Rincon Research Learning Center
Publication Date
Spring 4-22-2026
Presentation Length
30 minutes
College
O'More College of Architecture & Design
Department
Architecture
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Brent Hunter
Presentation Type
Gallery
Summary
The Rincon Research Learning Center acts as an instrument of orientation, using environmental forces and organization to reveal the hidden geomagnetic systems that shape the desert landscape.
Creating a passageway through its courtyard, the RRLC allows air, light, and movement to flow thorugh and beneath it, transforming these passive environmental forces into direct drivers of spatial experience. Circulation and gathering spaces orient visitors toward the surrounding desert and the subtle systems that shape it. Ranging from prevailing winds to geomagnetic fields, the RRLC seeks to make the unseen seen to the everyday visitor. The exhibition spaces translate the complex scientific research and data into physical encounters which frame the specialness and fragility of the Sonoran Desert. Through this, the building becomes both a place of study and a learning device for understanding the invisible forces that structure the landscape.
Recommended Citation
Gill, Julia, "Rincon Research Learning Center" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 804.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/804
