Dixon Learning CenterDixon, New Mexico

Embudo Valley Community Library

Design and Planning Assistance CenterSchool of Architecture and PlanningUniversity of New Mexico

Spring 2003

Dixon Learning CenterDixon, New Mexico

Embudo Valley Community Library

Design and Planning Assistance CenterSchool of Architecture and Planning

University of New Mexico2414 Central Ave. S.E.

Albuquerque, N.M. 87131

Spring 2003

Student teams:Thomas Tomlinson, Katya Crawford, and Malia OrellR. Jarrod Cline, Peggy Wright and Krystyna Zelenay

Andrew Aulgur, Lisa Barva, Kim Deschampheleire,and Robin Eddy

Calandra L. Cook, Myrna Marquez, Joel C. McHorse,and Jay Rice

Mitzi Messick, Daren Pocus, and R. Sean Darnell

William S. Perkins, ASLA, Studio InstructorChris Wilson, Visiting Associate Professor, Advisor

Mark Childs, Director of DPAC

Thanks to the Embudo Valley CommunityLibrary for funding this study.

Thanks to Mesa Reprographics forprinting the document.

Design and Planning Assistance Center(DPAC) is a community service of the School ofArchitecture and Planning at the University ofNew Mexico. We work with community groupsand not-for-profit organizations throughout NewMexico on architectural, planning, and landscapeprojects. DPAC was established in 1969 and isstaffed by students in architecture, planning, andlandscape degree programs.

To obtain additional copies of this publication, contact:School of Architecture and PlanningUniversity of New MexicoMark Childs, Director of DPAC, UNMemail: mchilds@unm.edu

Table of Contents

I. Introduction.............................1II. Process...................................3III. Designs..................................5IV. References............................15

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Similarly, and taking cues from the MasterPlan, two teams were encouraged toinvestigate the possibilities for the sitewithout the general store building. Duringthe design investigation, a DPAC facultyrepresentative made preliminary observa-tions and a case for preserving andprotecting the historic character of boththe general store and the residence onthe grounds that both structures exhibitqualities that suggest eligibility for inclu-sion on the State register of historicplaces. However, with an emphasis onexploring alternatives for the community,the student teams continued their investi-gations. A discussion of the approach tothe design and the design concepts arerepresented on the following pages.

Introduction/Project Summary

In April 2002 the Embudo Valley LibraryBoard, encouraged by the generoussupport of an anonymous area resident,raised the necessary matching funds andacquired a key Dixon property to serve asa new home for the community’s library.The 1½ acre property includes threebuildings; a charming bungalow styleresidence, a building that served for manyyears as a general store and a utilitariangarage. The open areas behind thebuildings slope gently up to the remnanttrees of an apple orchard and include aportion of the community’s acequiasystem and the associated irrigationwater. The hills and mesas that define theEmbudo Valley are visually prominentaround the site.

The Board moved the Library into thebungalow style residence and establisheda Steering Committee to explore how theremainder of thesite might be utilized tobest serve the Board’s mission and theinterests of the Dixon community. Vision-ing workshops were held and a masterplanning process undertaken to explorethe needs of the community and to identifya program of uses for the buildings andthe site.

The program as identified included notonly the functions of a vital library, but alsoareas designated for community centeractivities and a multi-purpose meetingroom/performance hall. In addition, theprogram called for a heritage appleorchard, a memorial garden to the lateEloy Duran and informal outdoor spacesfor the community members to gather – toname just a few.

The University of New Mexico’s Designand Planning Assistance Center (DPAC)was engaged to investigate the site andexplore alternative designs for itsdevelopment. In an eight-week planningand design effort the architecture andlandscape architecture student teamsembraced the challenge and devised fivedistinct possible visions for the site andits buildings.

In the spirit of exploring options, teamswere encouraged toinvestigate site possibilities based ondifferent sets of assumptions. For in-stance, two teams were to assume thatthe ¾ acre parcel to the west was to beacquired. This parcel includes a tradi-tional adobe structure.

North facade of existing library .

Existing ditch at south of site .

Norh aerial view of the site.

Landscape view of river .

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Dixon Residence

Cemetary view from south of the site.

Architecture of Historic Dixon Plaza

Chili pods foundin Rosemary’shouse .

Orchard view tothe east.

Existing site viewto the north

II. Process

3Site Sketch

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Students on Walking Tour of Dixon

Process

The DPAC studio class approached the projectfirst as one team – organized to gather andassemble information that would bear on thesite and architectural design form. A brain-storming session to identify important questionsand data needs was followed by the class’s re-organization into eight discrete teams to effi-ciently gather and assemble the information thatwould ultimately be used by all. Teams wereorganized around subject areas:

History and CultureNatural SystemsProgram SummaryCirculation and InfrastructureDemographics and EconomicsCodes and RegulationsArchitectural IssuesThe Adjacent Site

The students visited Dixon and the library siteand met with members of the Steering Commit-tee and the general community on January 31 /February 1. Meetings between the studentsand community members were followed bydetailed site observations and measurements,photo documentation and sketching. Studentswere provided overnight accommodations incommunity homes so that investigations couldcontinue on Saturday morning.

II. P

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4Students assembled at Zellers

Sketch by Mitzi Messick

Concept Sketch

In the following days display boards andreports were prepared to summarize thefindings and were presented to fellow class-mates for use in the upcoming design effort.

In the second portion of the class, studentsorganized themselves into 5 teams of 3 or 4students each. Each team accepted a set ofassumptions relative to the status of Zeller’sgeneral store building and the adjacent ¾ acresite. Each team began by analyzing the site interms of opportunities and constraints for thevarious program components. Teams pre-sented and received critical comment on theiranalysis from reviewers from Dixon as well asfrom professionals. Approximately two weekslater the design teams presented conceptdrawings including plans, sections and eleva-tions to a larger review committee made up ofseveral Steering Committee members as well asarchitects and landscape architects from thecommunity. In the final two weeks of theproject each team prepared a final schematicdesigns which they presented to communitymembers on March 14th in Dixon. The graph-ics summarizing these submissions are includedon the following pages.

Concept Sketch

III. Design

Design TeamThomas TomlinsonKatya CrawfordMalia Orell

5

The walk from the street to the courtyard is a rich journey framed by colorful walls, a hangingherb and edible flower garden and cafe’ tables and chairs along a path made of pebbles.

The solarium provides passive solar gain, may beused as a greenhouse in the springand a readingroom in the winter.

The challenge that our group accepted was tokeep Zellars’ store and work within the exist-ing property lines. By redesigning the Zellars’store and adding on to the existing library, wefeel that the process would be in the true char-acter of how change occurs in Dixon.

The goal of the overall design is to em-brace the entire site as a learning center. Thisconcept is formalized through sustainable de-sign and the fusion of architecture and land-scape.

The architecture of the library additionand building renovations integrate sustainableelements that include tromb walls, thermalmassing and water walls. Other elements es-sential to energy conservation are a variety ofoperable and clerestory windows that providedaylighting and ventilation. Much of the origi-nal roof structure of Zellars’ and the garagehave been exposed to create an open and airyenvironment while also maintaining the char-acter of the buildings.

The new addition to the library is con-nected to the original building by a transitionspace composed of glass. This corridor allowsnatural light into both structures while provid-ing a graceful transition from the old to thenew with minimal disturbance to the original

The landscape unfolds from the more formal setting ofthe courtyard to subtly terraced experimental gardens andan expansive heritage orchard. The design then dissolvesinto the hills south of the site.

The courtyard at night

Children’s outdoor living room.

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The landscape is invited into the buildings through plentiful windows that frame the exterior views. The design of vine covered trellises andopen-air porches create smooth and comfortable transitions from the interiors to the outdoor spaces.

building. The addition to the library fea-tures a free standing fireplace in its cen-ter that provides physical as well as vi-sual warmth in the winter and articulatesan intimate reading space in the large,open main room. Another feature of thelibrary addition is the solarium/green-house on the south side of the mainroom.

The addition of the tower into thesite acts as a connecting structure andhelps mediate the varying floor elevationsbetween the community center (Zellars’)to the artist studios (the garage). Thetower also adds a strong vertical elementto the courtyard and houses the radiostation on the second story and extendsout to create the open-air stage.

The space between and on thesouth side of the buildings have beencarved out to form a terraced courtyard.Defined by the artist studios, the com-munity center and the library on threesides, the courtyard is made completeby terraced seating, a canopy of orna-mental shade trees and a children’s out-door living room made from vines andtrees. The courtyard is home to laresolana, an outdoor stage, café seat-ing and may serve as an outdoor read-ing room for the library and the transi-tion space from one building to the next.Rain is collected from the rooftops andis poetically distributed throughout thecourtyard to trees and plantings throughthe use of a cistern, water chains and afrench drain.

Section Section AA

South Elevation

East Elevation

West Elevation

Section BBNorth Elevation

Design concepts

· To integrate the historic agricultural rootsof Dixon with the community’s present dayinterest in the arts by the creation of aprimarily edible landscape and the use ofrecycled farming equipment as sculpturalelements

· To form interior and exterior rooms that areadaptive to change over time in order tomeet the communities present and futureprogrammatic needs

· To follow sustainable building practicesthrough the use of strategic sunshades,vegetation for climate control, the re-useof existing structures, and the southernorientation of the buildings

· To enhance the connection between theinteriors of the buildings and the exteriorspaces by allowing the buildings to formoutdoor spaces for social gatherings,children’s play, and quiet areas for reading

· To use the vernacular landscape of Dixon toinform the design through the use of stonework at the entrance, terraces, and color

· To create connections between the buildingsthrough the use of flagstone paths, vegetation,integrated materiality, spatial orientation, andtrellises

III. Design

Design TeamR. Jarrod ClinePeggy WrightKrystyna Zelenay

Floor plan

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Dixon Placita

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Long Section

6Site plan

Cross section

Diagram of existing buildings andproposed buildings

North Elevation

III. Design

9Site Plan

Design TeamAndrew AulgurLisa BarvaKim DeschampheleireRobin Eddy

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Birds Eye Perspective to South

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La Resolana Community CenterDixon, New Mexico is a rural community with strong ties to its agricultural heritage.The lifeblood of that heritage has been the delivery of water to nurture the crops.This system, las acequias, serves as a potent metaphor for the community ofDixon: mutual responsibility yields mutual benefit.

Using the acequia map from the book Mayordomo by Stanley Crawford, curvilinearlines have been condensed and loosely laid down across the site in homage to thelarger acequia system found throughout the Embudo Valley. The placement ofthese lines has been shifted slightly to coincide with the topographical changes atthe site. A series of terraces will be formed by low, river rock retaining walls thatfollow these lines. River rock will be incorporated as a readily available, localmaterial and as a vertical representation of the acequia system.

In addition, the terrace walls will form the boundaries between bands of alteringvegetation. A strong, axial pathway will penetrate the vegetation banding and willlead the visitor from the courtyard, through a series of open and enclosed spaces,across the acequia, and blend into the county road. This design creates adesirable tension and offers the user the flexibility to vary activity nodes.

III.

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10Site Sections

View from street

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Enlarged Building Plan

An artistic overlay is also incorporated into thisdesign in reference to a more contemporarycommunity thread—the annual studio tour. Spacehas been suggested at the northeast corner of thesite for an annual art installation. In addition, locallymade ceramic tiles could line the small watertrough along the pathway. An undulating display ofgrapevines will form a work of agrisculpture,combining the strong agricultural heritage of thearea with a new, artistic form.

The courtyard will have strong definition, excellentviews toward the mountains, and shade structures toprovide a welcome respite from the strong summersun. With two levels, the courtyard allows for greaterflexibility in use and the use of paving will tie themain courtyard areas together with the adjacentcafé will establishing a subtle hierarchy of outdoorspace.

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Birds Eye Perspective to North

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View to Public Spaces

Street View

Library

Courtyard

Community Center

Cafe

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Parking Orchard

III. Design

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Design TeamCalandra CookMyrna MarquezJoel McHorseJay Rice

The following design proposal began with two assumptions: the generalstore was to be removed and the property to the west was to be acquired.In addition, the removal of the garage was deemed appropriate given theparameters and the condition of the structure. The design proposes alearning center that combines formal site elements with the vernacularstyle of the predominantly agricultural Embudo Valley community. Thefusion of vernacular and formal design elements creates an engagingconsonance between seemingly disparate styles.

Two new pitched-roof, adobe structures are placed between remainingbuildings to create an enclosed courtyard to the west of the library aswell as a welcoming entrance to the site. The meeting hall becomes thefocal point of the courtyard, as it is elevated eighteen inches above andframed by the library and café. Further, the meeting hall displays religiousconnotations by way of the large round windows in each gable and theelevated forecourt. These elements add to the strength of the centerpieceas well as pay homage to La Morada (monastery) that reportedly existedon the site. The library has been extended along its north-south axis inorder to meet space requirements and maintain the historic façade ofthe building. Trellises and an acequia-fed water feature further formalizethe courtyard space. The traditional adobe structure to the west retainsits original footprint and is developed as a series of studio rental spacesand as a location for the community-proposed radio station.

Open space surrounding the communitycenter exhibits several formal featuresimmersed in the traditional orchard style ofDixon. Terraces, a common landscape formin the Embudo Valley until the introduction ofthe tractor, give order to the orchard behindthe meeting house. The acequia system isreverently displayed throughout the orchard.Lateral lines have been reconfigured to betterserve the terraced orchard. Sculptural waterelements are incorporated at the intersectionsof terrace walls and the lateral ditches andserve as permanent reminders of theimportance of the lifeline of the community andbecome a playful attraction during irrigation.The water chutes pay homage to the Islamicgardens of Spain, the culture that introducedthe acequia system to New Mexico. The EloyDuran Memorial Garden is situated behind themeeting hall and includes an acequia-fedwater feature based on the form of a grindingwheel. The garden is obscured by the halland surrounding fruit trees to provide a quiet,contemplative outdoor space. A ramada-styleshelter, located in the northeast corner of theproperty, faces the orchard and will serve asa bandstand and outdoor performance space.

Embudo Valley Community CenterThis design was formulated under the

assumption that Zeller’s store and the garageare removed for the site and the adjacentproperty is not acquired. We sought toprovide adequate space for the requirementsof the program, while striving to maintain thehistorical character of the library building. Inorder to accomplish this we referenced thelocal vernacular building typology. Theseinitial design concepts were used to informthe landscape, which in turn refined the builtforms. Exploration of this process led to theaxial design, which links the surroundingarea, the site, and the built forms as a cohe-sive whole.

III. Design

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1. existing native vegitation2. acequia3. irrigation pond4. vegitable garden5. foot path6. bridges7. irrigation ditches8. heritage orchard9. garden10. portales11. community center12. library13. flagstone pathes14. sign and retaining wall15. adobe wall16. bandstand17. parking area

III.

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1. portales2. weight room3. radio station4. craft studio5. retail space (rental)6. w.c.7. meeting room8. cafe9. cyberport10. mech. room11. tutoring room12. book stacks13. reading areas14. admin. office15. processing area16. circulation desk17. childrens area

IV. References

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Precedents:

Alexander, C. A Pattern Language. NewYork: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Arellano, Estevan. “The Roots of TraditionalAgriculture in Northern New Mexico.” TheFarm Connection Vol. 9 Num.2 (2001):1-5.

Crawford, Stan. Mayordomo. Albuquerque:UNM Press, 1988.

Dellicoe, Geoffrey and Susan. IslamicGardens, the Landscape of Man. London:Thames and Hudson, 1975.

“Hispanic Villages of Northern New Mexico.”Trevia Basin Study 1935. Ed. Marta Weigle.Lighting Tree, 1975.

International Council for Area DevelopmentPlanning & NM State Planning Office.Embudo- a Pilot Planning Project for theEmbudo Watershed of New Mexico. 1960

New Mexico Magazine. “Backtracks- Timetravels through New Mexico.” New MexicoMagazine 1994.

Selcraig, Bruce. “A Home-Grown WaterWar.” High Country News 11 Oct. 1999: 6-9

Data Collection:

Aerial map and acequia system: http://www.wrigs.gov, http://www.rgis.gov

American National Standard: Accessible &Usable Buildings and Facilities (ICC/ANSIA117.1-1998)

Atencio, Joe. “Dixon…in the Valley of theOrchards.” New Mexico (1967):30-31.

Davenport, Kristen. “Libraries.” The NewMexican (Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002): E1, E3.

Embudo Valley Library Annual Report, 2000.

Matlock, Staci. “Living their faiths, Catholics,Presbyterians to hold reconciliation.” TaosNews (May, 1999): A1-A2.

NM Environmental Improvement Board:Liquid Waste Disposal Regulations: Oct.1997 (20 NMAC 7.3)

Olmstead, Richard. “New Library Opens inDixon with Help from Volunteers.” RioGrande Sun (Thursday, May 28, 1992): A10.

Padilla, Jerry A. “Anonymous donor makesnew library possible.” The Taos News

Rio Arriba County Design and DevelopmentRegulation System, 2000-2001.

IV.

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Interviews:

Locals

Arellano, Estevan· History of Dixon· Orchard information· Vision of site

Arellano, Elena. Library’s needs, events

Crawford, Stan· Acequias· Climate information· Grape growing

Crawford, Rosemary

Case, Clark. Social Aspects of Dixon, NM.

Rinker, Ron. Program, space needs

AcademicWilson, Chris

· History of Dixon, NM

Design Reviewers:

Academic Interviews

Borbas, Steve

Borkovitz, Rick

Burns, Mimi

Calott, Chris

Childs, Mark

Johns, Bob

Wilson, Chris