- Most architecture students at most universities
learn to design buildings,
but don't actually build anything bigger than a model.
Construction isn't an architect's job, after all.
Their job is to design.
But behind me is Poly Canyon, up in the hills above
California Polytechnic State University,
or Cal Poly for short.
For decades, some of the senior architecture students
at Cal Poly have designed and built
experimental final projects at full scale
in the "architecture laboratory".
And some of those projects are really weird.
(in person) So everything here was built by the students?
- Yes. A lot of times it's based on their schoolwork
and it's in a topic that they want to explore more deeply.
They come up with the design,
the materials that they need,
they do a cost estimate.
Some of these go back... I'm not quite sure if the '60s,
but definitely early '70s.
- So how many structures are there?
- I think there's about 21 or 22 that are still kind-of standing.
- It's not like every student does a senior project that's here?
It's, if they've got a design they want to make real,
and they can find the funding for it?
- Exactly.
- Cal Poly will give them the space to do it.
- Exactly.
- How often is there a new building here?
- They come really in spurts.
Like someone will build and I think then
the students hear about other groups building,
so then they might try and do something.
We might get one project maybe every two to three years, on average.
They try and make it like you were working in the real world.
So you have to go through our facilities department here
and they have to get a building permit.
And these days there's also a plan for what will be the upkeep.
So it's open to public. So if you're on campus,
everyone is welcome to explore the area.
And I was amazed when I first started coming out here again,
'cause I went to Cal Poly as an undergrad and so when I came back,
I was really amazed at how much the Canyon gets used.
And especially in the afternoons and on weekends.
There's quite a bit of foot traffic.
- I've seen little tensegrity structures for, you know, desk toys.
But that's a full building.
That's, that's massive!
That must have been done in computer simulation first.
- They did do some computer modeling.
I had them build some models with stick and string
so that we could just make sure we got the geometry right.
- Close up, this almost seems reasonable.
My brain's not breaking, looking at it.
And then you take a step back
and you realize that this whole central section
and the two things dangling down here,
it's just these cables.
- Exactly, yeah.
- It really feels like it should drop down.
When the buildings here are completed,
they're left to stand, to face the elements,
which means some locals call this place the "architecture graveyard".
But I don't think that's fair,
because there is upkeep here.
The buildings are maintained,
but cost and time are always going to be issues.
- There was a time when people used to live here.
- Really?
- They were curators of Poly Canyon.
And so they lived in some of these various structures.
They would stay here.
And they had running water and some electricity,
but they would stay here and the idea was that they
would do minor repairs in exchange for housing.
It was a really interesting time.
This was the last space that was used for caretakers.
Two bedrooms. They were in-- - Wow.
- One was in this module here,
this square that you see above your head.
And then there was another bedroom
right over this module here.
And then they had a kitchen.
A bathroom was right here.
And then like a living space was right over here.
But everything's stable. It holds up.
- Yeah.
- And you know, it's mostly visitors like us,
so there's not a lot of activity down here.
- Who funds it if they want to build something?
- Right, so a lot of times the college may have
a little bit of money to help them,
more like seed money to get them started.
But the students will go out to companies that have
a relationship with the college
and they'll pretty much ask for, not necessarily money,
but materials that that company sells.
- And they're actually doing the graft to put stuff together as well?
- They did everything together.
It's amazing what you'll see.
And then actually two of them ended up coming back and getting married here.
- In Poly Canyon?
- In Poly Canyon, under their structures.
- I really like this place.
I've wanted to visit here for a long time,
but parts of it are run down.
As soon as one vandal tags a structure and breaks the ice,
a lot more people think it's somehow okay
to turn up with spray paint.
I'm worried about publicizing this.
I've got a responsibility to the places I visit
and the people I work with.
And there are plenty of other things
that have been ruined by too many tourists...
...or too many YouTubers.
But Poly Canyon is open to the public.
You can hike out here and stand in these buildings yourself.
This isn't an architecture graveyard,
it's an art gallery.
- The hope was, you know, if we can show that it is still living, right?
Then maybe people start to take care of it
so that it can last for the next generation of students.
- See, now I want to come down here
with a bucket of whitewash and help.
- Exactly, yes. Well, I will let you know,
if you happen to be in California...!
- I might take you up on that.
- Or even if you know people.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, we'll put you up for the night.