Integral Weave of Schools in Rural Communities with Self-Sufficient Resources In Baja California.
There are rural elementary schools that are functioning with limited resources where students lack the ability to study comfortably and with efficiency. So, a group of people have gathered to directly support the kids that attend these schools.
In the summer of 2010, Aaron Gutierrez, Yara Amparo Lopez & David Castillo conducted an architectural studio at the Universidad Iberoamericana to begin renovations at a school located in Rosarito, Baja California: A PROTOTYPICAL SCHOOL which will be the beginning of what will be built this year.
For a complete explanation about the problems in rural schools in Mexico, please see this TEDx Talk
[http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxTijuana-Aaron-Gutierrez-Log]
by Aaron Gutierrez.

For more information on this project visit:

http://amorphica.com/tierra

In the past, Amorphica has worked with the Government of Baja California in the development of rural school's infrastructures. Many hands have helped, from the Mothers of the students to organizations from The United States that travel far to work in these projects. We have gathered forces from the most talented minds and hands in the region to design and build this prototypical school which will inspire schools all over Latin America to improve their campuses in a productive self-sufficient and fun way: In unity and community.
Our prototypical school is located in Rosarito Baja California, in a village called Primo Tapia, about 7.5 miles south of Downtown Rosarito. The stretch is heavily populated by small rural communities. One of them is La Ladrillera (The Brickery) where José Ma. Pino Suarez Primary School is located. After a great amount of hours submerged in dialogue, studies and brainstorming sessions, the real necessities of the school have been concluded. Our manner of working is based on arduous studies to resolve architectural problems and give way to solutions to social, cultural, economic and other challenges to provide precision and sensibility to our projects.
A great deal of investigation time has been invested in the way our buildings will react to weather conditions, social interaction, durability, noise factor and a plethora of layers that start to intensify parametrically within themselves to produce precision in our spaces. Our project consists of 5 phases.
The 1st & 2nd, a Multi-performative building where kids can eat, where they can conduct various types of classes including adult courses, it can be arranged as a theatre, as a concert hall, etc. This place can be used by the students from 8am to 4pm, and by the rest of the communities' tens of thousands of people.
The 3rd stage of this project consists of creating a civic plaza of adequate size for the more than 180 students and teachers. As it stands, the school does not have a decent sized plaza; the school is divided and is difficult to monitor the students from one end of the school to another. A civic plaza will unite and give transparency throughout the school grounds.
Phases 4 & 5 are composed of the following: The front entrance which lacks sense of security and integration to the campus. The perimeter fence also lacks sense of security and could be used as a vertical garden which brings infinite possibilities in the student's education. The modules located outside of the classrooms will provide shade and comfort for the students, as well as a barrier [buffer] of noise and distraction from the main plaza.
What do we need? Your collaboration, your support and your energy. Join the group of people that are working to better the quality of life of entire communities that will deeply appreciate and utilize these premises year after year. This way, we could inspire and transmit this to other communities to generate interest and global conscience about these rural schools.