A Golden Year for Design and Community

For 50 years, the landscape architecture program at UC Davis has helped communities imagine better streets, bike paths, gardens, parks and public spaces. One course takes that imagination a step further, letting students design and build structures that have brought a fun energy to campus. Now, their latest project will soon find a home in the City of Davis.

Every fall quarter, students in the LDA 160-Design and Build Studio course take on the challenge of creating a new small-scale project, learning how to move a design from concept to construction. Last year, Associate Professor Haven Kiers and co-instructor Gabino Marquez guided students as they crafted three architectural follies, whimsical structures that are meant to decorate an open space. The pieces, made of steel and wood, have a triangular, house-shape top tier with unique options to sit or swing underneath. They’ve been a hit on campus since they were installed outside Hunt Hall, home of the landscape architecture program.

In partnership with the City of Davis, students during the fall quarter created three brand new follies that will soon be enjoyed by the community.

Leaving their mark

To get things started, Kiers knew exactly how to inspire her students. Just as the landscape architecture program marks its golden anniversary, the Davis Farmers Market is gearing up to celebrate its 50th anniversary as well, so Kiers found the original hand-drawn design for the farmers market pavilion created by architect and planner Jim Zanetto, co-founder of local architectural firm CoDesign Inc. Kiers shared the drawings in class to help guide students with their vision for the follies.

Each student was tasked with drawing a design that includes seating and gathering spaces that are fun, engaging, visually appealing and capture that cheerful market vibe.

“The follies on campus are so successful, and we thought that it could be fun to bring some to the City of Davis too,” Kiers said. “But instead of using that house-shape structure, this time what we wanted to do is mimic the shape of the farmers market structure, of the canopy, so that it's a nod to the Farmers Market.”

The Davis Farmers Market started in 1976 by four UC Davis students who envisioned a community space where farmers and neighbors could connect. For decades it’s been a cherished source for fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, homemade products and more. 

By 1994, the Farmers Market Pavilion and expanded Central Park, designed by CoDesign Inc., were up and running. The firm brought together several people from UC Davis, including Rob Thayer and the late Mark Francis, both former professors of landscape architecture, and Skip Mezger, retired campus landscape architect.

“I think it’s very cool how this ties back to the start of the Farmers Market,” Kiers said. “It’s incredible how the department was a big part of it before, and now we have this opportunity to leave another mark.”

Building their creations

After all of the individual ideas were presented, the class voted on the top designs. Kiers said they got feedback from city representatives and planners, alumni and even some who were part of the team who created the Davis pavilion years ago, including Zanetto. Students worked together in teams to complete three unique pieces of functional art. 

Katie Yancey, economic development director for the City of Davis, said the project is a celebratory symbol of the collaboration between the city and the university.

“A collaborative relationship between the City of Davis and UC Davis is extremely important,” Yancey said. “They are connected economically, culturally and practically. The City views its relationship with the UC Davis design-based programs as just one example of the million engagements that create and reinforce the communal relationship between the city and the university. Highlighting this one relationship is akin to the purpose of a folly: a graceful addition that brings harmony and emphasis to what already exists.”

50 years of landscape architecture

For decades, landscape architecture has been an accredited program known for hands-on, experiential learning that blends design, sustainability and community engagement. Housed within the Department of Human Ecology, the program prepares students to create thoughtful and functional spaces that respond to real-world challenges. The department recently held a ceremony at Hunt Hall to commemorate the golden milestone.

“The department is so proud of landscape architecture’s 50th anniversary,” said Adrienne Nishina, department chair and professor. “In a recent accreditation review, the national review committee considered the faculty to be ‘rockstars in the field’ because they not only administer a quality landscape architecture major, but also the sustainable environmental design major at the same time.”

The City of Davis is exploring several options for displaying the new pieces. The aim is to showcase them in a way that highlights the creativity, fits well within city spaces and honors both a shared history and the students’ hard work.

“We're not a huge program, but we have these great students who are dedicated, and incredible faculty who really care about the students,” Kiers said. “I think we do a good job, and have over all these years, of bringing in students who really want to make a difference and come around to this idea of how do we bring beauty into the world?”