“URBAN MIXOLOGY” GLOWED!

A silver medal was the well-deserved icing on the cake for the School of Landscape Architecture’s ASLA Student Affiliate Chapter installation, “Urban Mixology”, at the2014 San Francisco Flower and Garden Show!

August 2013 marked the beginning of a successful design/build process with a one-day charrette that was followed by many weekends of design development and full-scale building. The final design combined strong ideas from proposals by MFA student Jason Jeon, BFA student Eric Arneson, and design detailing by MFA student Avery Hu. By September 2013, “Urban Mixology” was in full-blast production mode.

The Concept: In urban environments we are surrounded by the vibrancy of experiences that are a direct result of the diversity of its inhabitants, their cultures, and interests. This diversity is reflected through the design of urban spaces.

Digital culture is an essential part of urban inhabitants’ lives. The mixology of RGB colors in digital design allow for the expression of millions of colors in the visible spectrum.

Urban Mixology, celebrates the density and diversity of urban centers and the overlap of digital design through the use of color and texture of meticulously selected plants that have the ability to flourish in urban environments.

The Collaboration: In every stage of the design process, MFA and BFA students of the School of Landscape Architecture worked as a team, with smiles on their faces, and a skip in their step to build a garden that was their pride and joy.  Expertise and skill sets were assessed early on, yet students rotated between various roles based on the needs of the project at different points in time.

The Build: Move-in day at the San Mateo Event Center came faster than any of the students could have anticipated. Truckloads of materials such as wood, plants, rocks, soil, and tools arrived, and students set to work by building, painting, planting, and fine tuning the design to perfection. In 5 short days the concrete floor of the event center was transformed into a glowing garden that was the epitome of the design concept.

The Reward: True to the nature of collaborative design, “Urban Mixology” became the impetus for the birth of long lasting friendships, professional connections, a deep understanding and appreciation for the design process from concept to reality,  and last but not least, a SILVER MEDAL! We couldn’t have asked for more!

A heartfelt thank you to our ASLA Student Affiliate Chapter on beautifully executed design. You have made The School of Landscape Architecture very proud!

Left to right: Ashley Wu, Chloe Pu, Daniel Correia, Sophie Zhang, Avery Hu, Yasmine Farazian (Faculty), Heather Clendenin (Director of the School of Landscape Architecture), Alex Zheng, Nahal Sobhati, Jason Jeon, Hilda Lin, Eric Arneson