Agricultural Center at Mochik Ranch: Greg Veitch '23 M.Arch

July 25, 2022
Who
Greg Veitch '23 M Arch
What
Student Work | ARC 510E | Studio Taught by Laura Carr
Where
Mochik Ranch, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona
When
2022
Image
Agricultural Center at Mochik Ranch, by Greg Veitch

Image by Greg Veitch.

Image Gallery

Click a thumbnail below to view a larger image and begin slideshow:


Project Narrative

The Agricultural Center at Mochik Ranch is a community design project that solidified its identity through collaboration with the client in order to understand the needs and expectations regarding program, materiality, constructability, economy and cultural specificity. It is predicated upon the concept of interdependence, which is a central tenet of Yoeme spirituality and culture. The project goal was to use architecture to facilitate agricultural production and cultural ownership through an interdependent deployment of climactic forces and culturally significant building materials.


The formal strategy is a nod to the agricultural vernacular of long-lean quonset huts and hoop houses, which already exist at Mochik Ranch. The architecture is optimized for passive strategies of heating, cooling, ventilation and daylighting. Shallow volumes with high north-facing glazing allow for generous daylighting, and an unfired adobe trombe wall along the south aids in both passive heating and cooling throughout the year. The cast concrete towers act as structural cores for the prefabricated steel structure, as well as ventilation stacks for both air intake and exhaust.

Traditional building materials are culturally significant to the Yoeme, and their use in the architecture of the Agricultural Center create a sense of tribal identity and ownership. Adobe walls and carizzo roofs define Yoeme dwellings, but these natural materials are fragile and require continual maintenance. Instead of using these materials as load-bearing or exterior elements, this project places these materials inside the structure, into closer contact with the users and under the shelter of an efficient and durable skin.


All images are by Greg Veitch and may not be used or reproduced without express written permission of their creator.

Latest CAPLA News, Projects and Profiles

Image
Building rendering.

CAPLA students reimagine accessible architecture through Universal Design

Bachelor of Architecture students were recognized in the 2024 AGM Universal Design Student Awards for innovative projects that centered empathy, accessibility, and the human experience. Winning designs by Taranm Akbary and Sadey Bowles reimagined inclusive spaces in Bisbee, showcasing how Universal Design can elevate both creativity and community impact.

Image
Montse Bover

MS.Arch Grad’s Research Award Signals Bright Future

As Montse Estrany Bover graduates with a Master of Science in Architecture from CAPLA, she leaves with a prestigious research award for her thesis on Catalunya’s historic agricultural landscapes. Now working at an architecture firm in Spain, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. to continue blending research and practice.