La Semilla

2023 Merit Award - AIA San Diego

2023 Citation Award for Equitable Communities - AIA Oregon

2023 Innovation Award - Circulate San Diego

2023 Sustainable Marvel Award - San Diego Green Building Council

La Semilla, “The Seed”, is Environmental Justice in physical form. 

La Semilla is an innovative climate resiliency research center and pilot project. It is situated in San Ysidro, the San Diego neighborhood that touches Tijuana, México, and the busiest land border crossing in North America. San Ysidro is one of San Diego’s most disadvantaged communities and access to fresh local food is very limited. More than 120,000 cars pass through the border each day, creating some of the worst neighborhood air quality in California, and resulting in San Ysidro residents having a 30% higher incidence of asthma.

Based on design engagement with the neighborhood social innovation agency and local residents, La Semilla will demonstrate climate resilient, affordable, low-maintenance, construction methods and urban farming techniques that can be deployed in the community. The program includes: Food Forest, Multipurpose Community Hub, Greenhouse, Micromobility Node, Public Plaza, EV Parking Grove and Researcher’s Residence. Locating this project in a historically under resourced neighborhood demonstrates what sustainable and responsible development should look like, aiding residents in becoming advocates for similar developments in the future.

La Semilla is designed to achieve the ILFI’s Core Green Building Certification. Key strategies that will be employed include: biophilic design, capturing 99% of storm water on site for reuse, net zero energy and mass timber, just to name a few. La Semilla will also be a strategic social and civic space connector for San Ysidro, relevant to the daily rhythms, practical needs and year-round celebrations of the neighborhood.