MANZANITA COMMUNITY GARDEN PROPOSAL

Project Descriptions

Site Fencing / Gate

Kevin, Asako, Sam

We are taking the mandatory fencing around the perimeter of the garden, and creating a sculptural piece which stands out aesthetically while maintaining its transparent and protective qualities.  Basing our idea on the low cost, highly pliable material of chain link, we will create a minimal, yet dynamic piece of protective architecture. The fence posts will be bent to 6 different radii, and put in place. Next, the chain link can be attached, stretching where needed to create a fluid, undulating plane connecting these incramentally morphed posts. The project's ideas are based in the mundane, the every day.  However, looking into the banal, something incredible will be achieved, while maintaining the lowest possible cost.

LUMI-Lounge (Seating)

Kara, Debbie, Jeremy

Our objective is to create an integrated seating arrangement within the orchard area of your community garden. The contemporary design of the ”bench” is based on a variety of seating positions, ideas of transparency, modularity, and lighting. All of these issues are working to create an object that is in harmony with it’s natural surroundings, blending into the rest of the garden due to its organic shape.

The “bench” is a group of four individual elements , which can be thought of as independent seats/chairs, that connect to one another in a variety of ways to create seating arrangements in either one or multiple areas of the garden. You can use the form as if it were a one-piece “couch” as four independent seats, or as a recombination of two or more pieces creating a new form altogether. In order to carry these objects around the site, we would like to use a very lightweight material with translucent qualities for ease of use. By using such a material, we will also be able to incorporate lighting into the main base when all pieces are reassembled together. During the day, solar collectors will gather and store power and once the light level outside reached a certain level, your new “bench” will glow softly like a dim lantern. We hope that our design will be as much a beautiful element during the daytime and nighttime hours as it will be useful for a variety of seating possibilities for many of your community meetings.

Kinetic Water Circulation System
Steven, Yasushi, Atsunori

Primary function is to circulate the water alongside the plot, providing an easy – access water source together with the reservoir, which is located at the bottom. It is a kind of a stream that runs through the garden. It could incorporate some kind of water purification system, in order to provide clean water for the required use at the garden.

It borrows the idea from ‘deer-scare’, in Japanese gardens, which makes clicking sounds occasionally, creating an effective atmosphere for relaxation and meditation. Series of panels tips up and down from the weight of water, handing water from one to another. We heard that there used to be a stream in the Manzanita garden, from one of the local residents. Our project aims to bring back that elements of water to the garden, and provide a sense of ‘life’ and serene atmosphere.

Each panel is configured such a way that it accumulates certain amount of water. It has a hinge built on it, through which it is fixed onto the rod that anchors onto the ground. It is carefully balanced so that when it accumulates certain amount of water, it changes the balance and flips, pouring water onto the next panel. When it pours out water, it sprigs back to its default position. When it sprigs back, the panel hits the stopper and makes a sound.

Meditation / Shed

Craig, Tatsuhiko, Norio

How are the utilitarian parameters of a storage space and the introspective and reflective space of meditation combined and connected? The relationship between the two pieces must find the origination of the land and the air but also must hold hands with use. The initial step is to locate the project into the parameters of the garden. Having an understanding of the slope and the trajectory for reflection a few conclusions could initially be released. A central placement would not work for a space to reflect upon the entire garden. A high placement would not work for the utilitarian aspects of the tool storage. What is left is placement at the base of the site. We chose the final proximity for two basic reasons. First, the tools are directly related to the entrance. Second, the incorporation of the slope we deemed necessary to help push the form and the land together.

 The form of the meditation portion of the structure is the driving element behind the design. The group understands the need for a properly working tool shed but its main purpose is utilitarian. The meditation is then broken into components of achievement. How does someone experience meditation? How does form help purvey a sense of calm, quiet, reflection, and pause. Finally, how does the ability to personalize a space increase a spaces charm?

 The experience is done through a natural human three fold. It is the process of standing, sitting, and laying. The standing portion is at the entrance and allows the user to curtail his/her view in any direction. The sitting is introspective. It is in and of the space. By the time that an individual reaches laying, they are turned around and now look up the slope. This will allow the meditative qualities of the surrounding garden space to add to the experience.
The form is generated by the steady waves of emotion that happen while gardening. Gardening has transformed from a necessity of survival to an aspiration of pleasure. It is a way of working out stress and clearing your thoughts into the wind. It allows you to put honest work in and see the fruits (or vegetables) of that work in a short period of time. Working on another garden over the period of eleven weeks earlier this year, I believe has helped me understand how to capture just the foundation of those emotions into this form. Allowing elements to be personalized will add to the meditative emotions of the user. The space will be able to be adjusted through the roof in a series of ‘fingers’ that are hinged in a ball joint. This will allow the user to open up to the sky or close for more personal reflection. Over all the meditation / shed will be an integral part of the Manzanita street garden.

Sign Bench
Alper, Bertrand, John, Tyler
The Manzanita Garden Bench is a multi-purpose design object. We believe it will serve several roles, including practical, symbolic, emotional, and landmark responsibilities for the Manzanita Garden. The primary role of the bench is to serve as a pleasant place to sit and take in the entirety of the Manzanita Garden after a day’s work. Its continuous shape serves as the seat of the bench, and then fluidly moves to become a shading device for those using the bench. The placement of the bench also serves a role in proclaiming the Manzanita Garden to the public along Sunset Boulevard. It serves as both a fence, restricting access to the garden, but more importantly serves as a landmark announcing the garden to those traveling along Sunset Boulevard, lending Manzanita Garden a distinct presence in the City of Los Angeles. Finally, the extended, tapering shade devices will bend gently in the wind, creating a sense of movement and vibrancy echoing the life cycles of the plants and animals occupying the Manzanita Garden.

Interactive Site Lighting and Sound Security

Karim, Ricky, Stefano Paiocchi

Within the general proposal for the Manzanita Garden, our project focuses on particular site conditions and design issues.

The aim of the project is the design of sculptural lampshades, which are to be located at the corners of the walk-path – also part of the general proposal for the site – and are able to incorporate different functions. As sculptural multifunctional elements, their intent is to generate an elegant visual link with the surroundings and also generate a physical and direct interaction with the activities, number of people and conditions present in the garden and its context throughout the 24h day. Particular attention was paid to the SECURITY issue. The lampshades are provided with sensors, which will interact with the environment and provide security through a sound alarm system (daytime) and lighting (nighttime). LIGHTING is the main function of the designed elements. Interacting with different conditions of the site they will provide normal lighting for the garden, but also seasonal lighting, and special events/effects lighting. At the AESTHETIC level the aim is to provide decorative elements for the garden which work also as advertisement elements on the adjacent Sunset Boulevard (day/night). The visual aim is also based on the idea to have very elegant sculptural elements, which are able to enrich the aesthetic appearance of the garden and provide a more pleasant general

environment for the surrounding community.