Inhabitat » GRASS COUCHES HIT THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO

November 18, 2006

GRASS COUCHES HIT THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO

by Evelyn Lee

Letsgreenthiscity, Green Sod Couches in San Francisco, Grass couches hit the streets of san francisco, Jen Siska, gavin newsome, readymade grass couch, readymade sod couch

If you happened to be in San Francisco this Friday, November 17th, you might have noticed the grass couches which sneakily popped up around the Ferry Building and Justin Herman Plaza. The couches were part of a series of interactive green installations celebrating the launch of a new website, www.letsgreenthiscity.com. You may remember this sod grass couch from a Readymade How-To that was published back in 2005. Well, we couldn’t get enough of it then, so we stopped by to test those couches out for ourselves. Apparently we weren’t the only ones - mayor Gavin Newsom was spotted relaxing on one in front of city hall. To see our pics, click here >

Letsgreenthiscity, Green Sod Couches in San Francisco, Grass couches hit the streets of san francisco, Jen Siska, gavin newsome, readymade grass couch, readymade sod couch photo by Jen Siska

Letsgreenthiscity, Green Sod Couches in San Francisco, Grass couches hit the streets of san francisco, gavin newsome, readymade grass couch, readymade sod couch

Geared to raise environmental consciousness and provide resources to San Franciscans, Letsgreenthiscity.com is a small piece of a larger campaign demonstrating individual and collective efforts to make San Francisco the “greenest city in the nation.”

Sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company and of course, ReadyMade Magazine, we were happy to find out that the materials used for the installation will be donated immediately following deconstruction to local non-profit organizations.

If you’re not able to make it to the four-couch cluster, check out additional couches in Alamo Square, in front of City Hall, 77 Beale Street, on Market Street in the heart of the Castro, and at the 16th Street Mission BART.

www.letsgreenthiscity.com

+ Pacific Gas and Electric Company

13 Responses to “GRASS COUCHES HIT THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO”

Maryam in Marrakesh Says:

November 16th, 2006 at 9:01 pm

Your blog is so beautiful. And I love the grass couch!

Clara Says:

November 17th, 2006 at 11:12 pm

AWESOME!

Mary Elizabeth Thunder Says:

November 18th, 2006 at 5:01 pm

This is so amazing. Is there a place where I could go to get the plans & how it is done? We have a spiritual university here in Texas & what a great project! Blessings in Gratefulness Thunder

Taza Says:

November 18th, 2006 at 8:43 pm

yah, this is great!
are they really comfortable?

Scott Says:

November 19th, 2006 at 2:04 pm

These look really comfy!

D Says:

November 20th, 2006 at 1:10 pm

I was one of the participants that helped put the couches together. It was a really fun event. They couches were actually very comfy!;-)

Shambhavi Says:

November 20th, 2006 at 2:26 pm

Well, we don’t have to wonder why most of the people, other than the vote-hungry mayor, are sitting down. Unless these babies come with biodegradable, plastic slip covers, they aren’t much more than a charmingly silly idea.

Anybody ever hear of GRASS STAINS?

Michael Says:

November 22nd, 2006 at 10:07 am

Grass stains? No problem. I envision these in parks and other recreation areas where you are probably dirty and sweaty anyway from plaing a pick-up game of soccer or frisbee. Appropriate for dressy people in the city? No, probably not. Pleasing to the eye? Yes. Makes you smile? Yes.

Sharon Breay, A.S.I.D. Says:

November 27th, 2006 at 11:45 am

I’m interested in the sofa’s construction. What did you use for a base? Then it appears you put sod on top that will obviously need watered. I’m interested in building some–in an area that gets dry in summer and a fair amount of snow in winter.–Sharon Breay, A.S.I.D., Deer Creek Canyon, Colorado

Sharon Breay, A.S.I.D. Says:

November 27th, 2006 at 11:48 am

Found your link on the construction. Thanks!!

Serafina Says:

December 4th, 2006 at 8:05 pm

Hey Shambhavi,

I think the reason the photographs don’t show people ON the couches is so you can see that they’re couches! Loads of people (and dogs …) were all over the couches - lounging and playing. In fact, at each couch there was a person with a Polaroid camera to take pictures of people on the couches, pictures that could then be slipped into a recycled cardboard frame printed with instructions on how to build your own! Thousands were taken - which means thousands of people sat on the couches.

amy gotliffe Says:

February 20th, 2007 at 1:18 pm

wow. i LOVE the couches.
would ONE be available to get for EARTH DAY at the Oakland ZOo? I produce this event and it is a great way to get the green word out to the mainstream guests of the bay area. No, it is not SF, but we are right here across the bay, looking for green action and change. In fact, the theme is Earth Day 2007: Get Your Green Groove ON and it is on April 15th.
Thanks!
Amy G.
510 632-9525 x122

pablo fog Says:

March 11th, 2008 at 2:31 am

Hi. im an industrial design and industrial engineering student, in Colombia, South America, doing both of my thesis on “growing furniture”. Besides this couch, the terra grass chair by http://www.lazyboneuk.com/store/pro132.html, and the arborscupture technique, do you know any other projects i could look up to see the state of the art?
any other related info would be really helpfull !

thank you very much, and i hope you can help me try to make this a greener world

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