The Ridge

THE RIDGE TOHONO O’ODHAM BARIACTRIC CENTER SUPERVISOR | JASLYN NG STUDENT | THONG PHAN | 218423991

CONTENT SECTION 1 - DESIGN STATEMENT SECTION 2 - SITE ANALYSIS SECTION 3 - DESIGN RESEARCH SECTION 4 - CONCEPTUAL DESIGN SECTION 5 - DEVELOPMENT DESIGN SECTION 6 - SYNTHESIS DESIGN

DESIGN STATEMENT

Native Americans have inhabited what is now Arizona for thousands of years. In fact Arizona State is home to one of the largest percentages of Native Americans in the United States. The entire Tohono O’odham Nation, second largest nation in the US, is located in Arizona and over a quarter of the area of the state is reservation land. Currently the Tohono O’odham community is trying to address a serious health problem which requires extensive research into the culture and history of the Nation. Beginning in the 1960s, due to conflicts and urban development in Tucson, Tohono O’odham tribe members began to shift from a traditional plant-based diet to one that favored foods high in fat and calories which cause increasing chance of obesity. In the recent research, nearly 60 percent of the adult population in the tribe face this deadly health risk. Studies also show that 75 percent of the children from the nation have higher chance to contract the same disease.

The Ridge project seeks to address these health problems, through celebration of relationship between human, natures, and culture, to provide healthcare and promote healthy lifestyle alternatives for the patients. The campus also intents to motivate the people of Tohono O’odham Nation and the general public to lead a healthier lifestyle throught teaching them about their ancestor’s way of life. On the scope of land ethic, the intention is to acknowledge the strong character of the site rather than challenge it. By taking advantage of the strong characteristics of the site as well as the spirituality of its environment, the campus will provide a healthy and active environment for the users.

60%

of Tohono O’odham adults aged 18 years and above have d iebetes i n recent years, and 75% of the childen are expected to contract it in their lifetimes.

From 1920s t o 1949, Tohono O ’odham nation farmed over 20,000 acres and their daily nutrients composed of plant-base food. By 1949, the rapid urban growth of Tucson city caused city management to divert water stream toward the center, causing the nation’s farm land to shrink. This started the shift in people’s diet which, years later, became the primary cause of large number of obesity within the Nation.

1949

2019

Plant-base diet

High fat diet

Traditional food

Processed food

Flash-flood farming

Food commodity

PROJECT PROFILE

Name of Project: The Ridge - Tohono O’odham Bariatric Center Total Project Area: 58,300 m2 Project location: Oro Valley, Tucson, AZ, USA

ARCHITECTURAL INTENTS: The design must focus on the environmental feature of the site to maximize sustainable potential The project need to celebrate Tohono O’odham tradition and culture and follow the people’s ideologies of being with Mother Earth The campus should be designed as an educational tool to inform users of Tohono O’odham culture and agriculture tradition The campus should be design to be highly reative and responsive to the local environment and the surrounding community The project should create a welcoming and motivating environment to all users including Tohono O’odham people as well as the general public Materials used in the project should be sourced from local and tie closely with the nation of Tohono O’odham

SITE ANALYSIS

LOCATION AND CONTEXT SITE INFORMATION Location: Oro Valley, Tucson AZ, USA Distance to Tohono O’odham Nation from proposed site: 107 km Population of Tohono O’odham in Arizona State: 9470 people

LOCATION AND CONTEXT INITIAL RESEARCH The proposed site is located in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Oro Valley is a heavily residential populated area in Tucson. The surrounding neighbourhoods are mostly new developments.

These neighborhoods target towards young professionals and young families. Hense the area is very lively and active.

The land on which the site located used to be home to the Tohono O’odham people.

From researching the city background as well as surrounding sites, there is a lack of community hub for Native American in the area. This poses an opportunity to introduce a center into the neighbourhood to celebrate and educate people, especially younger generation of Tohono O’odham culture and history.

Arizona is a desert state where the climate is mostly hot and dry through out the year with exception of the monsoon period. During this time, the site receives large amount of rainfall.

It is essential to take advantage of this short period of rainfall to collect and store water for site usage.

Tohono Hospital Oro Valley, AZ

28 km City of Tucson

Tohono O’odham Nation Population: 8,376 people

Sells Indian Hospital Sells, AZ

Local Healthcare Facility

TOHONO O’ODHAM POPULATION IN PIMA COUNTY

SITE AREA

107 km

Tohono San Xaiver Dist.

2,053 people

SITE TOPOGRAPHY

SITE CONDITION

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS | SUN, WIND, NOISE, WATER

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS | SUN, WIND, NOISE, WATER

SITE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS | SUN, WIND, NOISE, WATER

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS | SUN, WIND, NOISE, WATER

SITE SECTION

TOPOGRAPHY ANALYSIS - NATURAL RIDGES EXPLORATION

DESIGN RESEARCH

PROGRAM RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS

IDEOLOGY EXPLORATION | LINEAR ORGANIZATION RIDGE-DRIVEN SCHEME PLACEMENT OF CAMPUS From examining the topography map of the site, I realize a serie of rigdes which can be used as linear guideline for the design. The linear organization based off the ridges south of the site. This organizing system allows the building to fully exposed to the views of the mountains to the North and the North-East.

PROGRAM The programs are placed along the edges of the ridges and form a continuous circulation through out the entire campus. This system require a close relationship between these programs as they are all linked together. The info center and community garden is located at front of the site to welcome in visitors.

Following the garden is the social hall which can be used as the main community gathering area.

This area can be seen as the heart of the campus as it is located at the center of the linear organizing system and between two main ridges of the site.

The sanctuary is next to social hall and is used as the main worshiping and contemplating area of the campus. This area integrates the edge of the ridge to bring nature into the interior as well as allowing the users to interact with nature from inside.

As the users venture deeper into the site, they will encounter the learning center. This learning center provides a wide range of classes to young generation to learn about Native American culture and their history.

The nature chapel is only reachable from the learning center and through a nature trail. This emphasizes the importance of nature to Native American culture and history.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

DESIGN ITERATION 1 | LINEAR ORGANIZATION

RIDGE-DRIVEN SCHEME ORIENTATION A series of linear walls are used to create enclosures for the programs as well as framing the views of the surrounding nature. Each program is directed toward different significant nature features on the site to reminds people the importance of nature to the Native American, more specifically the Navajo community.

MATERIALITY Rammed earth is used as the main material for the structural walls of the design. The material bears a sifnificant meaning to Native people as it was used by their ancestor to create shelters. It is also one of the most suitable building material for the location as it can be built using local soil and performs well in hot, arid desert climate of Tucson, Arizona.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

INFORMATION CENTER/ MAIN ENTRANCE

SOCIAL HALL

NATURE CORRIDOR

SANCTUARY

LEARNING CENTER

IDEOLOGY EXPLORATION | EARTH SHELTER SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PLACEMENT OF CAMPUS The design concept works with existing condition of the site to create a sustainable and healthy campus for both nature and human interaction happens on site. A ridge to the south provides beneficial features to incorporate into the design.

The programs are carved into the topography of the ridge to form earth shelter condition. By doing this, the campus establishes a sense of inhabiting the earth without harming our nature.

PROGRAM Using the ridge as a starting point, the learning center makes use of earth shelter and became the entry point for the campus. From the learning center, visitors can find their way to the sanctuary located in between the two ridges.

The sanctuary is pulled toward the back of the ridge to create intimate experience with nature. It is protected from wind and noise from the street. The view from sanctuary is guided toward the mountain north of site. From the sanctuary, visitors can access to the nature trail which leads to the nature chapel located at the highest point of the site.

The social hall and info center are connected directly to the sanctuary and are the only visible buildings from the street. Even though the buildings don’t benefit from earth shelter, it received another benefit from the site. The exterior walls of the buildings are oriented to redirect rain water from the pusch ridge toward the community garden where the water is stored and used for irrigation purposes.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

DESIGN ITERATION 2 | EARTH SHELTER

SITE SPECIFIC DESIGN BUILDING FOOTPRINT This scheme allows the campus to blend in with surrounding nature by minimize the building footprint and reducing man-made features on site. The visitors have opportunity to be close to nature and learn the Navajo culture and history.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS - The design works with the site topography rather than challenge it.

- Earth shelter structures reduces energy cost for heating and cooling as the earth served as thermal mass for the building.

- Programs are inserted into the site without damaging the existing site condition - The form of the campus allows water to be collected and used for irrigation and gray water. This is very important for desert States such as Arizona.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

IDEOLOGY EXPLORATION| WATER COLLECT NATURE FOCUS SCHEME PLACEMENT OF CAMPUS The concept is first approached by spot out the potential water collect locations south of the site and overlay these location with programs. The programs start to follow the topography line at these locations to form a sequence of indoor and outdoor spaces. A pathway is introduced into the design to form circulation and serves as a starting point for the nature path which lead to the nature chapel near the end of site.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

DESIGN ITERATION 3 | WATER COLLECT

TERATION 3 | WATER COLLECT

NATURE FOCUS SCHEME PROGRAM The layout of the campus derived from the existing topography and water flow direction from within the site. The area in between the two main ridges receive lots of water flowing down from both side which is beneficial to the garden.

Connecting to the garden is the learning center which ultilize the change in elevation to create theshold condition to invite people into the campus. The learning center will have two buildings link by a pedestrian bridge which span over the garden. This gesture suggest that human can co-exist and build without harming the land.

The sanctuary cantilevers off the ridge and becomes a beacon for the campus. The walkway underneath the scantuary feathers out into the surrounding to bring existing vegetation into the campus, allowing people to observe and interact with nature.

OCUS SCHEME

of the campus derived from the existing

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

SRR741 DESIGN RESEARCH STUDIO 2018 | TRIMESTER 3 | SCHEMATIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO

SCHEMATIC DESIGN | SYNTHESIS EXPLORE DESIGN CONCEPT REVOLVING CAMPUS Using the Nature Chapel as an anchor point, other programs start to radiate about this point to form the layout of the campus. The Nature chapel is seen as a basic structure that is in full harmony with nature and has been design as a place of contemplation and retreat blending into the natural surrounding and landscape. From the Nature Chapel, the users has full panoramic view of the entire campus as well as the sacred mountain peak to the north and the city south of the site. This visual relationship hope to educate visitors about Native American, more specifically the Tohono O'odham community’s Earth-center living tradition which celebrate the sacred circle of life and live in harmo-ny with the rhythm of nature.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

SCHEMATIC DESIGN | FLOOD FARMING EXPLORE DESIGN CONCEPT PROGRAM RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE The curvilinear system radiating from the center point is used as guideline for the programs. The program footprints are then split to create pathway and opening to pull in surrounding vegetation. This allows the campus to form pockets of green space and share space between the programs. The weaving movement provides opportunity to form circulation path which is frame by both natural features as well as man made structure.

CIRCULATION As people enter the campus, the circulation path begins at the info center and quickly weave around the buildings. At the initial turn, visitors will have their first glimse of the nature chapel which is also the center of the campus. The circulation path is designed so that at every turn, visitors can experience different features of the site including vegetaion, views, the ridges, etc. The circulation path will eventually feather into the surrounding and become a trail which lead to the nature chapel at the highest point of the site.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

IDEALOGY EXPLORATION|FLOOD FARMING EXPLORE SITE POTENTIAL BUILDABLE AREA Through the previous iteration series, I am able to understand the changes in elevation of the site and how the campus can be design to fully explore its potentials.

The process starts with locating the ridges and water flow direction on site to determine the most desireable area to build. The mapping shows that the southern part of the site receive the most beneficial features which also has the largest change in elevation.

IDEOLOGY Through research Navajo stories and history, the recurring concept of life revolved around by the four worlds, four colors, four elements, bare significant meaning to Native American culture. The design seek to emphasize and explire this ‘center’ idea to begin forming relationship with the Navajo community.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

FLOOD FARMING RESEARCH

TOHONO O’DHAM FARMING THE DESERT IN THE PAST Monsoon rain falls for a short period of time during the year. Tohono O’dham people start to plant their seeds during this season.

Water flow down hill following ridges. Most water collected at bottom of ridges.

Plant seeds deep underground to prevent being washed away during flood

FLOOD FARMING CALENDAR

HA RV ES TIN

G

OD RI PE

MON S O ON SE A SO N

UE JN

ER EMB EPT ES AT -L

PLANTING PERIOD

(M ID

FLOOD FARMING CALENDAR

DESERT PLANTS HARVEST

CONCEPT DESIGN

SRR741 DESIGN RESEARCH STUDIO 2018 | TRIMESTER 3 | SCHEMATIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO

TOHONO O’ODHAM | CIRCLE OF LIFE ANALYSIS SCHEMATIC DESIGN | SYNTHESIS EXPLORE DESIGN CONCEPT REVOLVING CAMPUS Using the Nature Chapel as an anchor point, other programs start to radiate about this point to form the layout of the campus. The Nature chapel is seen as a basic structure that is in full harmony with nature and has been design as a place of contemplation and retreat blending into the natural surrounding and landscape. From the Nature Chapel, the users has full panoramic view of the entire campus as well as the sacred mountain peak to the north and the city south of the site. This visual relationship hope to educate visitors about Native American, more specifically the Tohono O'odham community’s Earth-center living tradition which celebrate the sacred circle of life and live in harmo-ny with the rhythm of nature.

Circle of life is the sacred symbol of the Tohono O’odham people. The symbol depict a maze starting from the center and revolve outward until the human figure at the entrance.

Centralize community is very important in Tohono O’odham culture and history.

The symbol is used for many rituals as well as decorative pattern in the nation.

Combining with flood farming analysis, placing the symbol at the heart of the site, where water is collected the most during monsoon season, a the initial anchor point for the project.

Name: Thong Phan [218423991]

CONCEPT DESIGN | PROJECT AXIS AND BUILDING LOCATION The curvilinear system radiating from the center point is used as guideline for the programs. The program footprints are then split to create pathway and opening to pull in surrounding vegetation.

This allows the campus to form pockets of green space and share space between the programs. The weaving movement provides opportunity to form circulation path which is frame by both natural features as well as man made structure.

CONCEPT DESIGN The curvilinear system radiating from the center point is used as guideline for the programs. The program footprints are then split to create pathway and opening to pull in surrounding vegetation.

This allows the campus to form pockets of green space and share space between the programs. The weaving movement provides opportunity to form circulation path which is frame by both natural features as well as man made structure.

CONCEPT DESIGN | SHIFTING PLANES BASED ON CENTRALIZE SYSTEM

Emergency Access Public Access CIRCULATION | PUBLIC | EMERGENCY ACCESS

CONCEPT DESIGN | ORGANIC GARDEN AS ANCHOR POINT OF THE CAMPUS

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN DECISION:

-Moving from curvilinear system and keeping the centralize concept to ultilize potential of the topography of site.

- Dividing the garden to main garden and secondary garden to further blend the campus with the site and to create a seamless transition between the building and nature.

- Ultilize planes and elevation change to collect water during monsoon season.

DESIGN DECISION:

-Ridges determine location of gardens - Planes respond to site topography and desert foci

DESIGN PROCESS

- Planes and Massing study to understand the relationship between the programs and the site. Gardens location at bottom of ridges where water flow the most during rainfall.

Sinking movement at garden location to collect and store water for irrigation.

DESIGN PROCESS

Program Diagram | Spatial Relationship and Vegetation Linkage

PROGRAM RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS ORGANIC GARDEN

CLINICAL SERVICE - Behavioral Health - Cardiac Rehabilitation - Critical Care Unit - Emergency Care - Inpatient & Outpatient - Surgery - Laboratory - Obstetrics - Gynecology - Radiology - Rehabilitation - Social Work

LIFE COACH/ CONSULT.

KITCHEN

ORGANIC GARDEN DINING HALL

ATURE TRAIL

STORAGE

ARCHIVE

PHYSIOTHERAPY

PHYSIOTHERAPY

RECREATION CENTER COUNSELING SERVICE - Health monitoring pre/ post surgery - Nutrient Education - Indigenous plant-based diet program - Pre- and post- surgery meal preparation class - Movement classes - Mental health - Fitness education courses

MAIN TREATMENT/ CONSULTATION CENTER

ADMIN. OFFICE

AUDITORIUM

NUTRITION CLASS

LOUNGE

RECEPTION AREA

INFO CENTER

WAITING LOUNGE/ SOCIAL HALL

MULTI PURPOSE HALL

NATURE TRAILN

SANCTUARY

ORGANIC GARDEN

PRAYING ROOM

ABORIGINAL PLANTATION & AGRICULTURE EXHIBIT

CAFE

PLAY ROOM

COMMUNITY - Tohono O’odham Exhibition - Social Hub/ Community Center - Recreation Center/ Gym - Organic Garden - Fitness education courses

DESIGN PROCESS Revised Program Diagram

DESIGN PROCESS

Grid | Planes | Green Space | Circulation

Grid derived from topography and ridges.

Green space emerges from the programs to blend in with site

ABORIGINAL PLANTATION & AGRICULTURE EXHIBIT

UM ADMI N. OFFIC E

LOUN GE

AUDI TORI

IO N AR M EA CO AIN CE NS TR NT UL EAT ER TA M TIO EN N T/

RE CE PT

ING DIN LL HA

IC AN N RG E O ARD G

W LO AITIN UN G GE M PU ULT HA RP I LL OS E

FE

IC AN EN RG D O AR G

CA

NUTRITION CLASS

NATURE TRAIL

KITCHEN

IO AT RE R C TE RE EN C N

Planes responde to site topography and gardens

ORGANIC GARDEN

NIC ORGA EN GARD

NUTRITION CLASS

PHYSIOTHERAPY

Entry into campus through ramp into main garden

DESIGN PROCESS

Section| Planes | Green Space | Circulation

CAMPUS VIEWS

PROJECT VIEW AT ENTRY RAMP

- Main garden view framed by building and ramp - Clinical roof extend to connect with site topogaphy to blend in with nature

FINAL DESIGN

SINKING GARDEN MOMENT Projecting flood farming technique by Tohono O’odham ancestor living in the desert during monsoon season.

Planting seeds deep underground to prevent wash away during flooding period. The sinking movement also performs as water collecting system for the campus.

DESERT IN THE PAST Water flow down hill following ridges. Most water collected at bottom of ridges.

Plant seeds deep underground to prevent being washed away during flood

FINAL CAMPUS PLAN

SINKING GARDEN STUDY

NUTRITION CORE FLOOR PLAN Dining Hall | Nutrition Class | Kitchen | Secondary Garden and Water Collect Pool

CLINICAL CORE FLOOR PLAN Bariatric Treatment Area | Auditorium | Exhibition Area | Cafeteria | Administration