Abstract:
In the College of Architecture and Planning, there was an opportunity for a class of fourth year students to partake in a Design Build project in the Muncie area. The Maring-Hunt Public Library needed to expand outward and collaborate with local gardeners for the Gateway to Growing Pavilion. There was a large plot of land and only a few existing garden plots before our studio designed a master plan and built a shade-shelter pavilion for the gardeners. My specific involvement revolved around the children who had been or would in the future use the area. I researched other children's gardens and implemented some of their most successful concepts into my own design for that portion of the master plan. Even more valuable, though, was meeting with teachers, library staff members, parents, and especially children and learning of their wants and needs first-hand. I also, along with a small team in our section, designed and built a series of raised garden bed prototypes, the final design of which would be incorporated into the pavilion. The most important consideration for this master plan and completion of the first phase was designing for all people, not just targeting or benefiting a small group; this included young children, elderly, and those needing further accommodations.
