Abstract:

Located in the San Rafael Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border at Lochiel Arizona, the historic Lochiel Schoolhouse stands as one of the few remaining one-room adobe schoolhouses in the United States. Built before 1905, the schoolhouse served generations of Mexican American students from Arizona and Sonora, cultivating shared cultural experiences, stories, and friendships that transcended physical and political boundaries. After facing threats of abandonment and demolition, the schoolhouse was restored over a 12-year effort by community members and stands today as a symbol of Mexican American cultural heritage and is a living archive of the border town’s rural educational history.

‘Escuelita Lochiel’ seeks to reimagine and preserve the historical site as a sanctuary for early learning where architecture, landscape, and ecology converge to empower youth. The site’s desert landscape is encapsulated by the modulated and growing adobe architecture that grows alongside educational and climate needs. The primary school energizes its students through bilingual education, playful gardens and adventure-led exploration. Inspiring children’s curiosities to feel connected in the historical site’s knowledge as it rewards them with a deep sense of belonging and place.

This thesis reimagines learning spaces through adobe architecture and landscape to nurture cultural resilience and ecological awareness in youth’s early learning in response to current educational and climate challenges.