Every year we invite students in Portland State University’s School of Architecture design program to create a venue for Pickathon made from reusable, sustainable materials. Cherry Hill used to be the Treeline Stage, so you’ll remember all the incredible designs they made over the years. In 2023, they were back with a brand-new Cherry Hill design that had an incredible post-Pickathon life. After Pickathon, the stage had a second life on Portland State University’s Oak Savanna restoration site.

We asked Portland State University’s School of Architecture team, led by Travis Bell, to give us a glimpse of what to expect from August 1-4, 2024 in the Cherry Hill Neighborhood. Here’s what they shared:

This year’s Cherry Hill design meditates on this concept of possibility by creating an installation that is never just one thing. The stage backdrop becomes a covered passageway, the passageway becomes a connection point, the connection point becomes a sitting area, and so on. Gates are symbolic thresholds, often found in landscapes as the entrance to some space, be it a garden, yard, religious site, or otherwise. This installation draws on those cultural meanings through a repeated gate as its logic.

Watch the video below for a sneak peek at the Woods Neighborhood 2024 at Pickathon! More previews coming soon…

Never Just One Thing in the Cherry Hill Neighborhood

This year’s Cherry Hill design explores endless possibilities. The stage backdrop transforms into a passageway, then a connection point, and finally a sitting area, creating a versatile space. Inspired by symbolic gates found in landscapes, the installation embodies cultural meanings. Experience Cherry Hill’s latest design with us!

Join us at Pickathon and experience the transformation in The Cherry Hill Neighborhood. Tickets are selling fast for August 1-4, 2024, in Happy Valley, Oregon. Get your tickets now and stay tuned for more Neighborhood sneak peeks coming soon!

Behind-the-Scenes Planning in Progress!