that they would be interested in helping maintain the plants growing on Archie.” That sounded like a win-win situation to Phillips. “When Rodger was able to connect us with the Horticulture Club on campus, it seemed to be the best kind of fit for an organized group to get involved,” Phillips said. “And they've been wonderful and really got excited about taking it on. They've been doing things like light readings and trying to monitor the plants and really taking it to a different pedagogical level and I'm fully supportive of that.” Phillips’s one stipulation was the plants had to look good and not harm the structure. Given Archie is made of wood, it could be damaged by spilled or standing water. He also acknowledged that it would be difficult to manage frequent watering, so that influenced some plant choices. “We tried to make it as manageable as possible so students would still be involved but not have to require too much time on their end,” Phillips said. “And that was another area for learning. I want to learn more about plants, too, and I can't wait to see what the horticultural students come up with over the lifetime of this project.” “When it comes to selecting the right plants for a location, it cannot be understated the importance of knowing well what the growing environment will be like,” Tschanz said, explaining that Archie’s hallway location has a variety of microclimates that change with the seasons. “Shade from outside deciduous trees disappears in fall. Sun angle changes. The humidity changes in the room with the switch from air conditioning to heating. Some of our plant choices worked, some didn't, but it has been an interesting real-life growing experience for the students to learn from.” THE WELLNESS FACTOR Having spent most of her career focusing on student wellness, Burnett knows bringing the outdoors in can have a positive impact on mental health. “I'm also a firm believer in using more proactive approaches to mental health as opposed to reactive. We know there's good documentation on the impacts of nature on health and well-being. When we talk about bringing wellness into planning, and specifically mental health, often those are the first things to go when budgets are tight,” Burnett said. “I would challenge people to think a little bit broader if they can, around some of the impacts that a project like Archie could have. I know money's tight. The economy is not great. But if you can, bring in some green spaces that can actually have a positive impact on people's mental health.” At its most basic, Burnett sees Archie as a space to bring people together. “We know that a sense of belonging and community is probably one of the biggest factors associated with positive mental health. So if we can help cultivate those spaces for people to come together, that’s gonna have a long, long, lasting impact,” Burnett said. “Let's be honest — the state of the world is not feeling super hopeful for a lot of people right now. For a young person, it's got to be feeling pretty challenging,” Burnett acknowledged. “Archie is serene. It's a place that's maybe not infiltrated by all the noise out in the universe. It's a quiet space. It's a place where people can reflect, or just sit quietly in a space that's lovely.” Phillips, Tschanz and Burnett would all love to see versions of Archie across the campus, and even expand to other institutions.
John Phillips, PhD., University of Guelph senior design engineer.
Burnett is confident such spaces could have a positive impact on student health over the long run, and added, “I think it is something that can be replicated in other places, you know, when we're looking at campus planning and designing spaces, bringing those kinds of elements into the planning process so that we can create more of these spaces.” Archie represents more than just plants and sleek wood shelves. At the intersection of art, design and horticulture, Archie has been engineered to provide tranquillity and community in an otherwise overlooked space. It is a solution that can fit anywhere — this Archie graces the corner of a hallway, but future iterations could bring life to neglected nooks and crannies in any type of institutional or corporate building. It is living proof that using plants to solve problems can enhance mental health and promote a sense of belonging. And other than some sunlight and water, Archie asks for nothing in return. LT
MAY 2025 | 19
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