The Acequia Recovery and Claims Assistance (ARCA) building is a new form of civic infrastructure designed for community resilience in the face of wildfire.
Based on the 2022 Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon wildfire in New Mexico, ARCA is an intervention upon a damage system in which prescribed burns initiated by the US Forest Service escape control, and victims face a long, uncertain process of recovering damages through the FEMA Proof of Loss form.
Under normal use, ARCA serves as a rural community hub where knowledge of seed harvesting, cooking, acequia maintenance, and land burning is practiced and preserved. It houses a digital archive designed to expedite insurance claims through preemptive documentation of “proof.” During active wildfires, it preserves personal valuables in a community vault and provides temporary shelter and services to firefighters and evacuees.
