Capstone team designs interactive river for nonprofit

Capstone Team 26508 partnered with Tucson nonprofit Second Sky to bring an interactive water feature to life. The shallow river is designed to recirculate water in the organization’s outdoor ecosystem while also providing a safe area for water play.

Second Sky is a multigenerational community space for children and adults, featuring an adventure playground, event space and an immersive digital environment. 

Matthew Hanson, a systems engineering student, leads the project.

"When I interviewed with the sponsor and learned more about Second Sky, it felt like something real, something that could actually exist beyond a classroom," Hanson said.

The team is designing the system to be safe, energy-efficient, and fully integrated into the surrounding ecosystem, while still giving children and families the freedom to interact with and explore the flowing water.

"We're trying to make it look natural to the desert," Hanson said. "At the end of the day, we just want kids to get their hands dirty and play in some water."

The team wants the final design to be a model that could eventually scale to similar community spaces nationwide.

For Robin Kremer, Second Sky's development and operations manager, the collaboration reflects Second Sky’s larger vision: creating a community-centered space built around partnerships, creativity and shared ideas.

"We've built relationships with like-minded organizations and the university," she said. "This is about bringing resources together in one place."

As Second Sky continues to grow, Kremer hopes their science garden and space become a lasting part of the community.

"We want people to leave saying, 'That was the best time ever,'" she said. "We want kids begging to come back."