HIDDEN ECOSYSTEMS

This was one of my first projects, from back when I was in high school. HIDDEN ECOSYSTEMS, as the name implies, is a metaphorical examination of human behaviour in an environment where resources are limited. The resources here are the picnic benches themselves — each bench is a triangular wedge that can seat only a single person. Groups of picnickers desiring to sit together must therefore scavenge the area for a sufficient number of benches to seat their number. Much as how cells conglomerate to form organisms greater than the sum of their parts, the functionality of a single triangular table is limited and becomes efficient only as part of a larger surface. This gestalt is social too; the cooperation required to find or cannibalize a suitable seating arrangement builds camaraderie between the members of the group and lets them participate in the telling of a story. "Technological Design," Don Mills Collegiate Institute, 2015.12–2016.01.