THE MINDFUL GARDEN

The current neighborhood of East Los Angeles is rich in history and culture, with a vibrant and connected community of residents that take initiative in bettering their surroundings through political activism. Unfortunately, their community faces issues of neglect due to racist zoning policies, lacking an associated municipal community. The built environment only perpetuates this inequality, contributing to an overall poor health and well-being of the community. With a lack of facilities and community investment, car-centric infrastructure, poor air quality, and inadequate access to fresh and healthy food, residents are only made more vulnerable by their surroundings. However, the site location presents a unique opportunity as it is connected to the larger developed city. This strategic location along with the prominent vernacular architectural style makes it crucial for the proposal to engage the broader community, while still addressing the needs of the immediate local community. Firstly, the school outlines potential green goals of improving the learning environment, providing experiential learning, and preparing students for the green economy. Therefore, the Mindful Garden proposes interactive sustainable building technologies like operable cisterns in order to educate and expose students to green technology early, spark a growing interest in the environment, and foster a culture of environmental stewardship. Students are already proactive in engaging with their natural environments, with successful groups like the student-led Mindful Gardeners, who engage their fellow classmates to serve the community by raising mental health awareness through gardening and mindfully caring for the environment. Therefore, the proposed Mindful Garden invests in this resilient community in a way that empowers the student body with a greater voice and potential, providing them with local opportunities to learn about sustainability and environmental stewardship early.