amboy community garden

design development

Vicki SotirosJennifer NewkirkCaroline BodumVu Tran

bringing together brownsville

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ii

What is EATS? 1

Brownsville? 2

Visit 1 getting acquainted 3 Visit 2 cafeteria breakdown 6

Visit 3 the real problem 8

Designated Space new restrictions 9

Visit 4 brainstorm party 10

Prototype take one 12

Visit 5 prototype critique 13

Material Research 15

Prototype take two 16

Visit 6

table of contentsThe Final Design amboy community park 19

phase one 20

phase two 21

phase three 22

phase four 23

in perspective 24

The Next Step 25

Looking Back what worked 26

Our Experience

Thank You the end 28

In our design development class our group was paired with a local high

collaborate in a semester long project about community driven gardens lasting about nine weeks. For the topic we prototyped a re-designed space into a communal garden. To execute

skills and methodolgies including

prototyping.

abstract

ii

what is EATS?

agriculture project that works with small communities to create farm and food distribution systems. The mission of EATS is to provide neighborhoods with the tools and knowledge to sustain their farm sites while promoting healthy lifestyles with affordable food.

executive director Linda Goode is accompanied by project manager

Andrew Casner and Marion Marcelle.

1

grocery store

restaurant

school

public space

church

Brownsville?Once assigned to work in the EATS

research would be necessary in that none of us were aware of the community or what it entailed.

we continued to identify its local

then generated a map helping us to

After researching Brownsville as

research the school at which we would be working. Located on

Academy is an accredited college prepatory school with competitive admission.

2

visit 1 getting acquainted

3

talked about our education and skills gained from Parsons, and discussed the semester long EATS project. After our introductions we went outside to document our site location of the Amboy garden.

The current condition of the space was poor. There was debris, trash, falling fenses, displaced benches, old fashioned playground equipment, and dead trees. The garden beds were not producing vegetables and fruits but they were the soil was prepped for planting. After seeing the garden size, condition, and the empty beds we were left with multiple ideas for our project topic.

visit 1

4

visit 1

5

visit 2

6

On our second visit we did the ‘Cafeteria Breakdown’ activity. For this we all went down to the lunch room and wrote down every ingredient we saw. The majority of the food offered were deep fried mystery dishes.

We then went back upstairs and handed out blank paper plates and markers. We asked them to draw their favorite meal but required that they include a healthy ingredient. Students then presented to the class and shared their meals and why they liked them. Together as a class we created a few plates. To keep our proposed meals

food with healthy alternative sides. For

cooked carrots or pea over chicken.

cafeteria breakdown

visit 2

7

visit 3

8

We proposed the idea of re-designing the park layout with the students. This included

This idea was not successful because they had a hard time understanding the concept of

students were weary of this proposal becasue of the issue of community safety and approval.

This was a breakthrough because we then discussed the students

wishes for their experiences in Brownsville. These concerns also affected our project topic in that we really wanted to add value in order to create an impact.

the real problem

designated space new restrictions

9

visit 4 brainstorm party

10

On the fourth visit we conducted an in-class brainstorming session about redesigning the Amboy garden. We

and pamphlets from Home Depot to

We then did the ‘Imagination Activity’ where the kids closed their eyes and imagined the space completly empty. This method helped them

out in. They shouted out their favorite

common interests.

basketball hoops were also main interests of the students. Jon also gave us new space limitations of the back section rather than park in its entirety. These restrictions actually

the process of re-designing the park.

visit 4

11

prototype

12

Herzl  Street

Blake  Avenue

GRILL

BENCH

HAMMOCK

COMMUNITYTABLE

COMMUNITYTABLE

ENERGY  PRODUCINGMERRY-­GO-­ROUND

KIDS’  EXPERIMENTALBEDS

BIRD  BATH

BASKETBA

LL  HOOP

BASKETBALL  HOOP

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

take one

visit 5 prototype critique

13

The Brownsville students critiqued our

visit was identifying all the potential garden users and including correspond-ing objects in the communal space. For this activity we handed the students an illustrated map and markers and asked them to visually critique the space. This

the role as ‘designers’ by including all -

ests. They suggested the appropraite

needed to satisfy all the different park visitors.

Insight-We connected the addition of ‘the stage’ to increase safety and inter-action in Union Square to the Amboy community park. We wanted a stage

-bined them. They imagined renting it for

serves as the main communal object in the park.

visit 5

14

material research draft one

15

project that works with small communities to create farm and food distribution systems. The mission of EATS is to provide neighborhoods with the tools and knowledge to sustain their farm sites while promoting healthy lifestyles with affordable food. The organization

Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

As for the team, founder and executive director Linda Goode is accompanied by project manager Jonathan Wilson, farm mananger Gus Jones, and additional farmers Andrew Casner and Marion Marcelle.

CHALK/DRY ERASEPAINTFOR:

prototype draft one

16

Herzl  Street

Blake  Avenue

GRILL

BENCH

HAMMOCK

COMMUNITYTABLE

COMMUNITYTABLE

ENERGY  PRODUCINGMERRY-­GO-­ROUND

KIDS’  EXPERIMENTALBEDS

BIRD  BATH

LLAB

TEKS

ABPOOH  

BASKETBALL  HOOP

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE

TABLE TABLE

DRAWING NOT TO SCALE

wood table painted white

STAG

ESANDBOX

FOUNTAIN

WATER FOUNTAIN

PATHWAYLIGHTS

EXTENDEDPATHWAY

take two

visit 6

17

Or last visit was reserved for space assessment. With the help of the students we took exact meausurments of the space in order to scale our prototype map. We had a discussion of any further

relocated the energy producing

promoting the future community park to the local community.

visit 6

18

draft one amboy community park

19

draft one

20

phase one

21

phase two

22

phase three

23

phase four

in perspective

24

the next step

draft one After completion of the park re-

additional steps in advertising the park. Advertising the re-design will help inform the community as well increase its appeal.

and school activities will help enhance awareness and use of the new amboy community park.

25

looking back

draft one

our group as well as with the students.

bad learning from each experience would be most important.

Methodologies we used included

with the students thus creating a more comfortable atmosphere; an atmosphere that produced unedited ideas and allowed free expression.

what worked?

26

our experience draft one

way to consider all points as well as our own. While attempting to please our

consider the students’ suggestions but also the surrounding community.

through it all we discovered what was our design was meant to achieve. Through re-designing the Amboy

an impact. By creating this park we not

also set the foudation for togetherness and a closer knit community.

making it count

27

thank you.

draft one the end

28