Confluencia
Location: Surprise, AZ Client: City of Surprise Collaborator: Mandy Palasik To be completed in 2026, the project will be located at the new Multigenerational Community Resource Center. The design is inspired by the spirit of water (in its many forms) and the spirit of the close-knit community of the Original Town Site—life-affirming, resilient, proud, and strong. As a precious resource and one that nourished the agricultural foundations of the community, water serves as a metaphor that connects past and present. The plaza contains organically formed terraced seating, reminiscent of canyon walls that have been eroded over time. The paving patterns of the plaza evoke flowing, swirling water, symbolizing the meeting of different generations, cultures, peoples, memories, and hopes of the community. Hovering above the plaza are cloud-shaped steel shade canopies. Cotton-bloom perforations within the structures pay homage to the community’s legacy in the pima cotton industry, while casting playful patterns onto the plaza below. The reflective metal finish of the canopies reflect the colors and movement of the plaza activities, representing the present, where past and future meet. |