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Passive Cooling Wall
2024

Maylis Vasseur and Rachel Farrington

This​​ fern-covered fountain wall passively cools a Texas screened porch living room. In this design, rainwater from the roof of the screened porch is collected in a basin and circulated several times daily via a low-watt solar pump down the face of a clay breeze block wall. As the water evaporates, the clay cools and prevailing winds are channeled through constrictions in the blocks, reducing temperatures by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Staying true to the design goal to severely limit energy use on this structure, the fountain wall serves additional purposes as well. It circulates the rainwater from the basin to prevent stagnation and a pipe feeds into a flushing biogas toilet. The flushed sewage is then treated in a biogas digester which produces clean cooking fuel for a stove in the kitchenette on the porch.Taking design cues from nature and the region, our group continues to explore creative solutions to support balanced living.

2023

Architecture and Design: Riley Triggs & Rachel Farrington

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The design creates a structural dichotomy that explores themes of prospect and shelter alongside wilderness and civilization. Multiple rooms are nestled within a cultivated garden, playfully challenging users’ perceptions of modern living. The intent was to prioritize physical labor and mental rest, counteracting the imbalance often experienced in contemporary life. The residences, though small, offer luxurious spaces with an earthy materiality that combines local granite, recycled steel, and site-gathered timber. These materials are paired with experimental framing techniques and cutting-edge sustainable design. Opposite the main house, a multi-dimensional, ribbon-like parametric arbor provides shade to both the dwelling and the adjoining dining and lecture hall. No walls obstruct the sweeping hilltop views. The porch, tucked beneath a heavy steel and wood arch, is screened on two sides, drawing southern breezes through a passive cooling wall during summer. While the design includes many modern comforts, subtle cues encourage users to engage with these amenities in new ways. These poetic cues gently raise awareness of regional ecological issues, positioning visitors and inhabitants as stewards of the land.

La Cuna, Phase One
Mud Springs

2023

Rachel Farrington

Granite, steel, fiberglass, acacia, oil paint

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This functional sculpture captures rainwater to support local wildlife. Positioned on a granite outcropping at the confluence of three game trails, it stores up to 50 gallons of water and automatically feeds a small artificial spring, providing supplemental drinking water for wildlife during droughts.

La Cuna Plant Census
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2022 - Ongoing

Rachel Farrington

​Graphite and gouche on paper

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This ongoing series of drawings documents each species and variety of native plant currently growing at La Cuna. The first 48 plants, recorded in the original census from May 2022, are depicted in golden gouache, a nod to religious iconography. These plants represent the diversity of the seed bank in extreme drought conditions, shaped by a long history of over-grazing cattle on the property. Future censuses will track the progress of restoration efforts as we work to diversify the native flora. The final project will be a single installation of drawings, designed to catalog and inspire.

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