In our new partnership with Rainier Beach High School, students and Sawhorse mentors met weekly in the lovely green space just across the street from the school at the farm and wetlands (RBUFW) stewarded by TILTH Alliance. Over the course of the fall term, students walked the land and felt out the best locations and possibilities for a new built structure to benefit all those who pass through the space, and to help TILTH with their gardening infrastructure.

Our goal with this design was to find a way to connect the gardeners and caretakers in the TILTH-maintained area with the neighboring community, especially the teenagers at RBHS, who were largely unaware of the space. We came up with a few program requirements:  keeping the build simple and small, with the space for storing plants from the greenhouse, as well as letting RBHS students know they are welcome to hang out there. We included a space in the design hang hammocks between the structures, as well as lots of off-the-ground storage for backpacks, lots of fun seating, and space to accommodate people using the structure for a variety of needs.

We are so grateful to all the wonderful staff at TILTH Alliance for hosting our cohort in their classroom, being so welcoming and offering great feedback. And thanks also to our caring and creative group of mentors: Sterling Bradby (Hewitt), Saunders Allen (JAS Design Build), and Katja Peterson (Mithun). Much gratitude as well to Career Connect Washington for the generous funding to explore this program, and to Rainier Beach HS and their spectacular teachers and administration for inviting us into over 20 classrooms to share about this project and creating a ton of interest in this new relationship. We can’t wait to do more programs with RBHS!