One of Pickathon’s most beloved traditions is the debut of a brand-new stage, dreamed up and built by the students of Portland State University’s School of Architecture. For our 25th anniversary, they delivered one of their most ambitious designs yet: “The Water Serpent,” the serpentine structure that became the 2025 Cherry Hill stage.
Crafted entirely from Douglas fir lumber and reusable materials, the installation encircled the audience with a flowing, porous perimeter that invited people to move in and out of the performance space. Slatted benches tucked beneath the structure offered shady resting spots, while more than 400 strips of burlap coffee sacks rippled overhead — billowing like the gills of a trout and glowing after dark under LED light.
“Designing and building ‘The Water Serpent’ was a chance to create something poetic and alive,” shared PSU Master of Architecture student Nati Ochoa. “When the wind catches the high burlap layers and the light filters through, the whole structure feels like it’s breathing.”
Over the weekend, the Cherry Hill neighborhood hosted more than 30 artists and DJs, including Fruit Bats, Surprise Chef, and PSU alum Haley Heynderickx, giving festival-goers an unforgettable backdrop for music discovery.
Sustainable by Design
As with every PSU collaboration since 2014, the stage was built to live beyond Pickathon. After the festival:
- The lumber will be repurposed in Portland Public Schools shop programs and a new classroom structure at the PSU Oak Savanna.
- The burlap fabric will find new life as weed control in community gardens.
This zero-waste approach ensures each stage is not only a work of art for one magical weekend but also a contribution to the community for years to come.
A Decade of Collaboration
Past PSU stages have been made from everything from wooden shipping pallets and giant cardboard tubes to apple bins and electric-cable reels, each finding reuse in shelters, villages, and community projects across Oregon. The program, guided by professors Clive Knights and Travis Bell, has been recognized by outlets like ArchDaily, Architects Newspaper, Bloomberg CityLab, and OPB.
“The Pickathon diversion design-build partnership offers our students a truly valuable learning experience that is rare in architectural education,” said Bell. “They participate in every step of the process, from imagination to construction — and then see it come alive in the festival environment.”
Cherry Hill 2025: A Living Stage
At Pickathon 2025, The Water Serpent wasn’t just a stage — it was an experience. It framed moments of music, movement, and connection in a way only Pickathon can, blending architecture, environment, and community into something magical.
👉 Read the full feature on Archinect here: Portland State Architecture Students Design, Build New Zero-Waste Stage for 2025 Pickathon Festival
