University of Utah Teepee

Submitted by hopkinp on June 19, 2009

I designed this to create a fun and very different bus stop on the campus of the University of Utah. It’s obviously a teepee with a slight twist. The base is made of stone and from there a transparent plexi-glass material and on top of that a recylced material that would be painted red with the word “Utes” on the front to show the user they are on Ute territory. I planted Shade trees all around it to provide shade in the hot summer and because the trees shed their leaves in the winter they would allow sunlight to penetrate the plexiglass and heat the teepee. This is a very economical and practical way to provide heat and shade for a bus stop. Behind the Ute teepee is a small wetland. Utah is a desert it is important to preserve the little water we have. To retain storm water in the area I sloped the pavement toward this wetland space instead of sloping it toward the road where it would go to the storm drain and be waisted. This small wetland retention basin would absorb the water shed from the teepee and the space creating a more attractive eco-friendly space. The design would attract people from the city and especially the Students. Because it’s so different it would become a landmark on the great campus of the University of Utah.