Overview of the City:
Taos is located in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its population at 5,716 as of 2010. The town of Taos is located in the Taos County and is nearby other communities such as Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, Arroyo Seco and most importantly the Taos Pueblo (the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name). The English name “Taos” comes from the native Taos language meaning, “place of red willows.” The Taos Pueblo pays a major role within this town because it is the leading foundations of the town. It borders the town of Taos on the north side and has been estimated to be occupied and built between 1000 and 1450 AD. This Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States.
The Pueblo is a combination of many individual homes with common walls, some of which are placed five stories high. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos Pueblo community. However there are about 150 people who actually live within the pueblo year around. Most of them have modern homes near the fields and stay in these homes during the cooler weather. The Taos Pueblo was added as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks of the World. Taos is a community overflowing with a long proud history, three different cultures living and working side by side, and a heritage of diverse people. Its diversity makes Taos a very interesting location of culture, history and art.
Because of Taos’s strong influence on the culture, history and the arts, the Historic District of Taos holds an important interest point because of the diverse locations of museums, and arts and crafts. Therefore this site will be centered within the Historic District of Taos, New Mexico. Within the historic district, the Taos Art Colony plays an important role to the community as well accenting on the arts of the community. Taos Plaza is also nearby and consists of a center of shops and monuments in which allows accessible shopping. Taos is also the home of more than twenty sites that are registered on National Historic Places accenting on the history of this town. Because Catholicism is the major religion of New Mexico, the cathedral Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is located within the historic district as well; this shows religion and culture. Overall the culture is what wraps this community together, and this can also be seen within the architectural structure as well.
As for the transportation, it is very limited. Most of the locals or tourists have a car or car pool to different locations. As for the train the New Mexico Rail Runner is available, but many do not use this method of transportation. The Taos Regional Airport is their main source for airfare; however international flights tend to not connect at this location. Lastly the Taos community does have the Chile Line Bus Route as their main source of bus transportation, but once again their public transportation is not very reliable. The NCRTD is also a regional bus that is available as well as the Taos Express (however this bus is only available during the weekends and its main reason for access is as a shuttle and tourism).
As of the demographics of the area, there is a downfall. This is because it is stated that the median age is 44. Also there seems to not be a lot of registered families within Taos, this makes it difficult to determine the percentage of the population of teens and those in their early twenties. A demographic was pulled but only consisted of 2,067 households. The information gathered from this poll informs that 23% of that number was under the age of 18 and 6.6% was aged from 18 to 24. It also states that 44% were non-families and 37.3 of those households were made up of individuals, which seemed odd. From personal experience, there were many children who lived with a single mother or with their grandparents. Also many of those over 15-18 were financially on their own in which many did not attend school and worked within the fields of physical labor. Taos has a total area of 5.4 square miles, in which is all land. The elevation of the town is 6,967 feet and just north of Taos is Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet in which is the highest point in New Mexico. Taos is located near the Rio Pueblo de Taos, a tributary of the Rio Grande. Just to the west of the Taos is the Rios Grande Gorge in which cuts through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field and crossed by the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Taos has a semi-arid climate with extreme variations in temperature and low rainfall. Because of the desert climate, it could be completely hot during the day and moderately cold during the night.
Taos is located in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, its population at 5,716 as of 2010. The town of Taos is located in the Taos County and is nearby other communities such as Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, El Prado, Arroyo Seco and most importantly the Taos Pueblo (the Native American village and tribe from which it takes its name). The English name “Taos” comes from the native Taos language meaning, “place of red willows.” The Taos Pueblo pays a major role within this town because it is the leading foundations of the town. It borders the town of Taos on the north side and has been estimated to be occupied and built between 1000 and 1450 AD. This Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States.
The Pueblo is a combination of many individual homes with common walls, some of which are placed five stories high. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos Pueblo community. However there are about 150 people who actually live within the pueblo year around. Most of them have modern homes near the fields and stay in these homes during the cooler weather. The Taos Pueblo was added as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks of the World. Taos is a community overflowing with a long proud history, three different cultures living and working side by side, and a heritage of diverse people. Its diversity makes Taos a very interesting location of culture, history and art.
Because of Taos’s strong influence on the culture, history and the arts, the Historic District of Taos holds an important interest point because of the diverse locations of museums, and arts and crafts. Therefore this site will be centered within the Historic District of Taos, New Mexico. Within the historic district, the Taos Art Colony plays an important role to the community as well accenting on the arts of the community. Taos Plaza is also nearby and consists of a center of shops and monuments in which allows accessible shopping. Taos is also the home of more than twenty sites that are registered on National Historic Places accenting on the history of this town. Because Catholicism is the major religion of New Mexico, the cathedral Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is located within the historic district as well; this shows religion and culture. Overall the culture is what wraps this community together, and this can also be seen within the architectural structure as well.
As for the transportation, it is very limited. Most of the locals or tourists have a car or car pool to different locations. As for the train the New Mexico Rail Runner is available, but many do not use this method of transportation. The Taos Regional Airport is their main source for airfare; however international flights tend to not connect at this location. Lastly the Taos community does have the Chile Line Bus Route as their main source of bus transportation, but once again their public transportation is not very reliable. The NCRTD is also a regional bus that is available as well as the Taos Express (however this bus is only available during the weekends and its main reason for access is as a shuttle and tourism).
As of the demographics of the area, there is a downfall. This is because it is stated that the median age is 44. Also there seems to not be a lot of registered families within Taos, this makes it difficult to determine the percentage of the population of teens and those in their early twenties. A demographic was pulled but only consisted of 2,067 households. The information gathered from this poll informs that 23% of that number was under the age of 18 and 6.6% was aged from 18 to 24. It also states that 44% were non-families and 37.3 of those households were made up of individuals, which seemed odd. From personal experience, there were many children who lived with a single mother or with their grandparents. Also many of those over 15-18 were financially on their own in which many did not attend school and worked within the fields of physical labor. Taos has a total area of 5.4 square miles, in which is all land. The elevation of the town is 6,967 feet and just north of Taos is Wheeler Peak at 13,161 feet in which is the highest point in New Mexico. Taos is located near the Rio Pueblo de Taos, a tributary of the Rio Grande. Just to the west of the Taos is the Rios Grande Gorge in which cuts through the basalt flows of the Taos Plateau volcanic field and crossed by the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Taos has a semi-arid climate with extreme variations in temperature and low rainfall. Because of the desert climate, it could be completely hot during the day and moderately cold during the night.
Overview of Adolescent Behavior in New Mexico:
According to Office of Adolescent Health, there are percentages for adolescents and their usage of alcohol and cigarettes in New Mexico compared to those within the United States. However it was strange to find that the usage for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, etc. are not available. This only applied to the state of New Mexico. This is strange because during multiple personal trips to New Mexico, it was witnessed that children as young as five were on some sort of substance, mainly marijuana. According to New Mexico Adolescent Behavior in Brief the following statistics were found:
According to Office of Adolescent Health, there are percentages for adolescents and their usage of alcohol and cigarettes in New Mexico compared to those within the United States. However it was strange to find that the usage for drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, etc. are not available. This only applied to the state of New Mexico. This is strange because during multiple personal trips to New Mexico, it was witnessed that children as young as five were on some sort of substance, mainly marijuana. According to New Mexico Adolescent Behavior in Brief the following statistics were found:
- Approximately 27,000 (15.2 percent) adolescents in New Mexico used an illicit drug in the past month; 19,000 (11.1 percent) used marijuana, and 13,000 (7.4 percent) used an illicit drug other than marijuana
- Approximately 27,000 (15.2 percent) adolescents in New Mexico used an illicit drug in the past month; 19,000 (11.1 percent) used marijuana, and 13,000 (7.4 percent) used an illicit drug other than marijuana.
- 19.6 percent (34,000) of adolescents used alcohol in the past month, and 12.5 percent (22,000) engaged in binge drinking.
- 6,000 males and 5,000 females in New Mexico needed but did not receive treatment for past-year drug problems
- 8,000 females and 6,000 males needed but did not receive treatment for alcohol problems.
- Adolescent males and females showed similarities on all measures except for major depressive episodes (MDEs) (New Mexico Adolescent Behavioral Health in Brief. Pg 1.)
Overview of the Project Site and Building:
Located in the Historic District of Taos, this building will allow the user to have access to many different activities and ways of traffic. It is surrounded by museums and is convenient to the community convention center, parks, community auditorium, town hall, public library, church, plaza, etc. To tie in with the culture and architectural structure of Taos, an adobe home designed by Tate Architects has been chosen in which is currently located within Scottsdale, Arizona as a private residence. Location wise, the building will be set on an empty lot right across from the Harwood Museum of Art on 282-292 Ranchitos Rd, Taos, NM 87571. This space is about 26,000 square feet of empty lot, giving room for added nature interaction for the potential design.
As for the building itself, since it is a residential home it only consists of 5,638 square feet. This does not allow enough space for the potential center; therefore the house has been doubled and placed onto the empty lot. Building codes that apply to this design are set from codes followed by Scottsdale, Arizona, in which consists of 2006 International Building Code, 2006 International Residential Code, and 2006 International Fire Code. However now in the state of Arizona the codes are now updated to 2012. This home was chosen because it helps tie together the community style of Taos with a slight modern twist to it. Because the aspect of family is very important to the Taos people, a residential home made more sense than a modern building. The mix of modern design and historical culture can be seen within the interiors of the space. As for the space itself, the gap in between the two homes allows a sense of connection with nature and the outdoors. The floor plan of the house consists of many outdoor interactions whether it be the walkway, the patios, or the backyard as well. Like many of the rehabilitations centers that was researched, the variety range of interaction with nature brings back a connection that was seen throughout the precedent analysis.
Location wise, it is a perfect setting since it is right across from the Harwood Museum of Art and has a pedestrian cross walk across Ranchitos Rd/HWY 240. Users also has access to many local museums, plazas, the library, town hall, convention center, parks, etc. However the only downfall is that there seems to be two unknown buildings on the empty lot. Because they cannot be identified, it is assumed that both buildings are either abandoned or private residences. This can interfere with the space planning and zoning of the center. Another downfall is that Taos does not have a steady public transportation system. The space itself is walkable, but can sometimes take up to a 20 minute walk. Many locals tend to car pool with one another or have a community bus for each organization.
The town of Taos is surrounded by wilderness. This can even be seen within the historic district of Taos. In a way it may seem undeveloped, but this brings forth the connection with the wilderness, history and culture. Taos is at a higher elevation then most cities and is surrounded with mountains and rivers. The climate of Taos is desert so there can be rapidly changing weather conditions. This includes potential winds in the spring, “monsoon” rains in the spring/summer, summer flurries through early June, and other challenging conditions such as sudden lighting strikes. The weather can vastly change as well, such as it being extremely hot during the day and freezing once the sun sets. The weather is unpredictable due to the desert like climate.
As for the sustainability, adobe homes are very sustainable since they do come the Earth’s natural resources. It is basically just dirt that has been moistened with water, sometimes with chopped straw or other fibers added for strength, and then allowed to dry in the desired shape. Adobe is also a good thermal mass material, holding heat and cool well. However it does not insulate well, and needs some sort of insulation either between walls or on the exterior to keep comfort within the building. However there are many benefits to the adobe homes. First they are environmental friendly because the raw materials for adobe bricks are extracted from the environment in a low impact manner and are returned to the Earth after a long duration of use. The bricks offer the lowest embodies energy of any building material in which is about ten percent that is used for the construction of a typical modern house. Adobe homes are also energy efficient, like stated earlier the structures offer a high thermal resistance that enables structures to stay cool in the summer and retain heat during the winter. Adobe walls are long lasting and require little maintenance. They are vermin-proof, dust-free, fire-proof, flood-proof, insect-proof, bullet-proof, rust-proof, water-proof, and can be wiped clean with a sponge. Since adobe is non-toxic, the walls are also non-allergenic. Also adobe homes are affordable when it comes to labor and material costs. Bricks can be made on site using local materials, and an unskilled crew can easily pick up how to make and lay bricks efficiently. This also shows the ease of construction. Perfect bricks do not need to be made, and the slightly irregular shapes make this design unique and beautiful. The downfall of the design sustainability is the location itself. Because Taos is not a fully developed and modernized town, there are still its limitations. The town itself is not very walkable friendly as well. However there are still abundant natural resources and nature interactions that the user can encounter.
Located in the Historic District of Taos, this building will allow the user to have access to many different activities and ways of traffic. It is surrounded by museums and is convenient to the community convention center, parks, community auditorium, town hall, public library, church, plaza, etc. To tie in with the culture and architectural structure of Taos, an adobe home designed by Tate Architects has been chosen in which is currently located within Scottsdale, Arizona as a private residence. Location wise, the building will be set on an empty lot right across from the Harwood Museum of Art on 282-292 Ranchitos Rd, Taos, NM 87571. This space is about 26,000 square feet of empty lot, giving room for added nature interaction for the potential design.
As for the building itself, since it is a residential home it only consists of 5,638 square feet. This does not allow enough space for the potential center; therefore the house has been doubled and placed onto the empty lot. Building codes that apply to this design are set from codes followed by Scottsdale, Arizona, in which consists of 2006 International Building Code, 2006 International Residential Code, and 2006 International Fire Code. However now in the state of Arizona the codes are now updated to 2012. This home was chosen because it helps tie together the community style of Taos with a slight modern twist to it. Because the aspect of family is very important to the Taos people, a residential home made more sense than a modern building. The mix of modern design and historical culture can be seen within the interiors of the space. As for the space itself, the gap in between the two homes allows a sense of connection with nature and the outdoors. The floor plan of the house consists of many outdoor interactions whether it be the walkway, the patios, or the backyard as well. Like many of the rehabilitations centers that was researched, the variety range of interaction with nature brings back a connection that was seen throughout the precedent analysis.
Location wise, it is a perfect setting since it is right across from the Harwood Museum of Art and has a pedestrian cross walk across Ranchitos Rd/HWY 240. Users also has access to many local museums, plazas, the library, town hall, convention center, parks, etc. However the only downfall is that there seems to be two unknown buildings on the empty lot. Because they cannot be identified, it is assumed that both buildings are either abandoned or private residences. This can interfere with the space planning and zoning of the center. Another downfall is that Taos does not have a steady public transportation system. The space itself is walkable, but can sometimes take up to a 20 minute walk. Many locals tend to car pool with one another or have a community bus for each organization.
The town of Taos is surrounded by wilderness. This can even be seen within the historic district of Taos. In a way it may seem undeveloped, but this brings forth the connection with the wilderness, history and culture. Taos is at a higher elevation then most cities and is surrounded with mountains and rivers. The climate of Taos is desert so there can be rapidly changing weather conditions. This includes potential winds in the spring, “monsoon” rains in the spring/summer, summer flurries through early June, and other challenging conditions such as sudden lighting strikes. The weather can vastly change as well, such as it being extremely hot during the day and freezing once the sun sets. The weather is unpredictable due to the desert like climate.
As for the sustainability, adobe homes are very sustainable since they do come the Earth’s natural resources. It is basically just dirt that has been moistened with water, sometimes with chopped straw or other fibers added for strength, and then allowed to dry in the desired shape. Adobe is also a good thermal mass material, holding heat and cool well. However it does not insulate well, and needs some sort of insulation either between walls or on the exterior to keep comfort within the building. However there are many benefits to the adobe homes. First they are environmental friendly because the raw materials for adobe bricks are extracted from the environment in a low impact manner and are returned to the Earth after a long duration of use. The bricks offer the lowest embodies energy of any building material in which is about ten percent that is used for the construction of a typical modern house. Adobe homes are also energy efficient, like stated earlier the structures offer a high thermal resistance that enables structures to stay cool in the summer and retain heat during the winter. Adobe walls are long lasting and require little maintenance. They are vermin-proof, dust-free, fire-proof, flood-proof, insect-proof, bullet-proof, rust-proof, water-proof, and can be wiped clean with a sponge. Since adobe is non-toxic, the walls are also non-allergenic. Also adobe homes are affordable when it comes to labor and material costs. Bricks can be made on site using local materials, and an unskilled crew can easily pick up how to make and lay bricks efficiently. This also shows the ease of construction. Perfect bricks do not need to be made, and the slightly irregular shapes make this design unique and beautiful. The downfall of the design sustainability is the location itself. Because Taos is not a fully developed and modernized town, there are still its limitations. The town itself is not very walkable friendly as well. However there are still abundant natural resources and nature interactions that the user can encounter.