Woodbury University's 'Guerilla Urbanism' Looks for Way to Reclaim Water

BURBANK, Calif., March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Woodbury University is launching "Guerilla Urbanism," a special research studio focusing on the San Fernando Valley. Developed with the idea of furthering last year's research on the Valley with student installations of a guerilla art nature (all legal), Woodbury is affiliating with Buster Simpson, a prominent public artist, who will be working with students beginning Tuesday, March 23 on a 10-day proposal for reclaiming water at a Whole Foods store. Woodbury students will host an April 30 public salon at the Los Angeles public art organization Farmlab's facility next to the cornfields in the downtown area to discuss their projects.

Woodbury students will be working with Simpson on visionary ideas for water re-use, providing cost savings and serving as a model for future developments in this era of water shortages. The Seattle-based Simpson currently has a "Whole Flow" sculpture at the Whole Foods store in Pasadena that takes 55,000 gallons of water per month from the retailer's chillers and captures it for plants. But, what if that water were to be used to supply other needs on the block? The excess water could be redirected to this downhill site to supply a public green space, a nursery, or planting areas for an architectural mixed-use project or augmenting flush toilets. With more intervention, it could be treated on site to become a potable water supply.

Simpson, Woodbury architecture students and faculty, and a professional design team will begin work at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 with a project introduction and site visit; Simpson will present a lecture on the Woodbury campus at 7500 Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank at 6:30 p.m. Design work culminate with a 1 p.m. presentation and discussion by students on Tuesday, April 6. A salon detailing the "Guerilla Urbanism" work will be held at noon on Friday, April 30 at Farmlab.

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies, along with an MBA program, Master of Architecture, Master of Architecture in Real Estate Development, and Master of Organizational Leadership. A San Diego campus offers bachelor of architecture and Master of Architecture in Real Estate Development degrees.

SOURCE Woodbury University