CC. Centro de Capacitación: A School of Arts and Crafts at Tequisquiapan, Mexico | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

Mexico is among the nations with the highest rates of school dropouts, according to a study on the subject done by the Education with Rumbo association during the pandemic. According to the study, young people under the age of 17 do not attend secondary, upper secondary, or university education in Mexico at a rate of 60% dropout. With a 14.1% dropout rate in upper secondary education, Querétaro, Mexico, comes in fourth. Even though Tequisquiapan is a popular tourist destination, it faces health, safety, sustainability, garbage collection, and university transportation issues.

Tequisquiapan has a significant educational gap, with 37% of its population below the state average. With 27% of the population in Querétaro having an educational gap and less than 4% still lacking basic literacy, this is 10 percentage points higher than the state average. The educational backwardness in the Magic Town area is 37%. Out of the more than 70,000 inhabitants, 19,000 still struggle with reading and writing, and 3,000 still lack basic schooling. In Tequisquiapan, the most common academic degrees are the Secondary, Primary, and Preparatory or General Baccalaureate. Tequisquiapan had a 4.42% illiteracy rate in 2020, with 65.3% of the population being female and 34.7% of the population being male.

Tequisquiapan is a town rich in natural resources and agriculture. The town is fortunately endowed with a river that flows through it, adding a significant aspect. It is, however, in a dangerous state with high waste pollution levels that ultimately affect over 500,000 people in the entity and, more importantly, remove the “plus” that can accentuate the town’s beauty. With regard to this, the goal is to intervene through a number of projects that trace the course of the river.

A comprehensive plan is developed that spans the revitalisation of the surrounding areas in addition to addressing the river’s health. The common objective is to turn this essential resource into a thriving ecosystem, which will involve everything from putting ecological restoration techniques into practice to encouraging sustainable practices in riparian communities.

Design Process

Concept Moodboard: The concept comes together as a truly unique blend of sustainable elements, comprehensive education, and public space revitalisation. The search for sustainability goes beyond practical features like solar energy and water collection to encompass the concept of space itself. The decision to give the complex a great height creates a sense of transcendence and expansion, suggesting not only a physical place, but a space that aspires to elevate the educational and community experience.

Design Strategies, Form Evolution: The arts and crafts training center project in Tequisquiapan stands out for its holistic and sustainable approach. Complementing these strategies are the installation of solar panels facing south, where the longest part of the façade is located, water collection channels, holes in the roof that allow proper ventilation and lighting, and double ventilation in the rooms that create a crossing to reduce reliance on domestic appliances. These include the use of environmentally friendly building materials, an extensive recycling program, rainwater collection, organic gardening, intelligent energy management systems, and educational initiatives centred around sustainability.

It seeks to weave together community life and education. This holistic approach not only offers a space for education and learning, but it also becomes an essential part of urban life, fostering social interaction and community growth in tandem. The project aims to promote culture and traditions and address the need for community development; a place to honour, promote, and foster local knowledge to further the area’s development and reap benefits from it; a hub for all residents’ educational needs as well as a destination for tourists to visit in order to take in the public spaces, architecture, and workshops, or just to take in the school’s organised exhibitions and cultural events.

Final Outcome

The concept that users would not attend a traditional school gave rise to the CC project. The infrastructure of the place has an impact on education, which is an important subject. Any project that has a worthy space is undoubtedly inspiring and has an impact on the user. A project that aims to meet the needs of the community, promote culture and traditions by providing training programs centred on the traditional arts and crafts of the area, creates opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship, fosters social inclusion and diversity, and, most importantly, strengthens cultural tourism by drawing visitors who are looking for genuine cultural experiences. This helps Tequisquiapan’s cultural tourism industry grow and benefits the local economy.

Masterplan: The layout strategically positions the facades to make optimal use of the sun path, with the river and a few major thoroughfares defined in the background. A plan with an “F” shape that leads to exits to different areas within or next to the land, the project’s surroundings, a proposed river viewpoint from a pier, and an existing field on the property. The shape of the extension is derived from the overall master plan’s goals and the land’s natural contours. Here, decisions, criteria, and proposals can be made to develop an environmentally responsible and sustainable architectural style, with the project finding methods to enhance rather than detract from the surrounding environment.

Ground Floor: A social and private program is inserted on the boundaries to leave a sober and serene façade given the roads, while the ground floor leaves an “area of opportunity” at the centre of the project. There is a natural slope on the site that descends two meters; this slope is intentionally created to leave holes for natural lighting that also serve as water collectors.

In general, the ground floor intends to preserve an urban nucleus that serves as the project’s centre, a public axis that connects the public workshops, and a flexible space where collaborations result in the creation of a corridor that can be used to display the workshops, highlight completed projects, create exhibition spaces, or show off what has been worked on.  A plant where one is looking for constant views of vegetation that complements the serenity of the water mirrors, as well as natural light inputs that are channelled through the various voids that remain in a very poetic and harmonious way. Openings and a significant height are provided to avoid feeling confined and more like being outside while you are inside.

Top Floor: There are lounges, administration areas, galleries, rest areas, and communal spaces for creative work on the upper floor, which also has the private program boundaries. The spaces with emptiness are the highest and most uncovered, while the spaces for use are slightly lower in height and covered.

Facades: The morphology mainly arises from the way of applying the solar panels and integrating them into the structure and architecture itself. An attempt is made to create a sombre and silent façade, but upon entry, the space is illuminated and has a rhythm in the heights that offers a unique experience with each tour. The project’s architectural focus is the roof, which is located in the project’s central core and will carry much of the energy it proposes. The project features public spaces that are connected to private areas at the same time, giving users the pleasant impression that they are never alone.

Constructive Details: The project’s structure is made of traditional concrete and metal, with multiples of three axes (3, 6, 9, 12m). The beams that make up the structure are fixed to the structural columns. These beams serve as a framework to support the tridilosa, some of which have planters installed to create a green covering. The structure of the project is composed of stiff concrete columns and girders that allow for reuse and provide uniformity, speed, and flexibility.

Conclusion: Overall, the project integrates community life and education, fostering social interaction and community growth. It promotes culture, traditions, and community development while serving as a hub for education and a tourist destination for public spaces, architecture, workshops, exhibitions, and cultural events.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]