Joseph Sandy » shed

School Garden Revisions

Joseph — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:16:17 +0000

I hope to be matched with a school in the next few weeks and the size of the garden will most likely be 2-4 times the initial 20′ x 20′ square. Unfortunately, schools in the LAUSD have had all their open space paved with asphalt–the worst part being that arsenic was put down before the asphalt, meaning that serious remediation needs to happen if the asphalt were to be removed. So, these gardens will sit directly on top of the asphalt, and we will have to take extra precautions to keep the planters cool and full of nutrients.

I have made a few revisions to the shed at the center of the school garden, with more changes to come when we start working directly with the schools. The shed is now more useful, acting not only as storage but also a storefront for the kids to sell their fruits and vegetables . The trellis on the north side has been removed and a new trellis was added to the east side. Now each side of the building has been treated differently according to climate and use needs.

Previous post: School Garden Design for LAUSD

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School Garden Design for LAUSD and GOOD

Joseph — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:41:56 +0000

A few weeks ago I entered a contest to design a small school garden for the Los Angeles Unified School District. I have been selected as one of the winners. For phase 2 of the project, we will work with Mud Baron, Green Policy Director for LAUSD, to select a Los Angeles school to work with. There will also be a workshop with Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer. Ultimately, at least one (but hopefully all) of the purposed gardens will be built and GOOD(website) will produce a downloadable guide for designing school gardens.

My garden was designed to teach and inspire. A circular path was designed so that every planter has wheelchair access, while maintaining as much planting space as possible. Planters are built of either 2 inch or 4 inch pieces of reclaimed redwood which interlock to create a continuous landscape around the garden. A shed takes a prominent position in this design to give the garden visual identity within the school grounds, but also to collect rainwater. A composting bin helps provide nutrient-rich soil and a section of native California plants teaches kids about their local climate and habitat.

Landscape Architect Mia Lehrer’s website

Contest website

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Studio Details

Joseph — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:01:39 +0000

I thought I would post some more pictures of the Studio/Shed.

This shows the versatility of the rain screen siding. Here an extra peace of 2×6 was used as a sturdy backing for tool hooks.
(...) Read the rest of Studio Details

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Shedworking HQ design submission

Joseph — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:09:34 +0000

This is my submission to Shedworking’s Headquarters competition. Link

I broke down the needs into three categories: office, library, and storage. This led me to a cluster design, with an 10×12’ office, an 8×10’ library, and a 6×8’ storage.

I thought the office and library space should be connected and the storage space should be separate. Each space is a basic rectangle with a shed roof which would make construction simple and efficient.

The office is clean, with abundant light. The desk faces inward, with no windows at your back. Also, it is not facing the main house so there will be no distractions. The Clerestory will provide ample non direct light, no matter how the building is orientated. Closed storage in the office creates a clean, non-cluttered atmosphere. A window seat is included to make the room more cozy and informal.

The library is intended to be darker than the office. With wood walls and open storage this space more reflects a typical shed. This is where the cider press, books, and any other items can go. The library has one window that looks back at the house.

The storage is handled as a separate building which is a basic shed. This is for any gardening / storage need. If needed it doesn’t have to be built at the same time as the office. This building also serves as the third wall to a small court yard.

(...) Read the rest of Shedworking HQ design submission

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