ARIZONA FIELD TRIP SKETCH AND PHOTO BOOK

GARY DE LEONSECOND YEAR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

GLENN MATSUILA2121L.01

SPRING 2019CAL POLY POMONA

DAY 1:BLYTHE, CA.: INTAGLIOS

I DO BELIEVE IN ALIENS. I’M NOT A CRAZY FANATIC, BUT I CAN SEE OTHER LIFE FORMS BEING OUT THERE. THIS SPACE GAVE ME THE FEELING THAT SOMEONE IN OUR PAST WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH SOMEONE THEY BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. IT IS IN OUR NATURE TO WANT TO INTERACT OR BECOME CURIOUS WITH SOMETHING OR SOMEONE WE HAVE WITNESSED. I FEEL THE PEOPLE THAT CREATED THE INTAGLIOS WERE TRYING TO CONTACT WHATEVER THEY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH. EITHER WAY THESE DEPICTIONS WERE PUT THERE BY SOMEONE VERY CREATIVE AND IT IS PROOF THAT SOMEONE EXPLORED THIS LAND MANY YEARS AGO OR INHABITED IT.

ARCOSANTI, AZ: ARCOSANTI

THIS PLACE WAS INTERESTING. I BELIEVE IT IS A GOOD CONCEPT BUT IT IS DEFI-NITELY NOT THE WAY OF LIVING FOR ME. I ALSO FELT THAT THE RESIDENTS OF ARCOSANTI WEREN’T TOO HAPPY WITH US THERE. I FEEL LIKE THE IDEA BEHIND ARCOSANTI IS CLOSEY LINKED WITH THE BELIEVE DURING THE COLD WAR. THAT ONE DAY THE WORLD IS GOING TO DESTROY ONE ANOTHER AND THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WOULD SURVIVE. I DID APPRECIATE HOW THE DESIGN BEHIND THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IS MULTI USE. THAT EVERY SPACE IN ARCOSANTI IS USEFUL SOMEHOW BY ANYONE THAT CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN AND THAT IS WILLING TO PUT IN THE WORK FOR IT. DID FEEL AWESOME BEING ABLE TO HEAR NATURE AND SEE THE NIGHT SKY SO CLEARLY, BUT AFTER A WHILE I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE TOO QUITE FOR ME.

DAY 2:LAKE MONTEZUMA, AZ: MONTEZUMA’S CASTLE

I LOVE HISTORY AND LEARNING ABOT PEOPLE FROM OUR PAST. THIS PLACE IS TRULY AMAZING. TO THINK SOMEONE WAS SMART ENOUGH AND HAPPY WITH LIVING WITHIN A MOUNTAIN. WE KNOW HUMANS STAY AND SETTLE IF THE SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL ARE AVAILABLE AND THAT TELLS US THAT KEY DAILY FACTORS WERE PRESENT IN THEIR ITME. WATER, FOOD, AND PROTECTION. IT WAS THEIR OWN FORTRESS FOR THE WHOLE SMALL COMMUNITY.

CAVE CREEK, AZ: DESERT BROOM LIBRARY

I THOUGHT THIS DESIGN WAS REALLY COOL. THE FACT THAT THE STEEL CONCRETE AND GLASS GO TOGETHER ALONG WITH THE RUST OF THE STEEL, FROM A FAR YOU CN’T REALLY TELL THERE IS A STRUCTURE THERE. IT LOOKS LIKE ITS PART OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE UNTIL U GO INSIDE OF COURSE. BUT ONCE INSIDE, THE DESIGN CONTINUES IN AND IT FEELS LIKE YOU’RE STILL OUTSIDE SINCE THE RODS CONTINUE INSIDE AND SPIN THE WAY THEY DO IN THE OUTSIDE PATERN.

PHOENIX, AZ: DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN

THE PUBLIC IS WELCOMED HERE, AT A COST, BUT THE DAY WE WENT WAS FREE. THE WHOLE GARDEN IS DESIGNED TO A PROGRAM. ALTHOUGH WE ARE IN THE DESERT ALREADY THIS BOTANICAL GARDEN DOES A GREAT JOB AT REDESIGNNG THE NATURE OF THE DESERT. THEIR MAJOR PROGRAM IS EDUCATIONAL BECAUSE EVERY CORNER OF THE GARDEN YOU LOOK THERE IS INFORMATION TO LEARN ABOUT. AT THE SAME TIME THEY DO A GREAT JOB AT TRYING TO BRING NATURE TOGETHER WITH PUBLIC INTEREST WITH THE NIGHT PROGRAM OF MUSIC AND LIGHTING. TRULY AN EXPERIENCE. THE GARDEN ALSO PROVIDES A BIG ECOSYS-TEM FOR ALL TYPES OF ECOLOGIES. I GOT SOME GREAT SHOTS OF HUMMINGBIRD THAT ALMOST FELT LIKE IT WAS POSING FOR ME. IT IS A SIGN THAT SPECIES CAN INTERECT WITH HUMANS AS WELL.

DAY 3:SCOTTSDALE, AZ: DOC CAVALIER PARK

THIS PARK WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN ANY PARK I HAVE EVER BEEN IN. IT SERVED AS A PARK FOR PUBLIC USE IN SPORT, GATHERING, HIKING, AND AS WELL AS A CATCH BASIN FOR OVERFLOODING RAINS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS AWESOME. AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO LAWN LIKE MOST PARKS HERE IN CALIFORNIA, IT STILL FELT LIKE A PARK. THE KIND OF PARK KIDS AND TEENS LOVE TO GO TO TO HAND OUT. PATERNS OF ROCK, STONE AND METALS GAVE THE PARK CHARACTER ALONG WITH THE COLOR AND TEXTURE BY SUCH MATERIAL. THE RUSTY COLOR OF THE METALS ALLOWS FOR THE STRUCTURES TO BLEND IN WITH THE NATURAL VIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE AS WELL.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: MCDOWELLL SONORAN PRESERVE TRAIL

IT IS A NATURAL OPEN SPACE AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC. THE WHOLE PARK IS A NATURAL HIKING SPACE. YOU CAN FEEL THAT U ARE TRAVELING THROUGH THE DESERT AS IF YOU WERE IN AN OLD WESTERN MOVIES WITH NIKES ON. THE TEXTURE AND COLOR OF A NATURAL ARIZONA DESERT SCAPE TRULY STANDS OUT AT EVERY CORNER.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: ARABIAN LIBRARY

COLOR, TEXTURE AND FORM BLEND TO THE NATURAL DESERT SCAPE BUT AT THE SAME TIME ITS UNIQUE DESIGN STANDS OUT. I SAW IT AS WE WERE DRIVING UP TO IT, BUT IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE YOUR TYPICAL LOCAL LIBRARY. IT IS MODERN IN DESIGN AND THE FEEL WALKING THROUGH THE ENTRY WAY IS AS IF YOU WERE WALKING INTO A DESERT VALLEY AS WELL.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ: TALIESIN WEST

MY FAVORITE ARCHITECT, BEING HERE AT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S HOME WAS AMAZING. HIS USE OF TEXTURE AND COLOR AS WELL AND THE ACTUAL USE OF NATURAL EXISTING ON SITE MATERILAL MADE HIS HOME BLEND IN WITH NATURE. U CAN’T EVEN SEE THE STRUCTURE STAND OUR FROM FAR. ALSO THE USE OF EXTERIOR MATERIAL FOR INTERIOR MATERIAL MAKES THE HOME FEEL LIKE IT IS A PART OF THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE IT SITS ON. HE IS TRULY INNOVATIVE AND WAS AHEAD OF HIS TIME I NDESIGN, BUT MAYBE HE SHOULD’VE WORKED HARDER ON HIS ROOFS.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ: OPTIMA CAMELVIEW VILLAGE & PHOE-NIX ART MUSEUMOPTIMA CAMELVIEW VILLAGE HAS NATURE LIVING ON THE STRUCTURE. IT LOOKS AS IF THERE IS A FOREST IN THE MIDDLE OF SCOTTSDALE.

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM WAS MORE MODERN AND ONE OF THE PLACES ON THIS TRIP THAT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE IT WAS FOLLOWING THE DESERT DESIGN PALLETTE EXCEPT FOR THE EXTERIOR WALKWAY FROM THE PARKING LOT TO THE ENTRANCE AND SOME OF THE LANDSCAPE IN THE CENTER INTERIOR COURTYARD.

DAY 4:MESA, AZ: ASU POLYTECHNIC CAMPUS

DEVELOPED FROM AN OLD AIR FORCE BASE, THIS CAMPUS IS THE MIXTURE OF EXISTING, NATTURAL AND MODERN DESIGN. THE WHOLE CAMPUS IS DESIGNED FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATE LANDSCAPES AND BUILD-INGS.

MESA, AZ: MESA PIONEER PARK ARCHITECTS OF AIR

WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE A HUGE BOUNCY HOUSE ENDED UP BEING A HUGE AIR FILLED BALLOON SHAPED WITH ARCS, COLORS, AND SYMMET-RICAL SHAPES MADE WITH LIGHTING AND PROJECTIONS. COLOR AFFECTS THE FEEL OF A ROOM AND ALSO ALLOWS FOR AWESOME PORTRAIT AND SILHOUTTE PICTURES.

TEMPE, AZ: ASU MAIN CAMPUS

THIS CAMPUS HAD AWESOME LANDSCAPE DESIGN FEATURES. THE BUILDINGS ARE A MIXTURE OF OLD AND NEW AND THE LANDSCAPE IS BEING SUITED FOR WATER CONSERVANCY, FLOOD CONTROL AND EXTREME HEAT. IT WAS A RAINY DAY AND WE GOT TO SEE HOW THE SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTED ON THE CAMPUS PLAY A KEY ROLL IN THE LANDSCAPE.

TEMPE, AZ: AIR APPARENT, JAMES TURRELL SKY SPACE

ON THE CAMPUS OF ASU, SKY SPACE IS SOMEWHAT OF AN SEMI OPEN ENCLOSED COURTYARD. BUILT WITH STAINLESS STEEL OR ALUMINUM, THE SQUARE STRUCTURE LOOKS REALLY MODERN. THIS SPACE SERVES AS A GATHER-ING POINT TO ADMIRE THE SOUNDS OF THE SURROUNDING AND THE LIGHT AND SOUND EXPERIENCE INSTALLED. I FELT A SORT OF OUT OF THIS WORLD EXPERI-ENCE IN THE SENCE THAT WE WENT FROM WALKING ON A BUSY CAMPUS TO A FUTURISTIC LOOKING STRUCTURE THAT ALMOST SEEMED IT WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF AT ANY POINT. ALTHOUGH THE SOUND WAS AT A LOW MELLOW VOLUME, IT SOMEHOW DROWNED OUT THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY CAMPUS. THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE LEADING TO SKY SPACE IS ALSO FOLLOWING THE ARIZONA PALLETE WITH MANY PALO VERDES AND OTHER DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS. THE SLEEK FLOATING DESIGN OF THE STRUCTURE ALLOWS FOR IT TO CAMOUFLAGE INTO THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE.

GLENDALE, AZ: MOUNTAIN STATES NURSERY

A CLOSE UP LOOK AT HOW PLANTS ARE HARVESTED BEFORE THEY ARE PUR-CHASED AND TAKEN AWAY FOR INSTALLATION. I’VE DONE SOME HEAVY YARD WORK, AND BEEN TO TROPICAL AREAS LIKE GUATEMALA, LOUISIANA AND FLORIDA, BUT BEING INSIDE OF THEM GREENHOUSES FOR ABOUT 10 TO 20 MINUTES WAS UNBEARABLE. MY HIGH RESPECTS FOR THE GUYS WORKING ALL THE GRENN-HOUSES. ITS STUFFY AND HUMID AND EXTREMELY HOT. WE ALSO GOT TO SEE ALL THE HEAVY WORK AND DEDICATION IT TAKES TO CARE FOR THESE PLANTS WHILE THEY ARE AWAITING PROPER SALE AGE.