I was commissioned to design a bus shelter in collaboration with two 6th grade art classes at Doolen Middle School for the Oak Flower neighborhood in Tucson, AZ. Over an 8-week period, I worked with the students on a series of projects that highlighted the entire process of creating a public artwork, from brainstorming sessions to selection of materials, to ADA and safety requirements.

The form of the bus shelter is a distillation of ideas generated through a design charrette where teams of 5 students created models. During the critique process, the best design ideas were identified and integrated into one final design.

The shelter was fabricated by local metalworker Tom McNeil, who came to Doolen Middle school to talk to the students about his work, the fabricating process, and to help the students evaluate their designs.

The bus shelter at the northwest corner of Glenn and Columbus in Tucson.

The bus shelter has two panels, each designed by one class. Since the neighborhood wanted a bus shelter that would also work as a welcome sign into the neighborhood, we took the neighborhood's name, Oak Flower, as our starting point. We came up with a long list of things that could be found in an oak tree, including leaves, acorns, flowers, kites, cats, snakes, birdhouses, and a beehive. Each student then designed one element for the tree, starting with a sketch, and refining the design through cut paper so that it could be fabricated in laser-cut steel without creating a safety hazard, and still read as the intended shape.