It's become a yearly ritual for me to cover the Street Synergy Community Garden on Bailey Avenue. Why? Because there are always new developments taking place there. Each year garden volunteers come together to not only maintain the garden, but to add new features to it. The other day I received an email from Kevin Connors of eco_LOGIC Studio telling me that the latest addition was a self-supporting arch entranceway (phase 1) made with 'earthbags'. Apparently, these earthbags are formed using a rammed earth technique - the process dates back used to at least two thousand years ago. It's a solid, inexpensive, creative and earth-friendly way to add a signature gateway to an already impressive park. Phase two will be the application of plaster to the arch, making it permanent and finished.
The most interesting feature about the earthbag arch is the way it appears from different perspectives. When I first saw the structure (from Bailey), it was hard to tell that it was not a concrete arch. Then, the closer I came, the more pronounced the bags were. After walking through the arch, I strolled around the park (a former dumping ground) for a bit to see how the rest of the grounds had been maintained. Thanks to UB, AmeriCorps, and The City's Livable Community Grant Program, Bailey residents have a community garden that they can be proud of. It's an exciting collaborative that should be replicated in other parts of the city. Can't wait to see the finished product!
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The most interesting feature about the earthbag arch is the way it appears from different perspectives. When I first saw the structure (from Bailey), it was hard to tell that it was not a concrete arch. Then, the closer I came, the more pronounced the bags were. After walking through the arch, I strolled around the park (a former dumping ground) for a bit to see how the rest of the grounds had been maintained. Thanks to UB, AmeriCorps, and The City's Livable Community Grant Program, Bailey residents have a community garden that they can be proud of. It's an exciting collaborative that should be replicated in other parts of the city. Can't wait to see the finished product!
First thought that comes to mind:
1) good way to promote trees in Buffalo
2) when is the grotto going to be unearthed in Delaware Park
3) people are craving entranceways and gateways...and what better way to satisfy this need than to rebuild the Pan Am Gateway entrances...somewhere like LaSalle Park.