small
relative to the space (usually vacant lots) in which they are situated so that rather than simply defining an interior area, the fences will transform and redefine the areas that surround them -- their exteriors -- suggesting new uses and experiences, and integrating the nursery into the larger space.

fenced in
to protect the saplings (a tree nursery requires a protective fence -- especially when situated in a heavily travelled, urban area). The fence serves a double purpose: it defines a space and at the same time makes that space inaccessible to all but the student-arborists -- in a sense also making it an object to those who can not enter. And yet this object has the power to warp and engage the space that surrounds it -- its exterior.

temporary and shifting
so that after a minimum of three years -- the amount of time each sapling will grow before transplanting to tree pits -- lots where mini-nurseries are situated become available for other uses (housing, commercial, industry). If no other use has emerged, the mini-nursery on that lot can continue to be cultivated.



abstract