The Magellan Garden project was a one-semester design-build studio for 4th year students. The project entailed completeing a master plan for a community garden in Algiers, New Orleans that included space for planting, teaching and shade. The resulting proposal included a large shade structure at the rear of the site that provided space for tool storage, vertical garden growth, and hid some "back of house" activities such as larger storage, composting, and future bee or chicken coop. Additionally the project set forth an agenda to encourage teaching of different gardening practices, including raised beds, vertical gardening, water beds, and the importance of natural wetlands.
Week 1: extensive site leveling was done in order to move standing water to the right side of the site, where an existing trench would be deepend and used as a wetland and water garden.
Week 2: site lines were drawn out and the existing trench was deepend to 2' below grade. Lots of water and rain made this process slow and muddy.
Week 4: concrete was poured to create the three "water beds", gabion cages were constructed and placed as a retention wall.
Week 5: weed barrier was placed on site and the gabion cages back filled with soil. Gabions are filled with crushed stone and site is cleaned to prepare for pavilion structure, which was designed and prefabricated off site.
Week 8: water barrier is placed in water beds to help with water flow on site. Trusses are delivered on site and organized for placement. The first truss is placed on a temporary structure. The first planter bed is constructed and placed.
Week 13: roof material is placed on the pavilion structure. The tool shed is boxed out and clad in painted corrugated metal. The beds are filled with crushed stone and soil to improve drainage. Piping is run to each bed to allow for drip tape to run in each bed.
Final product 2 months after completion.
