Upcycled Community Aquifer

International agro-corporations have dramatically increased groundwater extraction along the western coast of Baja California Sur. As freshwater reserves decline, seawater begins to infiltrate the region’s aquifers, threatening the long-term viability of the water supply for the farming communities of Todos Santos, Pescadero, San Juan, San Ignacio, and Cuatro Vientos.

By examining the region’s hydrological cycles and atmospheric conditions, the proposal transforms discarded airline fuselages from a nearby aircraft graveyard into a community center that harvests and stores water. Repurposed as the primary structural system, the suspended fuselages house a public school, park, and amphitheater while shading a new subsurface aquifer below. The elevated structures reduce evaporation in the desert climate and make the processes of water collection, storage, and stewardship visible to the community.