ARTfarm
>> an art and urban farming project <<
Project Type:
2) landscape design
6) architecture
Project Mission/Goal:
1) improve the human spirit
2) increase awareness of the environment and/or address climate change
Project Description:
Conceived as a mix between an art installation and urban renewal project, ARTfarm is located on a step street in the Bronx on 180 E. 165th Street between Grand Concourse and Sheridan Avenue, and will be on display for 11 months. It is the winning entry for an art competition put on by the New York City Department of Transportation that was taken further than its original purpose by AFHny STUDIO and made into an urban renewal intervention.
The project’s focus was to enhance the area’s vivacity while also engaging the local community to participate more in their own public spaces. It was installed on the empty slopes of a step street in the Bronx that had fallen in disrepair, covered with weeds and trash, making it an unpleasant sight even though it was in constant use by the residents who lived close-by. AFHny STUDIO’s solution attempted to give this area life again by cleaning it up, while at the same time creating an urban garden made up of planters using recycled materials. Two kinds of planters were created: rectangular, made of cabinet doors; and cylindrical, made of water-proof cardboard tubing originally used to transport carpets. The design also saw to the involvement of local children who painted several of the cylindrical planters, and who have been helping in the watering of the plants now. The rest of the planters were all put together next to the site at the Bronx Museum (who provided invaluable support), and are of all different sizes and colors, creating a vibrancy that is enhanced by the site’s multiple levels, our use of a wide mixture of perennial plants, and the local market that comes every few days.
About New York City Department of Transportation – Urban Art Program
As part of the New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) “World Class Streets” initiative, the agency launched its Urban Art Program, a dedicated public art program that works with community-based organizations to install murals, sculptures and other art forms in plazas and on medians, triangles, sidewalks, jersey barriers and construction fences for up to 11 months. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/urbanart.
About AFHny STUDIO
AFHny STUDIO promotes architectural and environmental design-driven social change in New York and abroad by empowering design activists with the tools of collaboration and open forum. Founded and lead by the volunteers of Architecture For Humanity New York, the STUDIO developed from the belief that lives can be improved through thoughtfully designed spaces, and adheres to the organization’s mission of providing design services to communities in need.
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Project Details:
Project Location: Bronx, NY
Date(s): November 2009 to August 2010
Project Phase: Completed
Client: New York City DOT
User Client: Bronx Museum, 165th Step Street residents
Description and Number of Beneficiaries/Users: Local Community/150 people
Major Funding: Donations, Fundraising, NYC DOT grant
Concept/Lead Architect(s)/Designer(s): Valeria Bianco, Christian Gonsalves, Shagun Singh, Justin Taylor
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Contractor/Manufacturer: AFH NY STUDIO
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Total Cost/Cost per Unit: $8000
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Photo/Image Credit(s)
File Specifications:
Nominated by AFH NY STUDIO
