Desert Bridge Education Center

Joshua Tree, CA

Ryan Panganiban

Formal Architectural Design Proposal 2024

Desert Bridge Education Center

Joshua Tree, California

Fourth Year, Fall 2022

Extreme Enviroments Topic Studio

Professor Michael Fox

Softwares Used: Revit, Rhino, Vray

In Collaboration with Kenneth Truong, Ian Ibarra, and Matthew Lin

Located in Queen Valley, south of Queen Mountain in Joshua Tree, California, the Desert Bridge Education Center serves as a children’s sleepaway camp and education center. The facility is segmented into four main components: cabins, facilities, learning center, and observatory, as well asconnectingbridges,alldesignedtofosteradeeper appreciation of the desert’s vibrant ecosystem and the immersive qualities of natural environments.

The site features distinct north and south rock formationswithaflatexpanseinbetween,providing an opportunity for a space making relationship between the buildings and the rocks. Responding to the extreme climate variations, the structures are built using locally sourced rammed earth, which provides excellent thermal mass, reducing temperature fluctuations inside the buildings.

Essential services like electrical, water, and septic systems are managed through solar power throughout the project and tanks located at the south facilities which is integrated with the connective infrastructure of the bridge, emphasizing selfsufficiency and minimal environmental impact.

Right Rendering

Left

Site Map

Right (Top to Bottom)

Images

South Rock Formation from West

South Rock Formation from Ridge

South Rock Formation from East

Diagram

Site Plan Strategy Diagram

Drawing Tangents

Tangents are drawn along rock formations, creating datum lines throughout the site. These major datum intersections mark the locations of significant buildings. By drawing tangents parallel to the rock formations, significant space-making strategies emerge between buildings and rocks within these datum points.

Guiding Spaces, Connecting Pathways

Path-making Space-makingIntersection

(GIRLS) BATHROOM (BOYS)

(BOYS)

Administration Floor Plan

Right (Top to Bottom) Site

Axonometric

Cabin Exploded Isometric

Cabin on the Site

Cabin on the Site

Cabin Site Plan on South Rock Formation

Bridge Technical Drawings Right

Bridge Rendering on Site

Left

The Walk

The building placement on the site is firstly a reaction of natural positions of the rock formations, which serve as anchoring points for the structures. Formations like this historically aided in wayfinding, mirroring ancestral practices, and now provide a unique educational framework.

Secondly, another key reason for this program distribution strategy is specifically for the experience of the walk between buildings. This short walk forces visitors to engage with the surrounding landscape before even entering the learning center, offering a natural introduction as they transition towards the educational and observatorial spaces, enhancing the learning experience through a connection with the landscape.

Below

Visualization of Learning Center