Jardín de Sombras: Public Space as Infrastructure for Cities in the Desert / ORU-Oficina de Resiliencia Urbana + Julián Arroyo + Gabriel Azuara Pellicer + Virens

Text description provided by the architects. The project “Jardín de Sombras: Public Space as Infrastructure for Cities in the Desert” is located in a marginal area north of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, and is part of the Urban Improvement Program of the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, Urban and Agricultural Development, together with the Faculty of Architecture of the UNAM. It received first place in the competition in the category of Public Space. Jardín de Sombras pursues three objectives: (1) Microclimatic: Improving the habitability of public space, (2) Socio-Environmental: Promoting social and environmental integration, (3) Resilience: Generating spaces that mitigate vulnerability to disasters.

It consists of a covered and open space with a free floor plan that houses sports fields, restrooms and a very low-cost, low-maintenance kitchenette. It includes a soccer field, a children’s area and a skatepark in the shadow of the building. In disaster conditions, it provides a space for social organization, storage, communications, refrigeration for medicines and a cistern for drinking and rainwater. In addition, there is a running track and native and xerophytic vegetation.

The roof is saw-shaped to fulfil multiple functions. Its orientation limits direct solar incidence and is suitable for the installation of solar panels on the exposed surface, admitting light from the north. The roof directs southerly winds from cyclones outside the roofed area, and admits winds from the north to improve microclimate comfort to cope with the heat island effect. The roof provides a multipurpose space that complements the disaster response system.