Geraldine Ondrizek
Studio Art Coursework

Designed by: Sara Hansen
Built by: Sara Hansen, Nick Chen, and Simcha Einhorn
Ceramic work by: Nick Chen, and Simcha Einhorn

For our project, we built off of Sara’s earlier design for the Reed College orchard. Sara’s idea centers on building an arbor for a grapevine in the middle of the orchard. The grapevine had nothing to climb onto and so the arbor project serves the dual purpose of a place for the grape to climb and a community gathering and informational spot--as many community members and Reed students do not know where or what the space is. We laser engraved a sign detailing the ecological importance of the space and flora including the Canyon and the pollinator garden, placing it near the structure so people are invited to read it. The arbor and swing provide both seating and interest. During the build, we had a nearby resident thank us for building the arbor!

The design element of this project was entirely Sara, she did incredible in-depth research as to what she felt orchard visitors needed, what native plants could surround her arbor, and how to make a comfortable swing-style seat that could accommodate a variety of different bodies. In keeping with that, Sara’s research was equally as invested in the ongoing ecological health of the orchard and how the forms used will remain useable for seasons to come. The swing of the arbor is reinforced with a steel circle before being covered in laminated wood and a water-tight finish. The posts holding the arbor in place are anchored into the ground with concrete.

We built the structure with cedar and pressure-treated wood that is resilient to the rainy PNW winter weather. We tried to minimize the use of toxic materials, but decided that an oil-based polycyclic finish would prevent any rot in the benches and swing and ensure the safety of visitors. We used outdoor decking screws to prevent against rust as well as a steel beam for the swing to minimize risk of wood weakening. There is some slight sway to the structure so we will be adding additional angle reinforcements to the sides and conducting a couple more safety checks before the swing gets installed for long term use. We are confident that the structure will stand for years to come.

Our team delegated and tackled tasks in an effective way that played to each of our strengths. Sara, as the person behind the idea, was really good at explaining her intent and vision to both Nick and Simcha. It was Sara and Nick who did the bulk of the physical arbor construction. They worked with wood and developed a skill for explaining the process to Simcha, who was more immersed in the ceramic tile process. Everyone got to glaze and play with clay and help with the laminating and sanding of the swing seat. It was the perfect sized group for a project like this.

Our project relates to larger urban issues of access to and education about nature-oriented spaces. Our arbor tackles this in a small way, contributing to Reed neighborhood placemaking and acting as a way to encourage students to explore and learn about the Canyon.