Hacienda de Mediacion: Tourist Farm and Recreational Center

Abstract

As architects, we make developments that impact the community and its economy in a broad sense, therefore a question we can ask ourselves is that how do we develop the rural sector? When it comes to indoor farming, it is much more common to see such adaptations in the urban area, leaving the rural area undeveloped. Research shows that to develop the rural area, however, there is a need to develop its agriculture. How do we do this with architecture?

As defined in Agritecture.com, “Agritecture is the art, science, and business of integrating agriculture into cities.” It involves applying architectural thinking in designing agriculture for the built environment. Usually used in urban farms, the same strategy could be used in developing rural farms, especially if the agenda is to improve and veer away from the current traditional farming. The use of architectural strategies in agricultural planning can produce cohesive projects that are significant and helpful to the community.

While Agritecture combines the concepts of architecture and agriculture, agritourism, on the other hand, combines agriculture and tourism to provide profitable markets for farm services and products, as well as provide travel experiences for a large regional market. When viewed from an agriculture perspective, considerations include alternative agriculture, value-added agriculture, rural community development, and direct farm marketing. When viewed from a tourism perspective, it includes a complete agritourism destination, temporary attraction or special event, part of a large non-agriculture-oriented destination, and part of a large agriculture-oriented destination.

The main agenda of the project is to innovate farming strategies and food production and sustain them through architecture and tourism in Northern Samar as one of the poorest regions in the country with the potential in agriculture and tourism, by creating a tourist farm and recreational center for farmers and tourists in the local area.

This will be achieved through the following project objectives:

(1) To provide a more sustainable food production system satisfying both farmers and business venture needs;

(2) To provide a project that gives a sense of place supporting different human activities such as those that are of farming and tourism, which also enhances economic opportunities, and which also provides for awareness in the agriculture field; and

(3) To provide a project that contributes to rural development in terms of food production and tourism that help sustain the growing population, veering away from traditional farming activities.