The project consists of a small-scale system of productive and accessible infrastructure for community urban gardens. The intervention includes raised cultivation beds, widened and leveled circulation paths, resting benches, shaded areas, signage elements and support surfaces for gardening activities.
The raised beds were designed to improve ergonomic access for older adults, reducing the need to bend down during planting, maintenance and harvesting. Circulation paths were widened and stabilized to allow safer movement through the garden, while benches with appropriate seating height and arm support were incorporated as resting points along the routes.
The main built components were developed using reused timber and repurposed metal roofing sheets recovered from previous constructions. These materials were adapted into planters, benches, light structures and garden support elements. The intervention also included planting areas for vegetables, aromatic species, pollinator-friendly plants and living fences, reinforcing the garden as both a productive and social infrastructure.
Sustainable strategies and low-carbon design approaches.
The project follows a low-carbon approach based on reuse, local adaptation and minimum intervention. Instead of replacing the existing community garden, the proposal works with what was already there: existing paths, productive areas, social routines and community knowledge. The design reinforces these conditions through small, precise operations that improve accessibility, comfort and long-term use.
Material reuse was one of the main strategies. Timber and metal sheets from previous constructions were dismantled, transported and reassembled into new components, reducing the demand for new materials and extending the life cycle of existing resources. The project also prioritizes dry assembly and simple construction systems, allowing elements to be repaired, adjusted or replaced over time.
The garden itself operates as an environmental infrastructure. Productive planting supports food sovereignty, while aromatic plants, pollinator species and living fences contribute to biodiversity and soil restoration. Shaded areas and resting points improve thermal comfort and make the space more usable for older adults. In this sense, sustainability is not treated only as a material strategy, but as a social and ecological practice: a way to connect accessibility, care, food production, reuse and community life.
