MIAMI DADE COLLEGE ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS REDESIGN OUR SHADEHOUSE

The Greenhouse Project at Gardens of Troy uses the shadehouse for several purposes: seed propagation, storage of materials, and it serves us as a classroom for teaching TROY students about botany, science and organic gardening. In collaboration with the Miami Dade College Architecture Department, we are fortunate to have Professor Maria Zabala take an active role in redesigning TROY's shadehouse/greenhouse. Under her mentorship and for class credits, Professor Zabala's students are engineering an energy-efficient and ecologically-sound building structure where TROY students will continue to learn, grow organic plants, and experiment with gardening projects. With the help of MDC's Architecture students, the younger students at TROY Academy will benefit from having an improved state-of-the-art environment from which to become inspired. The new shadehouse will surely improve not only the aesthetic of TROY's grounds, it will undoubtedly give the Greenhouse Project a shadehouse structure to match our vision. This collaborative effort of MDC and TROY is yet another example of a community that comes together to form a path to a better future for our at-risk youths.

October 7th, 2009 was a special day for the Greenhouse Project as I had the privilege of joining Professor Maria Zabala's Architecture 2023 class for their Mid-Project Review. Our panel, Professor Zabala, James Jiler, Professor Jaime Correa and me, Maggie Arias, were so pleased to see the students' design presentations. Equipped with models, bulletins, tons of research and innovative approaches to sustainable designing, these MDC students displayed their talents as well as their abilities to be unique, innovative, artistic and efficient. Thank you!!!

Jaime E. Correa, Professor of Architecture at the University of Miami for over 20 years, added some pointers for enhancing design features in the MDC students' presentation review...here, Professor Correa is seen with Michel, our first presentor of the day...additionally, we were joined by reknowned Horticulturalist and Community Organizer, James Jiler, author of the book, "Doing Time in the Garden" --- the book upon which our Greenhouse Project at Gardens of Troy was based!

Miguel's design inspiration was based on soil topography - the concept of linear and curvilinear components of soil and sediment; he also did a great job researching and analyzing sun exposure at TROY and the best possible locations for planting vs. bldg structures; his design also had a section dedicated to a meditation/recreation area equipped with benches and a water pump

Kathleen's designing inspiration was the concept of “dissolving boundaries,” incorporating windchimes, water, and vegetation to her detailed design

Though it's hard to tell from her model, there's a water catchment system as well

Rochelle's design inspiration was from the development stages of an embryo as well as waves like from the ocean; her model was spacious and provided for secure storage for materials and garden tools