Recycling Center + Mercado

As we enter this current era of sustainability, facilities that contribute to sustaining future generations by being responsible with our present materials should be embraced as cultural icons. The design of a Recycling Center offers a unique opportunity to do just this. Locating the building on a site adjacent to several large wholesale and retail stores, hopes to make a subversive statement. These types of consumer attractions exemplify the waste and mass consumption that have plagued our cities for far too long. However, in order for this center to engage the community as well as compete against the adjacent stores, another program must be added to this center. The addition of a local Mercado (market) where people can sell and exchange their own goods not only speaks to a local cultural tradition but also helps reinforce the idea of reuse.

In order for the building to make a visual statement to the nearby Interstate, it must raise above the 45’ drop in terrain that takes place on the site. This is done by layering the levels, which also creates a much more compact design that is efficient with land use. It also creates an entry for the Mercado from the higher elevation near the Interstate, while leaving the lower area traffic to trucks in the much more industrial area. The Mercado design emphasizes and compliments the dynamic activity of local culture by creating a vertically layered layout of pathways that are within a central courtyard of the structure. This also creates a border of parking stalls for merchants to sell directly from their vehicles. These parking spaces are part of a parking structure layout on the top two levels that integrate not only the merchants but also the visitors with the market area. The Recycling Center allows for the linear flow of the recycling process to take place around the courtyard. This open central courtyard is used for sunlight, natural ventilation, and storage of recycled bales. These bales, which are bound by a wrapping of wires to hold the condensed recycled goods together in order to be sold and shipped, are reflected by the concrete structure that wraps this collection of uses together into a cohesive design.