NOLS Mexico Branch Ten Years Later

The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) is “to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.” When Taylor Galyean set out to design a set of structures for the NOLS Mexico Branch on Baja California, his goal was to embody that mission in the facility. We first wrote about Galyean’s designs—his thesis for a master’s degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—a decade ago, in

EBN

Vol. 4, No. 5. At that time, most of his plans were still on paper. Having written in 1995 that “full implementation of the plan is expected to take about ten years,” we decided to check in with NOLS and Galyean to find out where, and if, things stand.

“When you go on a NOLS trip or course, it’s easy to be minimum impact, because you carry everything out with you,” Galyean told

EBN this year. “It took some twisting of our thoughts to reinterpret what that means for a permanent environment.” Following the completion of Galyean’s thesis, he and his wife, Marilyn Feldmeier, collaborated on the project as Feldmeier Galyean Design. With the goal of low-impact development in mind, the team designed the structures around “basic, simple components.” They designed to foster a permeability between indoors and out. “We did everything we could to encourage natural ventilation,” Galyean explains, and all of the designs include extensive daylighting. The Branch is entirely off-grid, with electricity supplied by an onsite photovoltaic array. Propane supplies heat for cooking, and a generator provides additional electricity on occasion. For the construction process, minimizing the project’s impact meant using local materials, building techniques, and labor.

The 1995 article included three drawings. One was a design for a water tower that would double as a climbing wall. Although the design is ready, the structure has not been built—yet. “We’ve been waiting for the other water tower to collapse,” explains Galyean. “Everyone thinks this thing’s never going to make it, that it’s going to fall down next year. But they’ve been saying that for ten years.” A design for counselor housing also remains unbuilt. A drawing of a reinforced-concrete post-and-beam wall structure with various options for infill, however, did pan out. “The design has been wonderful in terms of work flow and usage of the facility,” says David Lee, director of the NOLS Mexico program, noting that the only problem has been some corrosion of the concrete due to salt leaching from the soil. “We would love to bring Taylor back,” Lee says, though no new structures are planned for at least the coming two years.

Galyean and Feldmeier continue to practice together. In addition, the two enjoy working with Galyean’s father’s company, the TAG Studio, which specializes in the design of luxury spas, resorts, and pool facilities. Galyean says his early work with NOLS continues to influence his practice. “The way I tie this together in my own mind—and I don’t know if this is post-rationalization or not—is in the intersection between the landscape and the built environment, which was a huge part of the NOLS Mexico project,” he says. “I always try to push everything for the health of the individual and the health of the environment. If people can come away from my work with a better understanding of the beauty of a place, and better health for that place and for themselves, then I’ve accomplished something.”

– JB

For more information:

Taylor Galyean

Feldmeier Galyean Design

New Orleans, Louisiana

504-891-3502, 815-550-8560 (fax)

taylor@studiofg.com(link sends e-mail)

David Lee, NOLS Mexico Director

david_lee@faculty.nols.edu(link sends e-mail)www.nols.edu