Set within the landscape burned by the Tubbs Fire in 2017, this 30-foot water tower is both infrastructure and monument.
Its 10,000-gallon tank provides water for household use and fire suppression, gravity-fed from a steel structure designed for the region’s seismic demands. Inspired by the fire lookouts of the American West, an observation deck turns the tower into a place to gather and take in the landscape.
A red-orange finish, drawn from the Golden Gate Bridge, gives the pragmatic structure a distinct presence — remembering one fire while preparing for the next.