Students worked in teams in the fall semester to develop multiple concepts, models, and presentations. These were presented to the leaders of the San José Office of Cultural Affairs, and a concept called Arbor was selected. This concept was inspired by the agricultural history of San José. Long a center of citrus production, Silicon Valley still has traces of its agricultural past in small pockets around the region. Arbor is an ode to this past, translated into a future concept.

In the spring semester, the designer and I worked together to build a team of students that would take the concept through to a functional prototype in 5 months. In September, the fully functional, stainless steel structure was installed in a lot across the street from City Hall. It was part of a year-long exhibition done in conjunction with San José’s Clean Energy Showcase, sponsored by the EPA.

Students: Joseph Sanchez, Bryan Day, Becky Field, Maria Lopez, Bryan De Leon, Vince Pascual
Professors: John McClusky, Jim Ammon
Photography: Mark Serr Photography