Access to the community garden is located on the east and west sides. The main entrance is a gate on the west side of the garden, adjacent to the farmers’ market plaza. A secondary entrance is located on the east side, entering from the Thomas Street Sidewalk. Each plot in the community garden is 10’ by 20’, or 200 square feet. There are a total of 84 plots.
separated from each other and from the community garden by retaining walls topped with fences. The lower orchard connects to the farmers’ market plaza via the steps, which also feature citrus trees in built-in planters. The lower orchard also connects to the top floor of the community building, which is a classroom that is available for outdoor education programs.
2. Farmers’ Market Plaza
The two orchard terraces have slightly different programming, in that the upper orchard is intended to be exclusively for the juice stand, while the lower terrace is part of the public domain. Therefore, access to the upper terrace is limited by lockable gates on either end, while the lower terrace is open ended. The terraces are around 20’ wide, with plenty of space to walk among the trees. Walking through the lower terrace provides a short-cut from the high school to the farmers’ market plaza. Both terraces also feature stunning views of downtown. Viewing this vista of skyscrapers from among the fruit trees creates a unique perspective of the rapid growth and history of Los Angeles, which is especially appropriate for Lincoln Heights, known as the City’s oldest neighborhood.
The farmers’ market plaza, which covers the southwest corner of the site, is a large flat square that is intended to host weekly (or more frequent) farmers’ markets. This area has a gentle 1%-2% slope across it from north to south. On the south and west sides, the plaza seamlessly transitions to sidewalks. The east side borders on the community garden. On the north side, a series of steps leads up to the fruit orchard. The function of the farmers’ market plaza is enabled by its simple flat surface (formerly a parking area) and ease of access from the street. Farmers’ markets will be set up on the space using temporary canopies and portable tables. The flexibility of design for this space also enables other temporary uses such as arts and craft fairs, promotional events or flea markets. Vehicular access to the farmers’ market plaza from Gates Street will allow farmers’ to bring their pickup trucks on-site to set up canopies and sell their wares. This vehicular access also serves the community garden by providing a means of delivering tools and materials to the site. When there is no event, vehicular access to the plaza will be closed. The center of the farmers’ market plaza features a large specimen coast live oak tree (Quercus agrifolia), a beautiful and sprawling evergreen shade tree that will provide a focal point and shade when it matures. The surface material of the plaza is permeable paving blocks, which define the plaza as separate from the sidewalks, while also adding color and detail to the space. Permeable paving allows infiltration of rainwater, reduces stormwater runoff, and provides water and air to the oak tree’s root system.
3. Orchard Terraces The northern portion of the site features two terraced orchards, planted with a variety of citrus trees. This plant selection is based on evidence found on-site that citrus was recently grown there, and because the region has been known for citrus production in the past. The orchards run between Thomas and Gates streets, and an accessible path connects the orchard to both sidewalks. They are
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Red Fields to Green Fields Los Angeles
4. Community Building A two-story community building is situated at the nexus of the community garden, farmers’ market, and orchard. The building is built into the hillside so that the north wall of the lower floor is retaining. The lower floor of the building is primarily functional for the community garden. It provides tool and materials storage, as well as outdoor produce wash basins located under the deck. Stored materials may include gardening tools such as hoes and shovels, hoses, seed, and wheel-barrows. Community garden storage is accessible through large doors adjacent to the primary garden path. The lower floor of the building is accessible through large doors adjacent to the farmers’ market plaza, which enables it to be used as a storage facility for farmers’ market events. Stored materials for the farmers’ market may include vendor canopies, signs, traffic cones, tables, etc. The upper story of the community building is an open classroom space that is designed to take advantage of the views afforded by the sloped site. This allows views of downtown Los Angeles as well as views of the community garden and farmers’ market plaza. Programming for this room is focused on education, providing opportunities for classroom discussions based on outdoor experiences. In this way, the views and agricultural setting can augment curricula about sustainable agriculture, ecology and history in Los Angeles. The upper story classroom is