Helen Rosemary Davidoski
Cultivate
Studio Project
Santa Barbara Eco-tourism Center | Camuy, Puerto Rico
In partnership with Americas for Conservation + the Arts (AFC+A), the aim of this collaborative studio project is to create a multi-use, eco-educational campus that provides hands-on experience in the green industries for at-risk youth. In addition to providing training and education to young adults, the self-sustaining campus produces food, energy, clean water, and housing that nearby communities can depend on during extreme weather events and their aftermath.
La Ladera, or “The Hillside”, acts as the agro-ecological living learning center and farm, focused on the implementation of traditional and sustainable production methods. By utilizing the traditional Tiano agricultural practices, the farm connects youth to their heritage and spirituality, while providing real-world experience in sustainable agricultural operations.
Renders: GIS, Google Earth Pro, Sketch-up, Hand-rendering
The pathways follow a snaking path that maximizes the plantable area and minimizes the navigational space needed to harvest. Siting the farm on a hillside, and leveraging the verticality of the landscape, creates multi-scalar micro-ecologies allowing for a variety of different crops. Partner planting and crop rotation prioritize soil health and long term success. Crops produced at La Ladera will not only provide sustenance for the camp but also can be sold as products (coffee, jam, ferments, etc
