Alison Duncan was selected to work with the non-profit organization, Central Harlem Senior Citizens' Center to develop a community garden as part of desigNYC’s 2013 Healthy Communities Projects. This was a pro-bono project to bring sustainable gardening, healthy eating, and nutritional education to its senior residents and members through the development of an innovative community garden design with a central edible gardening component.

 

Preliminary designs proposed growing plants from hydroponic garden towers and custom site furniture solutions that are sensitive to its seniors, such as providing comfortable seating, easy-reach components, shade canopies, and easy to maintain, modular features. Inter-generational and flexible social activity is also encouraged with designs that allow for various arrangements for seating, workstations, gardening, and eating.

 

 

A unique prototype for a multi-table and multi-component ‘Farm to Table Assembly’ was detailed and cost estimated.

 

This project was exhibited on October 15, 2013 at the New York Design Center as part of the Annual desigNYC Exhibition Opening.

 

Following the exhibition, this project was featured in Five Borough Farm II: Growing the Benefits of Urban Agriculture in NYC, A Project for the Design Trust for Public Space, New York pg. 64.

 

This project was also featured in www.dirt.asla.org (6/23/14).