Cacao in Puerto Rico
According to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) the Cacao prices have been rising by the Tonne. Statistics show that by 2020 there won't be enough supply for the growing demand.
Puerto Rico's agricultural history shows that it's high quality Cacao was one of the main export crops of the island by 1665. According to the Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research Service (TARS) most of them where damaged in a hurricaine, but there are still some traces left.
In this conceptual project I propose a Permacultural Promotion Center to research, distribute and diffuse information about Cacao and it's diverse growing technics.
Location: Hato Puerco, Canóvanas, Puerto Rico
Lot Size: 427,000 SF
Cost: $15 M
Based on the average height of Cacao (25 feet), my intention is to articulate the experience it offers in different elevations. The trunk, the branches and the top. I do so by creating a circuit in witch the user gradually emerges and submerges in an ocean of trees, therefore flowing it's way through a series of different spaces made of bamboo and wood.
