In true entrepreneurial spirit, Matthew Stanfield turned adversity into advantage. Laid off from his position at an architectural firm, Stanfield not only launched his own firm, FiELD9: architecture, he also launched a second business, GARD[EN]semble.
A recent graduate of the Entrepreneur Cohort class at North Central State College’s Urban Center, Stanfield said the class was helpful in his business ventures. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn some of the business skills I didn’t have,” he said, noting that it was due to that class that he launched GARD[EN]semble as a full-fledged business. “I’d been doing these as a hobby, but I was really encouraged in the class to make this a separate business.”
GARD[EN]semble features a VegeCRATE, which is a unique raised garden bed, as well as a RainCRATE, which is a rain collection barrel complete with enclosure and spigot.
The evolution of the products was a result of Stanfield’s architectural background. “It started out that we wanted rain barrels, and I was going to build a stand to put them on so that we could get a bucket underneath. Then it evolved as I was sketching designs. As an architect, you just can’t leave well enough alone. You just think about what may be a better solution,” he said.
Prototypes for GARD[EN]semble were built at the North Lake Community Garden. Those VegeCRATES were built from standard lumber. “I knew I didn’t want to use treated wood,” Stanfield said. “They’ve held up. This is their sixth year and we’ve never painted them, never done anything to them, and they’re still in pretty good shape.”
Stanfield now prefers to use reclaimed materials whenever possible. His own VegeCRATE is made from a combination of reclaimed and new materials. “The vertical pieces are reclaimed from an 1840s farmhouse. The horizontal is cedar so it has a more natural rot resistance.”
VegeCRATEs come in many sizes and heights. “I’m experimenting with different heights right now,” said Stanfield. “Eighteen to twenty inches is a good height to get children involved because it’s right at their level. It’s also a good height for sitting. If you want to sit while you’re gardening, it’s bench height, so you can sit on the side and garden that way. Thirty inches is a good height for standing.”
VegeCRATE lengths vary, but width is generally measured to allow gardeners to reach the center from either side.
Stanfield took the time to do market research as part of the Entrepreneur Cohort class. “One of the assignments was to interview potential customers and find out what they’d like.”
Mansfield resident Paul Bender was quite pleased with his purchase from Stanfield, “I went to FiELD9: architecture for a well-made, locally designed and hand-crafted GARD[EN]semble and got a true work of utilitarian art that adds beauty and value to my yard and home, and makes gardening a true pleasure.”
When asked where he sees GARD[EN]semble in five years, Stanfield said he’d like for it to become a self-sustaining business, complete with employees. Additionally, he hopes for GARD[EN]semble to generate a revenue stream that would allow him the flexibility to pursue the areas of architecture in which he is most interested, particularly design. FiELD9: architecture specializes in “community minded architecture with a modern sensibility and an eye toward sustainability.”
Striving for sustainability is something that Stanfield does in his own life as well as his business ventures. His family gardens and reuses materials whenever possible. They also keep bees and even heat their home with wood. They are active in the community garden and contribute to their neighborhood by mowing the yards of vacant homes.
More information for GARD[EN]semble may be found at the website.
“I’m experimenting with different heights right now,” said Stanfield. “Eighteen to twenty inches is a good height to get children involved because it’s right at their level. It’s also a good height for sitting,” said Matthew Stanfield.
