the burrow
In early 2024, the City of Phoenix selected The Burrow as one of nine commissioned public art works designed in response to extreme urban heat. Each piece provides communal cooling environments, promotes personal protection from the heat, and uses creative tactics to advance Phoenix’ mission to become the leading heat ready city.
We pitched The Burrow as an abstract take on the desert tortoise: a species native to Arizona and the Southwest known for its unique ability to adapt and thrive in extreme desert conditions. As part of the citywide project Sombra! Experiments in Shade, we worked alongside local fabricators, the City of Phoenix and Department of Heat Response and Mitigation, the O’odham Nation and the Phoenix Zoo to create this whimsical and welcoming shade sculpture.
lead artist, concept design, producer
Lead artist in partnership with artist and designer Jenny Boehme. Collaborated on early concept and pitch development through to sustainable and low-impact design, engineering, fabrication and installation. Managed all contract negotiations, vendor relationships, production budgets, material sourcing and schedules. Developed and executed community engagement strategies.
co-artist
commissioned by
fabrication studio
jenny boehme
the city of phoenix
the guild/180 degrees design + build
the concept
What better way to stay cool in the summer heat than by mimicking the behavior of Arizona’s very own Desert Tortoise?
From the coloring of its shell to the ability to retain water for months at a time, this iconic yet threatened species of the Southwest is uniquely adapted to the desert heat. By digging burrows into the earth to stay cool, it creates much needed shelter for other desert species including mammals, reptiles, birds and invertebrates.
Drawing inspiration from the desert ecosystem, The Burrow imagines the Desert Tortoise as a visually interactive sculpture and welcome reprieve from the summer heat for residents of Phoenix; sharing the shade while encouraging people of all ages and abilities to “think outside the shell” when it comes to climate adaptation and community-based, heat-ready solutions.
materials + design
From paint technologies to upcycled tires, CNC routing and a reusable foundation system, The Burrow provides maximum shade with minimal environmental impact through innovative and sustainable technologies, materials and design.
sourcing sustainably
In considering mateirals for the piece, we landed on MDO wood and steel as low-cost and sustainable alternatives to plastics and aluminum. EnKoat, an innovative heat-reflective paint, coats the sculpture’s outer layer, helping to regulate temperatures underneath.
Diamond Piers, a minimally-invasive foundation system often used in wetlands and decking, provided a cost-efficient and reusable alternative to concrete. For our community engagement work, we looked to local upcyling craft centers and and local auto shops for donations and recycled goods.
design + fabrication
To bring the piece to life, we teamed up with The Guild, the fabrication shop at Phoenix architecture studio 180 Degrees Design + Build. Their team was highly collaborative and an invaluable asset at every stage from early concept discussions through to material selection, engineering, fabrication and install.
During an early site visit to Phoenix, we visited the S’edav Va’aki Museum, drawing inspiration from O’odham pottery and basketry designs. We used CNC routing to transfer patterns onto the body of the tortoise. This patterning, along with the placement of panels, helped to improve airflow and circulation while providing maximum shade.
Both CNC routing and printed placards provided interactive learning throughout the interior of the piece in both Spanish and English: fun facts about the desert tortoise, tips on staying cool in the desert climate, adaptation tricks from other desert species, cultural significance of the tortoise to the Akimel O’odham, and an invitation to help name the giant desert tortoise.
Contingency funds were used to fabricate abstract cacti, giving additional context to the larger piece. Solar lighting was added at the base of each leg to encourage longer, safer engagement into the evening hours.
community engagement
As part of our community engagement strategy, we invited residents, cultural and civic leaders to participate with the piece directly and in turn, to learn, adapt and protect themselves from Phoenix’s extreme heat.
We partnered with the Phoenix Zoo to bring out live tortoises (aptly named Iggy and Scooter) to the site for media interviews and our opening day celebration. These curious critters were a huge hit with the kids, who loved getting down to eye level with the tortoises, exploring and taking advantage of the newfound shade!
tortoise meet and greet with the phoenix zoo
a respected symbol of the salt river valley
The Desert Tortoise isn’t new to the people of the Salt River Valley. An important animal to the ancestral people who lived throughout the region, the Desert Tortoise, or Komkjeḍ, is still greatly valued by their descendants, the Akimel O’odham. We welcomed the River People Basket Dancers from the Gila River Indian Community to perform traditional Akimel O’odham dances in celebration of the desert tortoise as we opened up the piece to the public.
what’s your take? help us name the desert tortoise
Every desert tortoise is unique, which is why we created a live survey monkey where visitors on and offline can cast their vote to help us pick the perfect name for the larger than life desert tortoise at the heart of The Burrow. The winning name will be revealed this summer, 2025.
You, too, can cast your vote.
Scan below and join the fun!
sustainable seating
with a personal touch
Keeping in line with our low-impact environmental ethos, we invited neighborhood kids and families to turn upcycled tires, fabrics and paint into DIY community seating for the main sculpture. Kids did not disappoint, showing their inner art director and cooking up new colors that would even make Pantone jealous.
a little shade …
a lot of cool
Sombra! Experiments in Shade was just that - an experiment. How much cooler would things really be underneath our sculpture? The Office of Heat and Innovation came out to the site to find out. Testing the temperatures of both the open sun and the shade beneath the piece at the height of the afternoon sun, the results were an astonishing 21.5 degrees!
