SAGUARO LOOP

PROJECT SITE

LOCATION: 7290 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson AZ 85715

SIZE: 172.8 Acre

COURSE:  LAR 301/610 Design Studio

Morris K. Udall Park is a city park in need of an update. Visitors may find a busy athletic field, underused planting beds, little shade, and a disconnect from the Sonoran Desert flora. This highlights the need for a design that activates seasonal movement, social gathering, and will adapt to future culturally diverse community. 

LOCATION: 7290 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson AZ 85715

SIZE: 172.8 Acre

COURSE:  LAR 301/610 Design Studio

Morris K. Udall Park is a city park in need of an update. Visitors may find a busy athletic field, underused planting beds, little shade, and a disconnect from the Sonoran Desert flora. This highlights the need for a design that activates seasonal movement, social gathering, and will adapt to future culturally diverse community. 

CONCEPT: ADAPTING THROUGH TIME

Tucson will get warmer, and we have only a few chances each year to capture rainwater. This project learns from the saguaro, which has adapted to the semi-tropical climate of the Sonoran Desert by transforming the landscape into a seasonal refuge from the heat, aligning with the new year traditions of its first occupants: the Tohono O’odham people. The site must have a strong foundation to withstand future climate and cultural shifts while accommodating user needs, informed by the latest master plan and community engagement findings.

Tucson will get warmer, and we have only a few chances each year to capture rainwater. This project learns from the saguaro, which has adapted to the semi-tropical climate of the Sonoran Desert by transforming the landscape into a seasonal refuge from the heat, aligning with the new year traditions of its first occupants: the Tohono O’odham people. The site must have a strong foundation to withstand future climate and cultural shifts while accommodating user needs, informed by the latest master plan and community engagement findings.

VISION PLAN + SECTION

DESIGN ELEMENTS

SAGUARO PILLARS

The pillars symbolize the ribs of a saguaro cactus, creating a framework around the site’s gathering center. With thirty pillars, matching the average number of ribs in a saguaro, they rise to an average height. When a saguaro dies, it caves, exposing its ribs as it sinks back into the earth.

FLEXIBLE BASIN

The shade structure has a white exterior, reflecting heat like the saguaro flower, and a deep magenta underside, resembling its ripe fruit. Positioned at the southern end of the gathering center, it offers shade during the hottest months and features an opening for smoke from a fire pit in the colder months.

BLOOM SHADE

During the summer monsoon, the dry basin temporarily extends the water’s lifespan at the site, much as a saguaro expands. The dry basin is where Tucson’s beloved native shade tree, Prosopis Veluntina or velvet mesquite, provides refuge from outdoor activities.

WORK CITED

LAST
FORWARD

I . HOOVER BRANCH LIBRARY FEASIBILITY STUDY