Sparks Oasis Community Center
Stiphany Sowell Architecture + Urbanism
“There’s an economy of means deployed in this project which thoughtfully recognizes some of the vernacular building types. It’s a robust but simple shelter that begins with the process of making a roof over this existing public place in the town and then, through very simple means, situates those social activities in a place that has a sense of being civic.”
— Keith Krumwiede
In the Sparks colonia on the margins of El Paso, a community center built by residents using manufactured homes has deteriorated over time due to heavy use and the harsh climate. The Oasis aims to regenerate the assets residents have created to mitigate the increasing burdens of climate and urbanization they face. Conceptualized from the inside out, the project creates a fully accessible commons without disrupting the existing center’s programming. Pivotal to this transformation is a regenerative canopy that collects rainwater for evaporative cooling and irrigation of a Palo Verde tree terrace. This shaded marquis guides visitors with diverse abilities along a strong axis to a courtyard of impact-intensive spaces, transforming a previously segregated building into a cohesive neighborhood destination.