la semilla

LOCATION:

San Ysidro, CA

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

La Semilla, meaning “the seed” in Spanish, symbolizes the numerous efforts of the park. Just like a seed holds the potential to grow into a mighty tree, this project serves as a launchpad for a neighborhood-scale movement focused on environmental justice and climate resiliency. Spanning over a 7,000 square foot lot, La Semilla not only functions as a demonstration area but also as a community connector, seamlessly integrating with Casa’s Community Land Trust (CLT) properties on the Cultural Corridor. This corridor serves as the vibrant heart of San Ysidro, bringing together art, community, and greening initiatives. Rather than creating isolated private amenities within each CLT development, Casa Familiar envisions La Semilla as one link in a chain of shared civic spaces that offer meaningful programming and beloved outdoor experiences to the neighborhood.

At its core, La Semilla incorporates a permaculture program that not only produces food but also shares ecologically sound gardening practices with local residents. By connecting people to the living world around them and inspiring healthier food choices, the park becomes a catalyst for redefining consumption patterns. Visitors to La Semilla experience the joy of sinking their teeth into an organic, home-grown tomato, which often sparks a newfound passion for gardening. Beyond food production, the park serves as a showcase for affordable resiliency strategies. Through architectural components, site features, and special programming, it demonstrates off-the-shelf products, home modifications, and backyard installations that save money, energy, water, and time for the community. By presenting these solutions at a domestic scale, La Semilla empowers neighbors to embrace sustainable practices and embark on their own sustainability journeys.

Project Goals

The project’s goals encompass fighting climate change in a meaningful way, promoting affordable and low-maintenance gardening and construction practices, providing on-site photovoltaic panels for electric vehicle charging stations, and leveraging the proximity to a light-rail station to encourage active transportation as part of a multi-modal transportation strategy.

La Semilla acknowledges the pressing need for safer food and cleaner air in the local community. While the park itself may not be able to feed everyone or single-handedly mitigate air pollution, it serves as a living laboratory for techniques and products that neighbors can affordably implement in their own homes. By disseminating knowledge and skills, the project enlists neighbors in a decentralized, egalitarian effort to transform consumption patterns and improve local air quality. The parks design also considers the abundance of off-street parking spaces in the neighborhood, envisioning their potential as areas for growing food or air-remediating plants. Moreover, La Semilla promotes alternative modes of transportation to reduce environmental impact, emphasizing the importance of walkability and accessibility.

In addition to its environmental and resiliency objectives, La Semilla aims to create a neighborhood park that caters to the daily rhythms, practical needs, and year-round celebrations of the community. The surrounding neighborhood, although underserved in several aspects, benefits from a chain of existing parks that are highly utilized and cherished by residents. La Semilla builds upon this foundation, expanding the network of green spaces to further advance the pursuit of environmental justice.

Project Awards: AIA San Diego Merit Award, AIA Oregon Citation Award, Circulate San Diego Innovation Award