The concept of a modular school garden, which can adept to different situations at schools of level secondary I, is directed not only to biology teachers in order to offer an attractive package for integrative instruction. It also addresses schoolgirls and schoolboys by giving them incentives for interdisciplinary experiences, and school participation in general.
In summer term 2014, an international KISD student team began with first research assignments for the development of a modular school garden. They drafted ideas and concepts on how school gardens can regain attractiveness. Of paramount concern was the three-dimensional design of ideas and possible patterns for planting, cultivating, monitoring, contrasting, and experimenting.
These approaches were not limited to solely the school garden, they also comprised classroom-design, classroom-teaching, and urban space.
The following projects could always refer to the information and experience gathered by their predecessors, could support and advance project and research, and merge into new ideas and insights. Thus, during the entire project, participants had access to a huge collection of ideas and approaches which finally condensed into the design of two main concepts.
1. The “Redbox“ is a cube which is easily accessible, which can be easily cultivated and which does not need massive outside support for vegetation and cultivation. The box was in particular designed for usage in schools with limited outside space. Its form follows the idea of designing the box as a cube for raised-bed gardening, but it can also be utilized on surface. The construction offers a huge variety for cultivation. Rotatable boards from outside serve as means for diversified applications during exercise and instruction at school. If locked, the cube can also be utilized for storage of technical equipment for gardening.
2. The “Cultivating-Box“ is easily manageable, not heavy, easily transportable, and can therefore also be carried by schoolgirls and schoolboys from the class level of 5 to 9.Its size allows flexible arrangements, both vertically and horizontally, and a special mechanism always provides the adequate distance between other “Cultivating-Boxes“. On ground, this device can be used to adjust individual preferences according to height and configuration. Hence, these school garden boxes also grasp the topic of inclusion and non-barrier access for wheelchair-users.
