2025

Garden, Robots, and Third Spaces

Project lead and creative director
Bright yellow background with a large, orange, comic-style explosion shape containing the words "GARDENS OF RESILIENCE" in yellow and orange text. Below the explosion, the text reads "FOR COLLECTIVE RESILIENCE" in dark green. 
❋ Graphic Designed by Atlan Arceo-Witzl

Gardens, Robots, and Third Spaces for Collective Resilience is an interdisciplinary initiative that integrates ancestral knowledge, land memory, third spaces, and technology to strengthen community empowerment. Grounded in magical urbanism, the project reimagines shared spaces as sites of collective care, cultural memory, and future-building. Through healing-centered technology and intergenerational learning, participants connect traditional practices with digital literacy, solar energy, cybersecurity, and collective technological knowledge, making emerging technologies more accessible, culturally relevant, and community-driven.

Partners

voqal partners

Chicago Art Department

El Paseo Community

La Huerta Roots and Rays

HAZ Room

HumanScale

A woman with dark hair and light skin stands in front of a group of diverse people seated at picnic tables outdoors. She appears to be speaking or presenting to the audience. The setting is a park or backyard with trees and a wooden building in the background.
Colorful poster with a playful design promoting the Daze of Autonomy event on July 17th in Chicago. Features a sun with sunglasses, a rocket, and bold text with details about the event location at 1523 W Cullerton St, Chicago, IL.
A group of people gathered outdoors, watching a woman prepare a science experiment with electrical and solar panel components on a red-and-white checkered table. The audience is seated behind the table, and trees and buildings are in the background.
Colorful illustrated poster for a Halloween event featuring pumpkins, a snake, and decorative swirls, with text about a Día de los Muertos celebration.
Close-up of hands wiring an electrical socket into a metal electrical box on a wooden workbench, with various wires and electrical components scattered around.
Promotional flyer for a virtual workshop on digital liberation and technology, scheduled for August 18, featuring icons of a computer mouse, a globe, and a spaceship, with a green textured background and a logo for 'Gardens, Robots, and Thirs Spaces'.
A person's hand holding a red and black electronic device showing a train schedule on its screen.
A colorful illustrated flyer promoting a community event with a green background, featuring pixel art styled icons including a mushroom, a leaf, and a person looking at a tablet or phone. The flyer contains text about hacking, Saturday, August 12, and location details.
A man with a beard wearing a green cap, black T-shirt, and shorts sitting at a white folding table with a laptop decorated with colorful stickers, a water bottle, and a laptop charger. Behind him are wooden shelves filled with books and magazines, and a wall with text and a guitar. There is a drum on the left side.
A colorful, illustrated poster promoting a festival with a guitar, musical notes, and swirling patterns, including text about the event date and location.
Woman speaking or presenting in front of a chain-link fence, wearing a white tie-front shirt and black patterned pants, with glasses on her head.
A group of people sitting and standing in a cozy room with bookshelves, listening to a woman speaking. There are papers and books on a central table, and a large butterfly decoration on the wall.
A colorful poster featuring bold, playful text and illustrations. The top part says, 'Welcome to the end of the world dinner! We are so glad you made it here!'. Below are wishes for good vibes and earthy delights, followed by names of people. There's a large illustration of a pizza with various toppings, with a note that all proceeds go to La Huerta Roots and Rays.
A colorful poster featuring bold, playful text and illustrations. The top part says, 'Welcome to the end of the world dinner! We are so glad you made it here!'. Below are wishes for good vibes and earthy delights, followed by names of people. There's a large illustration of a pizza with various toppings, with a note that all proceeds go to La Huerta Roots and Rays. 
Fundraising dinner for La Huerta Roots and Ray shade structure.
People sitting around a table decorated with flowers, candles, and colorful tableware at a lively celebration or dinner party.
People gather around a long table with plates and drinks in an art gallery or exhibition space, decorated for Halloween with spider webs and a large wall sign reading 'HAZ' with a purple triangle and a yellow circle.
People gather around a long table with plates and drinks in an art gallery or exhibition space, decorated for Halloween with spider webs and a large wall sign reading 'HAZ' with a purple triangle and a yellow circle.
Two women standing at a social event. The woman on the left has long black hair, tattoos on her arm, a headband with red and purple butterflies, and is holding a microphone. The woman on the right has short curly black hair, wears a black sparkly off-the-shoulder dress, red high heels, and a necklace. There are bottles of wine on a table in the foreground, and a door with a sign that says 'HAPPY ARTIST ZONE' in the background.
Two women standing at a social event. The woman on the left has long black hair, tattoos on her arm, a headband with red and purple butterflies, and is holding a microphone. The woman on the right has short curly black hair, wears a black sparkly off-the-shoulder dress, red high heels, and a necklace. There are bottles of wine on a table in the foreground, and a door with a sign that says 'HAPPY ARTIST ZONE' in the background.
A person with curly hair and a beard, wearing a sleeveless top and apron, is preparing food at a table with bowls of salad and toppings. The setting is outdoors under a canopy, with a large tree and foliage in the background and various condiments and utensils on the table.
A person with curly hair and a beard, wearing a sleeveless top and apron, is preparing food at a table with bowls of salad and toppings. The setting is outdoors under a canopy, with a large tree and foliage in the background and various condiments and utensils on the table.
A table set for a celebration with a floral centerpiece, candles, colorful magazines, and disposable plates and cutlery. In the background, a dance area with colorful lights, a DJ booth, and party decorations are visible.
A table set for a celebration with a floral centerpiece, candles, colorful magazines, and disposable plates and cutlery. In the background, a dance area with colorful lights, a DJ booth, and party decorations are visible.
A colorful menu titled 'Our Feast of Portals' offering a multi-sensory dining experience inspired by flavors from around the world. The menu features dishes such as Huittlacoche agnolotti with brown butter, tuna salad with pomegranate and other ingredients, steamed eggplant, and Haitian mushroom rice. Additional items include Haitian-style fried pork, pandan cheesecake with black sesame crust, and seasonal fruit.

HumanScale along with ACE Mentor Program designed and constructed the La Huerta Roots and Ray shade structure in their 18 week youth mentorship summer program. Read the zine to learn more about the process.

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