A HYPOTHETICAL EXPERIMENT IN THE MEXICAN DESERT

D A T A ...... S H E E T

TYPE OF HOUSING= COMMUNITY (TEMPORARY) HOUSING .
(TEMPORARY)= 3 months- 6 Years
USERS AT A GIVEN TIMEFRAME: FROM 2 TO 4 UP TO 12

RAW DATA
LOCATION: 26.5 DEG. LONG 113 DEG. LAT / BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR / MEXICO
HORIZONTAL SOLAR RADIATION (AVG.): 5.5- 6 KWH / M2 / DAY (1)
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE (AVG.)= 29.0 DEG. CELSIUS (2)
MINIMUM TEMPERATURE (AVG.)= 15.8 DEG. CELSIUS (2)
WIND POWER DENSITY AT 30 M= 500 (W/M) 2 (3)
WIND SPEED AT 30 M= 6.1 - 8.4 M/S (3)
YEARLY PRECIPITATION= 100 MM (4)

M A N I F E S T O

LIVING IN LARGE CITIES (ESPECIALLY IN THE SO CALLED THIRD WORLD)
HAS BECOME A HIGHLY UNSUSTAINABLE WAY OF LIVING, FOR EXAMPLE, MEXICO
CITY USES WATER RESOURCES LOCATED MORE THAN 350 KILOMETERS AWAY AND
HER ELECTRICITY IS ENTIRELY BASED ON THE BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS, NOT TO
MENTION THE CLASSICAL MEGALOPOLITAN PROBLEMS AS OVERCROWDING, HIGH
LEVELS OF POLLUTION, STRESS, INSECURITY, ETC. THERE IS A NEED TO
DECENTRALIZE ACTIVITY AND PROJECT IT OUTSIDE OF URBAN AREAS. INDIVIDUAL
MOBILITY THROUGH ALMOST THE ENTIRE GPS COVERED AREAS AND THE STANDARD
USE OF MOBILE COMMUNICATION (EG. SINCE THE 90'S THE ZAPATISTA ARMY HAS
BEEN BROADCASTING THEIR DISCOURSE THROUGH SATELLITAL INTERNET), HAS
PROVIDED A PLATFORM FOR PUBLISHING AND DELIVERY OF CULTURAL
PRODUCTION IN REAL TIME, NO MATTER THE GEOGRAPHICAL CORRDINATES YOU ARE
AT. SO THIS MANIFESTO SAYS:

GET OUT OF THE CITIES!!! START A LOCAL NODE AND
NETWORK YOUR COMMUNITY!!!

S I T U A T I O N

THIS STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO HOUSE A NUMBER OF UP TO 12 (+ IN
SPECIAL OCCASIONS) PEOPLE INTERESTED AND SPECIALIZED IN MEDIA AND
COMPUTER GAME STUDIES, THROUGH GIVEN FRAMES OF TIME IN ORDER TO
COLLECTIVELY AND/ OR INDIVIDUALLY PRODUCE AND SHARE RELEVANT WORK. IT
CAN ACCOMODATE 1-5 HOUSING UNITS.

L O C A T I O N

AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL, WATER OR NATURAL GAS GRIDS. THE SITE IS
IN THE DESERT IN THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA, BESIDES THE VIZCAINO
BIOSPHERE SANCTUARY (450 KM COASTLINE: 443 FLORA SPECIES; 69 SPECIES
TERRESTRIAL MAMMALS; OF THE 45 SPECIES OF MARINE MAMMALS IN MEXICO, 38
ARE STATIONED SEASONALLY OR PERMANENTLY INCLUDING THE BLUE WHALE AND
THE GREY). THE SITE FACES THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

C O M M U N I T Y

A GROUP OF ARTISTS WANTS TO START A COMMUNITY DEVOTED TO
THE PRODUCTION AND ADVANCEMENT OF MEDIA ART TROUGH ARTIST RESIDENCIES,
PROVIDING A POINT OF CONVERGENCE WHICH ONE OF ITS MOST OBVIOUS RESULTS
WILL BE ART PRODUCTION, EITHER COLLECTIVELY OR INDIVIDUALLY.

C O N T E X T

PEOPLE IN THE REGION MOSTLY LIVE IN TRAILERS, OR RV'S
(RECREATIONAL VEHICLES) TURNED INTO MORE PERMANENT HOUSING, PALAPA
CONSTRUCTION PREDOMINATES IN THE AREA TOO. A LOCAL TECHNIQUE IS TO
PROVIDE AREAS OF SHADOW ABOVE THE RV'S OR EMPTY SPACE TO CREATE A COOL
AIR MATTRESS, ENHANCING HUMAN ACTIVITY.

D E S I G N - S T R A T E G I E S

THE CHALLENGE IS TO PROVIDE A HUB AND A SHADOW ZONE
FOR SLEEPING UNITS. AT THE HUB AND ITS SOROUNDINGS, BOTH DAYTIME AND
NIGHTIME HUMAN INTERACTION IS ATTRACTED THROUGH EVENTS AS WORK, PLAY,
LEISURE AND FOOD CONSUPTION. SLEEPING UNITS ARE RV'S. (ALTHOUGH THERE
ARE HUGE RV'S WITH BUILT-IN SKYDECKS AND CAN HOLD UP TO A LARGE NUMBER
OF PEOPLE, WE WILL BE FOCUSED ON SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZE MODELS (1-4 PEOPLE
EACH)). UNDERSTANDING THAT, EVEN WITH MODEST DIMENSIONS, THEY CAN BE
MODDED (OR MODYFIED) TO SUCH NICE ADD-ONS WITH LESS AND MORE EFFECTIVE
RESOURCES, REDUCING WASTE.

S U S T A I N B I L I T Y - S T R A T E G I E S

INPUT= POWER: WIND MINI-FARM AND SUN CELLS: 2
BERGEY WINDPOWER CO. 7 KW WINDPOWER TURBINES AND 4 ASE AMERICAS INC
300 W-DC/50 VOLT PV MODULES RATED AT 3.4 KW. ENERGY STORAGE IS COMPRISED
OF ONE PARALLEL BANK OF TROJAN L16 BATTERIES CONFIGURED FOR A NOMINAL
240 VOLTS, WATER: SHALLOW WELL / DRINKING WATER: 6 DESALINATION STILLS (62-
100 LITRES/ DAY), FRUIT AND VEGETABLES: HOMEGROWN VERTICAL/ HORIZONTAL
CROPS /// OUTPUT= GRAY AND YELLOW WATERS: CLEANSING WELL/ DEEP
REINJECTION, FECAL MATTER: DRY LATRINES, ORGANIC WASTE: COMPOST,
INORGANIC WASTE: RECYCLING CENTERS.

C L E A N - P OW E R E D

6- 8 BURNERS STOVE ,1 REFIGERATOR, 1 FREEZER, 3
WORKSTATIONS, 10 LAPTOPS, 1 PROJECTOR, 1 WATER PUMP, 2 TV, 1 ARCADE, 1
STEREO SYSTEM, 1 PS2, 1 XBOX, 5 PLUGGED TRAILERS, BASED ON A RATE OF
LIMITED HOURS PER EQUIPMENT, TIMES VOLUME (EG. 10 LAPTOPSX 7 HRS/ DAY, 7
LAPTOPSX 10 HRS/ DAY , 2 LAPTOPSX 24 HRS/ DAY )

1. SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES (U.S)
2. NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE (MEXICO)
3. BERGEY WINDPOWER CO.
4.NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE (MEXICO)