom will have natural sunlight in the morning from east and natural ventilation will come from the eastern winds. On the north west classroom, natural sunlight will be coming in from the west side when the sun is settling in and will be shaded from the sun during the morning and afternoon. The winds will come through the east of the building straight through the west side of this classroom for natural ventilation. Both classrooms will have electric power for lighting as well.

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Directors Office

The director of the agriculture center will be able to plan, coordinate, and supervise the day-to- day operations of the agriculture center. This space can be accessed through the lobby, courtyard, or any space on the perimeter of the courtyard.

This room will have a office desk, chairs, file cabinets, small conference table, and a seating area. The director’s offices will have natural sunlight coming in from the west side when the sun is settling in and will be shaded from the sun during the morning and afternoon. The winds will come through the east of the building straight through the west side of this office for natural ventilation.

This office will have electric power for lighting as well.

Administrative offices

There will be two administrative offices where administrators can support the agriculture center by maintaining records, organize files, make financial arrangements such as budgeting, do bookkeeping procedures, etc. The administrative offices are located on the south east and south west and are accessed from the lobby, or center courtyard. This room will need to be able to fit an office desk, small conference table, chairs, file cabinets, and a seating area. The administrative offices will be shaded from the sun during the morning and afternoon and will have natural sunlight coming in from the west side when the sun is settling in. The winds will come through the east of the building straight through the west side of this office for natural ventilation. Both offices will have electric power for lighting as well.

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Financial office

A private financial office is needed in order to offer micro-loans and rentals to farmers. Micro- loans give the farmer an opportunity to start and improve farming operations. Also, farmers will be able to sign documents for equipment rentals. For this room farmers will meet with a financial accountant to support the farmers agriculture micro-business. This space is easily accessed from the lobby, center courtyard, administrative offices, classrooms, and is next to the storage space for equipment but not accessible through this space. This space will include file cabinets, a desk for the financial accountant, chairs, a scanner/printer to print and scan documents, and an outdoor waiting area with benches for people to sit. In the morning, the sun will rise and provide this space with natural lighting and when the prevailing winds come from the east to west, the space will be naturally ventilated.

Conference room

The conference room will allow staff and the community to hold meetings and presentations.

This room is located on the west side of the building since it is intended to be more private but can be accessible from the lobby, center courtyard, offices, and classrooms. The conference room will have tables and chairs, a chalkboard and pin up space against the wall for any presentations. In this space natural light will be able to come into the space when the sun rising on the east side and then when the sun is setting on the west side. Electrical light will also be provided in this space. For natural ventilation, air will be able to flow through this room when the winds are coming from the east to the west.

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Research space

In the research space, agricultural research will be conducted and recorded. Researching different agricultural crops, agricultural methods, soil types, and the science behind agriculture will bring in new innovations to agriculture in La Raya. There will be a file cabinet to store all the recordkeeping, lab tables, chairs, both natural and electrical lighting, microscopes, weight scales, storage space for equipment, safety goggles, and a sink. The research space is best located on the north side in between the classrooms and in front of the testing space. The north side is dedicated for education. The research space is easily accessible from the center courtyard, classrooms on the east and west sides, and testing space on the north side. The wind will also be used for natural ventilation coming in from the north to south winds and the sun from the south will be able to provide natural light into the space.

Testing space

The testing space, not a traditional testing space where testing is usually done inside of a building or a lab, instead, it will be the farmland located on the north side of the agriculture center. The testing space is easily accessible directly from the research space, walking through the courtyard, and classrooms. The testing space will be divided into three sections for different crops: corn, black beans, and maguey plant, but the space will also be flexible for seasonal crops. There will be a path dividing up the spaces and pachycereus marginatus cactus, also known as organ pipe cactus because of its shape, for fencing on the perimeter. Organ pipe cactus is perfect to be used as fencing since it can grow from twelve feet up to twenty feet. This space is intended to emphasize the relationship between farmers and agriculture.

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Greenhouse

Two 8 x 12 greenhouses will be included so farmers can grow specific crops all year round and not have to worry about pests, or temperature. A different approach to growing crops. Also, this greenhouse will be used to test and conduct research for crops. The greenhouses will be located near the research and testing space. There are a couple of options to access the greenhouses. If the farmer, student, or staff is walking in from the pavilion, they will have to walk through the lobby and green space straight towards the north side of the building where a small set of open stairs are located in between the classrooms and research spaces. It can also be accessed from the research space, making it more convenient to do testing right behind in the greenhouses and testing space. The greenhouses will also be positioned horizontally in order for the crops and plants to receive enough sun. In the greenhouses, there will be a tool rack, pots for crops and plants, labels and markers for labeling different crops, benches and shelves, proper ventilation when the temperature is too hot, and some powered light to be able to work during the spring and fall months.

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Workshop

This space will be required to fix any mechanical equipment that needs maintenance such as the tractor. The workshop will be connected to the storage space for equipment and can be accessed from the front exterior or back and by walking down a small set of stairs in between the financial office and classroom. It will include storage for tools, workshop tables to be able to work at an appropriate height, natural ventilation to let fresh air inside and air pollutants out, a safety shower unit, a sink, electrical outlets to connect power tools, and electrical lighting for better vision. This space is necessary in order to keep agriculture industrialized from traditional methods. Also, this workshop will be big enough to fit a tractor. By positioning the workshop horizontally, natural light will be able to come into the building from the south and the wind from the north can flow right through the building for passive cooling and letting out polluted air.

Storage space for equipment/Training space

Farmers will first go to the financial office where the farmer will be able to talk with the accountant about renting or returning equipment. After, the farmer will be able to walk to this space and choose the equipment that he needs for his job. Also, training to teach the famers and students how to use the mechanical equipment will be held here. This space can be accessed by walking down a small set of stairs in between the financial office and classroom. In addition, the space can be accessed from the front or back exterior of the storage space. The storage space will include, hangers for hand equipment, space large enough to store a tractor, shelve space, electrical outlets, and electrical lighting. By positioning the storage space horizontally, the wind from the north can flow right through the building for passive cooling and letting polluted air out. Natural light will also be able to come into the building from the south. 55

Schematic Design

The schematic design for the “Centro de Agricultura de La Raya, Oaxaca” is influenced by the goals and needs that are required by the farmers, students, and the community. The traditional architecture of Mexico, natural materials, and the site also had a major impact on the design.

Before starting to design the agriculture center, there are goals that needed to be reached. One of the main goals for this project is to create a building that responds to its surroundings in order to take advantage of the environment for sustainability. Before starting to design, looking at the site plan was important to start to think about how the building can take advantage of its natural environment.

By analyzing the site, it helped determine what rooms will have a close and further relationship (See

Figure 12). The second goal was to design a building, the way the people in the community will use it

(See figure 2 for circulation). The majority of people in La Raya, are connected to the outside and rarely inside in an enclosed space. Not only are people usually outside in La Raya but this is all-around Mexico and South America as well. By including a center courtyard, the farmers, students, community, and staff can have a place to come together. This also creates a human connection to the outdoors. The only time a person is not connected to the outside is when they have to go into a room. As soon as you step outside of a room, you are directly outside. There is no enclosed hallway that will stop the user from being connected to the outside.

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Figure 13: Preliminary design sketch.

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Before coming to a final design, looking at the local and traditional materials of Oaxaca that would be used was a significant part in the beginning of this design. The materials reflect the vernacular architecture that is sadly starting to slowly fade away. Some of the materials that were chosen are carrizo, better known as reed in english, rammed earth which can be mixed with the soil found on the site, fieldstone that can be found on the site, concrete, clay tiles for its traditional roofing use, and cactus for fencing to create privacy in between neighboring buildings.

Figure 14: Local Materials. 58

One of the main materials that has multiple purposes is Carrizo. Carrizo can be used for aesthetic and sustainable purposes. It can be cut into smaller pieces and create an aesthetically pleasing details on doors, ceilings, and walls. For this project, figuring out a way that the carrizo can provide an exterior skin to allow for natural cooling to pass throughout the building was one of the many ways it can be used. By having a non-load bearing skin of carrizo, it created an illusion as if the building was wider than it really is. This also provides shading, but it allows a small amount of natural sunlight to come in as well.

Figure 15: Exterior Carrizo Skin Wall sketch 59

Before coming to a conclusion of using rammed earth walls, carrizo could be used to create walls and doors that are covered with a mix of wet earth and paja (straw). Once dried up, the walls were solid.

Figure 16: Carrizo walls/ details.

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Lattices are also a traditional characteristic of the Oaxacan architecture. During the schematic design process, learning and researching what characteristics the traditional Oaxacan architecture has allowed for the use lattices for passive cooling but also for looks. The design of the lattice can be created in different variations but for this project, on the kitchen wall, rammed earth was used but with a simple design like the first design all the way at the bottom (See Figure 17).

Figure 17: Celosias (lattices) Design. 61

The traditional construction methods of Mexico are starting to fade away. The elders, that were born in the early 90’s are starting to pass away. This is a problem for the traditional construction methods and traditional architecture of Mexico since the knowledge will be lost once the elders are gone. During the schematic design process, staying true to the culture, location, and the vernacular architecture of

Mexico, lead to the start of developing a building that will bring awareness to future generations and other influential architects around Oaxaca and the entire country of Mexico.

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Structural Design

By researching case studies such as Sport City Oaxaca, which used traditional construction methods of Mexico for the structure aspect for the project, there was an opportunity to be able to come to a conclusion on how the construction of the agriculture center can come together. One of the main challenged for the structural design, was figuring out which materials are structurally strong enough to provide support for the clay tiles on the roof and how all the materials were going to work together do to make sure the building will be able to support any load. Before the final design, researching which sustainable materials were used for structure was important.

Foundation

For the foundation, concrete was chosen because of its strength characteristics and it used all over Mexico as a construction material. Originally, a stone foundation would be constructed for the base of the building. However, because of choosing to do the walls with rammed earth, a concrete foundation is necessary. To keep it as traditional as possible, by using a stone shelf, there is an opportunity to clad the foundation wall with field stone found directly on the site. This makes the foundation appear as if it there is a stone foundation.

Rammed Earth Walls

Moving up from the foundation, rammed earth walls were chosen because of its load bearing capacity and its history as a material used in Mexico. Without this material for the walls, the building would not be able to have the structural strength it needs. The walls are 24 inches wide and made of gravel, clay, sand silt, cement. To make the walls stronger, rebar was put in for extra structural support and strength. 63

Figure 18: Sketches of stone foundation, rammed earth and adobe wall, and shed roof 64

Bamboo Structure Another important factor for this project was have a shed roof to allow for passive ventilation throughout the building. To do this, bamboo was used another form of structural support. Bamboo is used all over Mexico and throughout South America as a building material. Bamboo is a strong, lightweight, flexible, and easy to transport material. To protect from weather conditions, agave and aloe vera can be used as a natural protectant. In the image below, carrizo is attached to the bamboo to allow the wind to flow through the building.

Figure 19: Image above shows how the building is assembled, .

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Connections

To join the bamboo to the rammed earth walls, a hole must be drilled vertically onto the horizontal piece of bamboo that is sitting on top of the rammed earth wall. The hole must be the big enough for a piece of bamboo to go through and be attached to a cement base (See figure 24 for wall section). For bamboo to bamboo connections, traditionally, notches, nodes, and rope would be used. However, for this project, the use of notches, nodes and nut and bolts were used to connect the bamboo together. The nodes, which is the part of the bamboo that creates a break in between the long pieces of bamboo, are required at the beginning and end of the horizontal pieces of bamboo in order for the bamboo to not collapse by the vertical piece. With the use of notches, the bamboo is allowed to sit vertically on a horizontal piece of bamboo. The image below, figure 20, demonstrates a horizontal nut and bolt being hooked by a vertical hook nut and bolt. Before inserting a nut and bolt, a hole must be drilled in between nodes. As the top nut gets tighter, the hook bolt hooks on tighter for a stronger connection onto the horizonal piece. This secures a strong connection in between the two pieces of bamboo. The same concept is used for the roof and angled connections. 66

Figure 20: Detail above shows the structural connection in between two pieces of bamboo by using a nut and hook bolt.

Figure 21: Detail above demonstrates the connection from the bamboo to the roof 67

Figure 22: Detail above demonstrates how an angles piece of bamboo is connected

Figure 23: Detail above demonstrates how pieces that are angled attach to a horizontal piece of bamboo.

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Roof

For the roof, traditionally, logs that act as joists would sit on the load bearing walls and going on top of the logs in a perpendicular direction, are carrizo and pieces of wood that stretch to be around five to six feet in length. On top of the carrizo and wood, clay tiles would be positioned in the direction of the slope for water runoff. The clay tiles and carrizo would be joined with mud that has high clay content to dry up and act a natural mortar. For this project, two by eights would be used instead of carrizo and wood combined together. However, the way the roof tiles are joined in the building will still be the traditional way with mud.

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Figure 24: Detailed wall section. 70

Final Design The Centro de Agricultura de La Raya, Oaxaca was designed with the thought of how the farmers, students, and the community are going to use and benefit from the building. Keeping the building as traditional as possible to its location was important as well. The traditional vernacular architecture of Oaxaca is starting to be seen less as time goes by. By using local and accessible materials, the building will promote the traditional vernacular architecture and bring awareness to the people. With natural materials that were used in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, a building can be created that is far ahead of its time. In addition, the colors of the materials also connecting the building to its site. By using local materials, the building becomes more sustainable. The climate in La Raya,

Oaxaca is hot and dry. Temperatures reaching over one hundred degrees is common and the lowest is around sixty degrees. The sun creates a harsh environment for the farmers to work. It’s rare that it rains in La Raya, but when it does rain, it rains an excess amount that a river starts to occur on the street north on the site. Thinking about sustainability led to a including a water harvesting system to collect rain water, the water can be reused for toilets, showers, sinks and to water crops. Since the climate is extremely hot most of the year, providing shading was also a key factor for this design. Using the wind for passive cooling throughout building also will help cool down the rooms as well.

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Figure 25: Floor plan 72

Building Section through through Section Building

research room. research

: :

26 Figure Figure 73

Building Section through through Section Building

research room research : :

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Figure 74

Building Section Building : :

28 Figure Figure 75

Water Harvesting Harvesting Water

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29 Figure Figure 76

Water harvesting system harvesting Water

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30 Figure Figure 77

building

Passive cooling through through cooling Passive

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31 Figure Figure 78

Sun shading Sun : :

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Figure Figure 79

Bamboo structure system structure Bamboo

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33 Figure Figure 80

34: Isometric view Isometric 34: Figure Figure 81

Entrance rendering Entrance

35: 35: Figure Figure 82

36: Courtyard rendering Courtyard 36:

Figure 83

rendering Courtyard 37:

Figure 84

Structural Model Structural

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3

Figure Figure 85

printed model on site on model printed

D D

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3 Figure Figure 86

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References

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