Plaza del Sol y Sombra

Our proposed plaza in Pomona explores how public space can respond to extreme heat and celebrate community life and activity. The project inquires: What does it mean to gather, to connect, to create place when experience is limited by temperature rise?

Among the climate-responsive features in the plaza are shade structures, reflective materials, tree canopies and cooling elements. It is conceived not just as a shelter from the heat but as a platform for daily life: vendors markets, performances, informal play, rest.

The project is an attempt to both shelter and celebrate public space through the combination of environmental resiliency and placemaking. Instead of avoiding extreme heat, the design makes extreme heat a condition that catalyzes creativity, innovation, and identity in Pomona’s urban center.