The Challenge:
Public school grounds can be seen as liabilities, vulnerable spaces that need to be fenced off in order to  prevent public use. The IDC sought to flip this narrative, asking: What if the very materials used to cordon off a space could be used to revitalize it? The goal was to create a structural system that would use chainlink fencing to bring people together, and create the parks, classrooms, and gardens requested by the client..

The Intervention chainlinkGREEN is a structural system that uses common chainlink fencing to create complex, 3-dimensional forms. By distorting the traditional fence typology, the IDC transformed this system from one that produces flat barriers into one that could create load-bearing canopies, benches, and storm-water retention systems. This structural system was complemented by materials common to Philadelphia’s abandoned lots:  rubble, concrete debris, and lumber. The resulting  system is intentionally simple, requiring no expensive tools or specialized labor to assemble.

The Impact The result is an intensely elastic environment that turns "dead space" into a community asset. More importantly, by providing a blueprint for affordable and accessible construction, chainlinkGREEN empowers residents to take ownership of their neighborhoods, proving that beauty and utility can be harvested from the most common urban cast-offs.