An apartment housing community in Poway California created around the idea of sustainability, totally solar powered and green at every corner. It also created a home for art.

The common areas use recycled glass in the concrete as a path that passes through a meyer lemon grove and culminates in a basket weave pavement motif that encircles a specimen oak tree. Many features are catalysts for Solara's after school educational program. The Impression rubbing discs inserted in the walkways are an example of this. Artists Aida Mancillas and Nina Karavasiles designed these original art discs and created a curriculum for using them as both a learning tool and an aesthetic accent.

The tot lot's water design is in recycled rubber and is flanked with sand blasted rocks, much like the Impression discs, but for younger kids. Its playhouse cafe is also made of recycled plastic. The Cat Tail gate is on the very corner of the property and draws people to notice that they are on a water way and a cat tail pond is within attentive view.

Sun Quilts welcome a visitor. Three steel pieces that rotate in the wind or by hand, have windows that house recycled items. What one sees as garbage, another might now be interested in. The artists accentuated the architectural design of Carlos Rodriguez and the native plantings of Ivy Landscaping, and they worked to integrate the concept of green living and nurturing curiosity. Aida Mancillas is the originating and collaborating artist. She has done many public art pieces in San Diego, she is a commissioner and also a great writer.

The Recycle-scope
The Recycle-scope turns trash into something beautiful in a floor standing kaleidoscope in the community room. It has two viewing ports. It is made of glass, old keys, odd bits of things are inside of a bicycle tire. An Hourglass made of recycled materials is educational, interactive, and has a poem written by Aida Mancillas.

Impression Discs
There are 9 discs scattered throughout the housing complex. A "360 green curriculum" with specific ways to work the discs are available to the after school program to the children of Solara. Each disc can be approached artfully, scientifically, and with language. I like that it is fully integrated. The discs are made of colored concrete with a sand blasted design. When a person puts paper on top and uses a pencil or crayon to rub the top, the image is transferred. This project can be done many times. It can be done with all ages. It can become a book or a wall piece.

This project commissioned by Community Housing Works www.chw.org.
Project manager: Mary Jane Jagodzinski.
It was builder: Sun Country Builders.
Project manager: Peter Bridge www.suncountrybuilders.net.