WILDLIFE PRESERVATION AND LEARNING CENTER
PROPOSAL
Intro American politics are in turmoil when dealing with our borders and border security. The border with Mexico in particular has become a topic that has created a divide not only between two nations, but between our own nation as well. It has created heated discussions between many people and political parties that have resulted in no solutions that can please either side. The current plan in place is to build a large wall to give a clear divide between Mexico and the United States. This creates several problems for both nations, and could possibly destroy the long-standing reputation the United States has estab. lished of being the melting pot of the world. We believe it is important to steer away from the idea of a wall to address border security. For start. ers a wall would be expensive for the country to build as well as to maintain properly. This idea does not provide either side with opportunities to generate revenue, rehabilitate communities, and allow these communities to thrive. We believe it is important for a solution to combat all issues with the border, but not destroy areas along the border. Although, a wall may be the most effective way to keep people out of the country we believe this will ultimately result in greater issues that will cause even more tension between the two nations. In our extensive research we concluded that building a reservation that will preserve and re. habilitate animals is the ideal solution to solve issues of border security. This solution is the best way to resolve this issue because it will create a barrier that both sides can support. This project will not only keep areas along the border unharmed, but it will push for these areas to thrive and be developed further to enhance the habitats. It will give habitats chances to flourish with proper maintenance from people of the local area. The program that a reservation requires allows for several opportunities for revenue streams to be implemented within our project. This means several jobs for the communities along the border at numerous different skill levels that people in the local area can retain to allow these ar. eas to be elevated financially. A reservation that preserves habitats is something that both countries can benefit from in many different ways. This will mend relationships, and give the countries opportunities to work together to build something instead of working to piece together a shattered system. A reservation can be inclusive by both countries with financials, as well as the workforce that supports these reservations. In our sketches we have found that it is essential that we filter our design through the process of reha. bilitation. This five-step process begins with the search and retrieval of injured and abandoned animals that aren’t able to function without help. Our site will be designed for a select few of species that are on the endangered list, but the sanctuary will be designed in a way that it can hold a variety of different species. The next stage in this process involves the immediate treatment of the animal. This stage will in. volve an assessment of the animal’s health, and immediate care of the animal if care is needed. Once the an. imal is stable it will be moved to a small and contained area that allows for the animal to heal properly while being in a space that is closely watched. The fourth step in this process is moving these animals into a larger area on site that is still controlled and designed for the animals healing process. This stage in the process allows for animals to regain their sense of the wilderness without being thrust into the wild directly. This allows for the animal to adjust and let the caretakers know the animal is ready to be placed into the final stage of the process, which is the release of the fully healed animal. This process is simple and will be the main focus of the sanctuary. This has given us the blueprints of how we should develop our program within the site.
In all of these habitats we found that the heart of them is the Rio Grande River. This river starts in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and flows approximately 1,990 miles through three U.S. states (Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas) and five Mexican states (Durango, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tam. Paulip. as) and ends in the Gulf of Mexico. This major river is significant to the habitats it runs through. It gives these areas nutrients and water necessary for the ecosystems to thrive. That behind said the Rio Grande is the 10th most endangered river in the world. This is due to climate change, human activity, invasive plant species, and rapid population growth. If the trend of damaging this river continues the effects could be catastrophic and irreversible. One of our goals is to rehabilitate the river by developing a smarter plan to maintain the surrounding areas that feed off of the river. both cities (Laredo in yellow and Nuevo Laredo in red). The areas in green are the habitats that the sanctuary will focus on rehabilitating. This will be the main areas that the search and rescue teams will be surveying and retrieving animals.
Site Analysis We began to study our site more intensely. We diagrammed many of the factors that influence the site as well as the surrounding areas. The diagrams that stood out to us the most were the edges and the enclosures. These directly lead us to choosing the exact site location in which we’re to use going forward. These diagrams are showing significant edges and areas that would be hard to disrupt in our de. sign. Some of the key edges that were located include the Rio Grande river, the railroad track, Ainsworth Rd to the north, and avenue 15 de Junio to the south. These edges lock in our site very clearly and give us a large open and mostly undisturbed piece of landscape to work with. In our design we are planning to rebuild the landscape as much as possible. This means that we plan to build upon areas that are already in use, while developing the open land with more trees, water, and other essentials for a habitat to thrive in. Specifically we are looking for the bulk of our construction to be located in the northeast section of our site that is just south of Ainsworth Rd. and just east of the railroad track. Currently this area is a residential district. We are planning to relocate these residents to a different location in order for us to build upon this land. In the below diagram you can see the site we are choosing to work with. The site is highlighted in the orange. As stated before it covers most of the green landscape that is currently untouched. The sec. tion above the orange that is directly east of railroad tracks is the residential district that we plan to relocate Our research we then began to dive into the population of the area; this includes human, animal and plant populations. We found that the human population is roughly 260,000 people in the local area. This population is fairly even with a slight edge to more females when it comes to the gender separation. The median age for this population is 28, which is great in terms of our project because we can source most of the labor from the local area due to the median age being in the working class age. Diving further into this population we found that the overall poverty rate in the area in 16.02% which is slightly above the national average of 12.3%. In the research we concluded that a large portion of the area is unemployed. We believe that the installation of our design will give the area thousands of jobs that range from doctors to janitors. This project can give several different people the opportunity to work their way out of pov. erty. The habitats surrounding our site are extremely diverse. We found that the site on a macro scale that we are targeting to heal includes grasslands, desserts, and mountains. Due to the large diversity in habitats this can mean a large diversity in species of plants and animals. We have discovered a list of an. imals that are in the surrounding area that are close to or on the endangered list. Some of these include the spotted ocelot, Texas tortoise, jackrabbit, Texas horned lizard and white nosed coati. Each of the animals are a vital part of the ecosystems they live in. Without them thriving the ecosystem could mal. function and be disrupted. These animals are site specific, and were chosen to be the focal point of our design because of them being native to the area. We would also like to develop a strong base to further grow and enhance the plant population. We are planning to grow a wide variety of plants throughout the site, but in a way that will give each of the species a chance to thrive.
Project details In our initial discussion we focused on the big picture of the reservation. We are dividing the proj. ect up into three large sections that cover the program. The initial section and the backbone of the sanc. tuary is the animal bases this section is more on its own. It is connected to the other two sections, but is not directly related. The other two sections include a central hub and recreational centers. These two sections of our project are distinct, but closely linked in program as well as location within the site. There will be five animal bases spread out through the site. Each of these bases will be designat. ed for one of the specific species we have set the sanctuary to care for (Spotted Ocelot, Texas Tortoise, Jackrabbit, Texas Horned Lizard and White Nosed Coati). Each of these bases will be placed in a specific spot within the site that will be catered to the specific animals. For example, we are planning to place the White Nosed Coati in the area we designate to have the most woodland. The Coati is an animal that lives within the trees and needs a woodland type ecosystem to survive. The bases will be designed with the five-step process in mind and led us to developing this program. In stage two of this process we have established that the animal is to go to the accessing/immediate care process. This means we will require emergency rooms and care centers. In the next stage the animal will move to close watch. This will re. quire spaces that are appropriate to the size of the animals, but this space will include chambers that protect the animal from the harsh environment and allow them to heal without further harm. Once the animal is regaining its stability it will then be transferred to the free-range space. In these locations we will be allowing the animal to roam as if it were in the wild but it still being within a contained area for its protection. The central hub component of our will include most of our revenue generating components of our design. This will be the first thing every person that is coming to visit our site. The idea for this space is that the hub will be the center point for the rest of the site to connect to. This will allow for easy access throughout the site. Each piece of our site will be branching off of the central hub. The first part of the central hub will be the entrance that will include security. This security will be extensive enough due to its proximity to the border. Also towards the front will be the ticket and info center. IN our plans we are going to incorporate two main entrances, one on either side of boarder. This will give visitors from both countries to access the sanctuary easily without having to cross the border. We are requiring that proper identification be presented upon passing through security. This is mainly due to the sanctuary being in both countries, and becomes a possible passage for illegal crossings into the other country. We are planning for this area to be a social center for people to relax, have a bite to eat, and shop. We plan to line this area with a mix of retail and restaurants that will bring in more interest and revenue for the site. Branching off directly next to the central hub will be our recreational section of the sanctu. ary. This will include pieces like cottages, a museum, learning center, this section of the project will be designed for people to learn and grow from the activities that are happening in the project. Our museum will be focusing the information on animals, plants and the habitats that surrounds the area. It will be informing visitors what types of species (large and small) are roaming throughout the habitats. It will have life size representations of some of these species within example habitats to give people perspective on how these animals live. Also embedded within the museum program we plan to have sections designated towards informing people about immigration and the border. This will give a variety of info throughout the museum to keep people interested without being overwhelmed with information. We will have key me. mentos and artifacts that will be displayed throughout the museum and that relate to both habitats and immigration between the two countries. Also within the section of the project will be the main learning center for the project. This building or buildings will include program such as classrooms, labs, video rooms, and small exhibits of plants and animals for visitors to study and learn from. This will bring in opportunities for camps for students as
well as field trips for schools to visit, and give students the opportunity to be exposed to everything that the sanctuary is pushing to accomplish. Having this program within our design will allow for pos. sible internships or other levels of employment for people to research, study, and work within an envi. ronmental science field. With the idea of camps in mind we are planning to have cottages dispersed a safe area. This will be cabin like buildings dispersed throughout a wooded area. We plan to open this part of the site up to camping visitors for a short stays throughout the year. Giving visitors the full experience of the habitats while on a nice getaway. To connect all of the bases that we plan to disperse throughout the site we are going to have two means of connection, the first being a pathway that loops around the site connecting the bases. We are planning to have the majority of this pathway elevated off the ground enough to not disturb the an. imals below. This is important to us because we are trying to build up and maximize the landscape within our site to be as healthy and flourishing as possible. We don’t want the animals to be in cages when they are in the large open area, because we want them to feel as close to being in the wild as possible. This means we will have to contain the humans that walk through the pathway. We will devise a system that is open, but restricts roaming outside the pathway for the humans and animals security. The need for vehicle transportation will also be required to move animals to the bases rapidly. This will lead us to come up with a system that coincides with the walkway throughout the site so we disturb as little landscape as possible. The second major transportation for visitors throughout the site will be a tram system that will connect the bases. This will give people the opportunity to travel to the bases within the site fast. er and with more ease. Each base including the central hub will have a tram station that the tram will stop at. We have not worked out if we will have a loop system connecting all the bases or a system that connects the central hub to the bases directly. Another possible solution is a combination of these two where we have a loop connecting adjacent stations and a direct connection to the central hub. Below are a few sketches that layout program throughout the site. We are about to develop the pro. gram through the five-step process. In the diagrams you can see the distinct sections that are for each of the animals will be catered towards in the project. You can see the tram system in the pink with the station at each of the bases. The walkway, which is in yellow, has a couple variations as well.
Animal Descriptions
The central focus of the sanctuary is the plants and animals well being. This means that whatev. er we do we will have to double check to make sure that it does not disturb the wildlife living within the sanctuary. As mentioned before we are planning to have a set list of five animals that are on or near the endangered list. The same premise goes for the plant life we are planning to grow throughout the site. The main animals we plan to make the central focus of rehabilitating include the Spotted Ocelot, Texas Tortoise, Jackrabbit, Texas Horned Lizard and White Nosed Coati. These list of animals give us a variety of different species with a variety of different requirements. This is a benefit for the sanctuary because we will build the site in a way that can combat these different habitats that are needed. While doing this we are able to give a multiple of different settings. This means when the group of people that search out for the animals at risk, and they find animals that the site is not directly tasked to rehabilitate we are able to combat these animals as well. We will be able to pair the animals up with the correct style of habitat as well as the correct pairing of animals. The Spotted Ocelot is the centerpiece for the entire sanctuary. This particular will be a great animal use for branding and attract people into the sanctuary to come and see the project. An ocelot is a small wild cat that is native to the southwest of the United States as well as the majority of Central America and South America. The ocelot can be compared to jaguars and cheetahs, but they are much small. er in
Animal Descriptions The central focus of the sanctuary is the plants and animals well being. This means that whatever we do we will have to double check to make sure that it does not disturb the wildlife living within the sanctuary. As mentioned before we are planning to have a set list of five animals that are on or near the endangered list. The same premise goes for the plant life we are planning to grow throughout the site. The main animals we plan to make the central focus of reha. bilitating include the Spotted Ocelot, Texas Tortoise, Jackrab. bit, Texas Horned Lizard and White Nosed Coati. These list of animals give us a variety of different species with a variety of different requirements. This is a benefit for the sanctuary because we will build the site in a way that can combat these different habitats that are needed. While doing this we are able to give a multiple of different settings. This means when the group of people that search out for the animals at risk, and they find animals that the site is not directly tasked to rehabilitate we are able to combat these animals as well. We will be able to pair the animals up with the correct style of habitat as well as the correct pairing of animals. The Spotted Ocelot is the centerpiece for the entire sanctuary. This particular will be a great animal use for branding and attract people into the sanctuary to come and see the project. An ocelot is a small wild cat that is native to the southwest of the United States as well as the major. ity of Central America and South America. The ocelot can be compared to jaguars and cheetahs, but they are much smaller in size. These cats are roughly around 20lbs as a fully mature ocelot. The small mammal preys on rabbits, rodents, birds, fish and even reptiles. Our next largest species that the site is directed to. wards is the White Nosed Coati. Fully mature Coati’s weigh on average 15lbs. This species is part of the Procynidae family, and is similar to raccoons. Most Coatis can be found in the South. west Region of the United States as well as Central America. The Coati requires a wooded area that can be dry and moist. The omnivore prefers to feed on fruits, insects, snakes and eggs. They live mostly within the tress for protection from animals such as boas, raptors a bird of prey, and hunting cats like the ocelot.
Another step down in size is the Jackrabbit. This particular species is similar to the rabbit most people think of, but they are slightly larger in size and have much longer ears. This species can be found in similar locations as the Ocelot and the Coati, Southwest Region of the United States and Central America. The Texas Tortoise can be found in South Texas and North Mexico. This type of tortoise lives with. in grasslands and dry scrub. They feed on much of the plant life that are natives to these areas such as the fruit of the cactus known as the prickly pear. Our final species and smallest species is the Texas Horned Lizard. This spikey reptile is found In Northern Mexico and states such as Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, and Texas. In some rare cases these liz. ards have been found in states like the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. These small animals are highly cam. ouflaged, and also puff up to make their scale protrude and make it difficult to eat for predators. These animals are know to be extremely docile animals and enjoy being in a sunny environment.
Conclusion We believe this plan is the best solution for the areas that are along the border of the United States and Mexico. As proven above we have shown that this substitution for a wall that would span the length of the border is a better solution financially and socially. This project gives both countries opportunities for revenue and employment in areas that are currently lacking a good quality of life. This solution also resolves many of the issues of not having a physical barrier that would span across this border. This project will have areas that are well protected. This protection is designed for the animal’s safety. This project will help mend relationships on both sides of the border, and bring interest to the border that is positive instead of negative impact.
PRECEDENTS CAMOUFLAGE ARCH. this design is more than just a wall, and more of a beneficial connection. Our studies indicate that our design will improve earth’s Habitats, animals, and Human,s by employing thousands in the South Texas Plains Region. Patkau Architects
Patkau Architects' winning design for s ix small, efficient, sustainable c ottages w ill serve as the basis of a final design, to be imple mented following regulatory approval and fundraising. The six houses will be submerged in the l andscape o f Bear R un Nature Reserve and provide accommodation for v isitors involved in the Fallingwater Institute’s educa tional programs.
renzo piano california academy of science "The soil’s moisture andthe phenomenon of thermal inertia, cools the inside of the museum significantly, thus a voiding the need for air-conditioning i n the ground-floor public areas and the research offices a long the facade. All the functions laid out around a central courtyard act as entrance lobby and is covered by a concave glass canopy with a reticular structure reminiscent of a spider’s web, open at the centre.”
UCCA Dune Art Museum (OPEN Arch)
the art museum u nderneath the d unes surrounding i t was designed for the archi tects’ deep reverence for nature a nd their desire to protect the vulnerable dune ecosys tem, formed b y natural forces o ver thou sands o f years. L ooking through d ifferent openings framed by the building, museum-goers can observe the ever-changing expressions of the sky and sea throughout the day.
DESIGN PROCESS Race
Employment and Sex
15.5% 21.42% 23% 8.84% 10.64% 18.76%
9.30% Employed Female
34% Unemployed 26.7% Employed
Male
7% Unemployed
39%
Education Islander
26.7%
Black
Less Than Highschool
Hispanic
14.4%
White High School
Asian
9.6%
Native Some College
OTHER
7%
Overall Poverty Rate
16.02%
Bachelors or Greater
Stats
Within our project we strived to hire a local labor force to run the site. The local statistics we found showed that the majority of the area was living in poverty. We believe this project will help to boost the local economy.
Poverty
Female 130,943
51%
Male 124,362
Female Male Total
48%
29 27 28
50% 30% 15% 5% 78% 15% 6.6% Married
Non-Family
Female
Male
Catholic
Protestant
None
AKA ZEE Maize, Zea mays can grown in light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) soils. provides shelter for medium to small-sized animals.
Walkers Maize
THE CHAIN
found on well-drained soils in subtropical thorny woodlands and tall shrublands.
Texas Ayenia
Chapparal
Texas Tortoise inhabits semi-desert areas and in southern Texas it lives in scrub forests in humid, subtropical areas, preferring open scrub woods and well-drained, sandy soils.
White nosed Coati Found in a variety of habitats, including dry, open forests and tropical woodlands...oc� cupy many different types of habitat, from tropical lowlands to dry, high-alti� tude forests.
Star cactus grows on gravelly, somewhat salty, clay or loam soils in areas of sparse vegetation in grassy thornscrub.
found in open, unshaded areas located within a mile or so of a water source, also grows in mesquite woodlands and grass lands. thrives in bright, sunny areas with well-draining, porous soil.
Tampaulipas
Desserts
Texas Horned Lizard They can be found in arid and semiarid habitats in open areas with sparse plant cover. Because horned lizards dig for hibernation, nesting and insula� tion purposes, they commonly
Black Lace Cactus
Occurs in sandy soils in level or gently rolling grasslands with scattered shrubs. practices that remove the seed bank which out-compete ashy dogweed, will decrease population growth.
Ashy Dogweed
GrassLands
Spotted Ocelot The Ocelot is an incredibly adaptable animal that can be found in variety of habitats including tropical forests, grasslands, mangrove forests and marshes provid�
Jack Rabbit The black-tailed jack rabbit (Lepus californicus) is a desert dweller, inhabiting all 4 southwestern
THE SOURCE
Rio Grande river
The depletion of natural rescources in the Texas Mexico Region has greatly affected the animals, the humans but most impor� tantly the well being our our planet mother earth. These areas we will focus on replenishing the environment. The Rio Grande River Provides life to over 6 million people and is the 10th most endangered river in the world. it runs through the San Juan Mtns. of Colorado to Gulf of Mexico Apprx. 1,990 miles (5th longest in North America, and 20th longest in the world)Flows through US: Colo� rodo, New Mexico, Texas. Mexico: Durango, Chihua� hua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tampaulipas.
A Closer Look Land the animals will come from
City of Laredo
macro site
City of Nuevo Laredo
Site
micro site
Landscape
Edges
Cityscape
Built vs land
edges
Boundry 1 Residential
Boundry 2 Boundry 3 Boundry 4
Commercial
Boundry 5
Boundries
Boundry 6 Boundry 7
Districts
Institution
Initial Studies
expected Existing
Perimeter
HOme & Base
Tree rejuvination
0.Barren land 1. Vertical Structure (WOODLAND): the layers of different plant forms from top to bottom they are the canopy, 2. Horizontal structure (watershed) at a watershed scale, refers to the arrangement of different habitat types as seen from above, lakes, streams, water. 3. patches (Grasslands) Large reserves/patches offer advantages that should be exploited in wildlife planning efforts. 4. rainforest Plant trees & shrubs in grass/forb corridors.
Spatial Zones
Current zone
North Bay Main land West Bay
East Bay Mid-way South Bay
Orientation
Cultivated land
Rehabilatated Zones
Contour
landscape analysis
Wind
Landscape vs Cityscape
Summer Solstice
9Am
3pm winter Solstice
12pm
Conceptual drawings
parti Studies
Initial Parti
6th iteration
7th iteration 2nd iteration
8th iteration
3rd iteration
4th iteration
5th iteration
INITIAL STUDIES Camouflage Design Cultivated land
grass land
wood land
Wet land
water shed
THE NEW BOARDER
A R
F
B
aMERICA
M MEXICO
Camouflage Design
"Camouflage architecture sees the building itself become a background element. The focus shifts toward how the users of the building might accumulate identifi� cations through the somatic relationships that the building facilitates. The results of this application are presented as an architectural explanation of Camou� quote taken from Thesis abstract of Te Kura Waihanga flage.”
Harvest
cULTIVATE a conservation plan is effective for some wildlife species if it were apart of a water� shed corridor or at a minimum the larger landscape context of the farm, ranch, or community were considered. The habitat function of corridors at the farm or ranch scale is often more important than the conduit FUNCTION.
Benefits: offers sufficient natural light and picturesque views, concealment, rigid structure, exposure to nature, natural ventilation, thermal massing, merges wit landscape, aerial camouflauge, inlence of biomimicry.
Base and zone 3
zone 2
CORRRIDORS Continuous corri� dors are better thanfragmented corridors.Wider corridors are better than narrow corridors. Natural connectivi� ty should be maintained or restored. Intro� duced connectivity should be studied carefully. Two or more corridor connections between patches (redundancy) are better than one.
vERICAL STRUCTURE Complex forested plant communities may have five or more layers; from top to bottom they are the canopy, the understory, the shrub layer, the herbaceous layer, and the forest floor. At the other extreme, a wheat field for example, usually has only one layer wheat.
zone1
Patches Large patches are better than small reserves/patches.Connected reserves/patches are better than separated reserves/patches. Unified reserves/patches are better than fragmented reserves/patches. Several reserves� patches (redundan� cy) are better than one reserve/patch. Nearness is better than separation.
Trail Circulation
The Walkway flows throughout the site offering an exsquisite site and reverses the role of the free humans and caged animals, allowing people to witness the beauti� ful nature walk whilst learn about the importance of nature upkeep, the various animal and plant species through observa� tion.
5 step process Program
explore
Observe
Rescue
Assesment
Close Watch
Free-Range
1
2
3
4
Learn
educate
Learning Center & WL Preserve Release
5
Bases Mammals
Reptiles
Amphibeans
fish
M
R
A
F
Birds
B
SITE PLAN
In the above image is the site plan showing the site as we have sculpted it. You can see the pathway that travels through the site as well as the bases and the neutral zone we created that acts as a barrier.
WELCOME CENTER PROGRAM
The program image is a break down of how the welcome center is laid out by program. A good majority of the upper floor is open. This is due to the versatility we are aiming to have within the design of this building. We plan for these spaces to hold not only the program for the site, but program that could host events at a grand scale. The middle floor is where most of the program for the welcome center will be. This has learning center, lab, and preservation spaces sprinkled throughout the floor plan. The bottom floor of the welcome center is designed to house the parking and security components of the site. The security stations are for both countries and one is a vehicle entrance and the other is a pedestrian entrance that leads in from a parking lot across the Rio Grande and into the neutral zone.
INTERIOR WALKWAY VIEW
Welcome Center 2nd FLOOR PLAN
EXTERIOR WALKWAY VIEW
Welcome Center 1st FLOOR PLAN
WELCOME CENTER BALCONY
Welcome Center Parking FLOOR PLAN
MAMMALS BASE walkway
MAMMALS BASE 2ND FLOOR PLAN
MAMMALS BASE green space
MAMMALS BASE 1ST FLOOR PLAN
Existing Landscape
Final Landscape
Study Parti Model
Study Parti Model
- Water
- Wetland
- Grassland
- Woodland
Section Model walkway entrance
(see walkway interior and exterior renders )
The model above displays the differentiation in landscape elevation and zone distinction. as the depth of the landscape increase from the watershed, the greenery within the landscape develops with elevation. the 4 zones begin where the watershed ends at the wetlands, then moves up to greenlands, and lastly the woodlands where the bases are nested. The walkwaybreaks through the landscape and emerges into the open, exposing the natural surroundings.
Final Parti Landscape
- Water
- Wetland
- Grassland
- Woodland
Section Model Mammals Base
Section Model Reptiles Base
Section Model Mammals Base
Section Model Reptiles Base