DIVERSION + REGENERATION a water resource management strategy for earth university

The Guanacaste region of Costa Rica experiences a dramatic six months of wet conditions and six months of dry conditions. EARTH University recognizes the need to address and manage this extreme fluctuation of water resources at La Flor. By considering both the abundance and absence of water on site, specific interventions in the form of diversion can redirect water in ways to both hold and move water across the site. These diversions create opportunity to avoid flooding, recharge the aquifer, irrigate crops, increase wildlife habitat, and facilitate recreation.

Insights from EARTH

A series of insights remain with me after visiting La Flor. One important notion is that a two-year curriculum is more applicable in the developing world in order to address the urgency of conditions. Specific local needs in Guanacaste include jobs, waste management, land planning, security and water. As designers we should be thinking in terms of rainy seasons in addition to quarterly seasons as cycles of importance to sustainable agriculture curriculum, and to all local systems.

Ultimately people must come first as our impetus for design. Local citizens should act as stewards of the land and buildings should be designed as vessels or tools to support people through active education. The campus in this regard becomes a demonstration ground for a paradigm shift to establish a new way of life, leading to innovation for passers-by. Global issues will be addressed through local application. The land, its people, and the University as a sustainable cultural institution should all be inextricably linked. Integration should be sought through a variety of systems, including curriculum (with a goal of disseminating knowledge), transportation (in terms of the proposed road and on-site public transportation), water (to address and manage wet and dry seasons), and materials (that are culturally and locally applicable).

In sum, the idea of replication comes to the forefront of how the Innovation Studio should approach the components of the master plan. Our proposals should be simple, work sufficiently, use appropriate technology, and ultimately have the ability to be replicated by the local community. We can achieve this by creatively responding to the local culture and conditions.