The Cycle Garden is a community space that brings people of all ages together to learn about gardening, the environment, and nurturing relationships. Young children visit with their school to learn about plants, animals, and nature. Seniors are given opportunities to socialize and stay active through gardening activities. The Cycle Garden provides fresh produce for the community and teaches eco-friendly waste disposal through composting. It aims to transform an empty space into a place where people feel ownership and accomplishment through their involvement in building and maintaining the garden.

1. THE CYCLE GARDEN
Lucie Benevise
Information Architecture Spring 2018

2. CONCEPT
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.”
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

3. USERS
Children
With school or parents
SeniorsAdults
Neighbourhood Residents

4. CONTENT
Avatar Manual AnimalsToolsEmpty Plots/PotsSeeds

5. CONTEXT
As we start being more conscious about ourselves and our health, we have also been more
and more aware of our surroundings and the health of our planet. A lot of countries are
starting to invest a lot of money and time to switch to renewable energy as well as find
alternatives to waste disposal.
The Cycle Garden is a place for people of all ages to gather and build the future together. A
small future, but definitely a step in the right direction.
Young children can be taken with their school or parents to learn about the environment,
animals, plants, and to be taught how to nurture and have empathy.
Seniors are given the opportunity to keep activities, as well as a place to meet others and
make intergenerational friends. This also gives them a sense of purpose and gives some sort of
physical activity.
The Cycle garden brings livelihood to a community, as well as fresh produce and an eco-
friendly way to dispose of garbage.

6. EXPLORATION

8. PLACE MAKING
Space to Place
Involve the neighbourhood residents in building their area, creating a place together.
Hard work and involvement increase the sense of place and belonging as well as being part of
a group and community.
Make gardening an easy activity rather than a difficult task only handled by professionals. With
tools, information and team work to help beginners.
Creation of intergenerational relationships. Seniors and people with more experience can be
paired up with young children or each other.
Creation of relationship with the space itself and nature. Feeling of accomplishment
associated with the space and objects in the Cycle Garden.
Gaining new experience, skills and choosing what to do with the available space and all tools
and systems provided.

9. PLACE MAKING
Way-Finding
Use of signage to locate specific areas of the Cycle Garden.
Organised in an explicit, easy to navigate path.
Use of interactive maps to help users find their location as well as show them the best path for
their journey in the Cycle Garden.
Journey is personal and customized to each individual and actor in the Cycle Garden.

10. NAVIGATION PATH
Enter the Cycle Garden
Drop off compost at
designated area
Pick up ripe compost Chicken Coop
Collect Chicken eggsGo to tool shedPick up tools and seedsGarden Area
Plant and take care of
already potted plants
Put everything back Exit

11. CONSISTENCY
New Plant Pot Colour
Shape
Material
Seed Flower
Fruit
Vegetable
Tree
Soil Dry
Sandy
Wet
Planting Location Shade
Sun
Pond
Water Daily
Often
Weekly
No water
Fertilise Often
Rarely
Never
Chicken care Eggs Hatch
Collect
Feed Water
Compost
Seeds

12. CONSISTENCY
Metaphor Design
Source Domain Target Domain
Cycle Bin Compost Area
Recycle Factory Chicken Coop
Water Cycle Fish Tank
Armory Tool Shed
Life Area Plant Area
Creating life To plant a new seed
Raising life Taking care of planted seeds and young plants
Opportunity Choose a new plant/Seed

13. PERSONAS
Name: Naomi Smith
Age: 8 years old
Occupation: Student at Berenger Elementary
Likes: Animals, flowers, strawberries, apples,
princesses, legos, etc.
Dislikes: Insects, broccoli, nap time, math, etc
Bio: Naomi is in 2nd grade at Berenger Elementary
School.
Twice a week, she visits the Cycle Garden with her
class to learn about plants and the environment.
She wishes the garden had dogs.
Name: James Wyatt
Age: 74 years old
Occupation: Retired
Status: Widow
Likes: Tea, Reality TV, the beach, the forest, hiking, etc.
Dislikes: Being alone, grumpy old people.
Bio: James is retired. His wife, Nancy, passed away 3
years ago and he has a hard time meeting new people
to spend time with. He feel awfully lonely at home but
does not want to move to a retirement home since he
can still take care of himself. His children rarely visit so
he does not see his grandchildren very often.

14. SCENARIOS
Naomi loves going to the Cycle Garden on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. She gets to skip math class and have
fun with her classmates, including her best friend
Jaime.
She spends the most time around the chicken coop
where she has been trying to train the chicken to give
her hugs. She also likes looking for eggs.
She recently met James, an old looking man. She was
scared of him at first but it turns out that he is very
sweet and bring her candy when he comes to the Cycle
Garden. One time, she got lost and he found her, they
talked about princesses for a long time.
He recently showed her how to plant her favourite
flowers and how to take care of them.
She doesn’t like going near the compost area as it
smells too much.
James has found a new passion since his wife passed
away: gardening. But his house doesn’t have a very
large backyard or garden, so he volunteers at the Cycle
Garden to teach the young children and occasional
adults how to plant and garden.
He spends most of his days there, but his favourite
time is when Naomi comes during school on Tuesdays
and Thursdays.
She is very curious and spends most of her time near
the chicken coop. She reminds James of his own
grandchildren.
James loves planting vegetables and fruits for everyone
to take home and cook.

15. Q&A