Tempe Community Action Agency

The new Tempe Community Action Agency facility rises on the historic site of Watson’s Flower Shop, founded by Irene Watson in 1927. The experiential graphics program draws on this legacy while honoring TCAA’s beginnings, when Lupe Esquer and Barbara Norton planted a community garden to feed their neighbors. The concept reflects this shared history with a simple idea: two seeds were planted, and today a place of growth continues to flourish.

Designed through a trauma-informed lens, botanical graphics inspired by wildflowers symbolize resilience and renewal. The scope includes environmental graphics, donor recognition, engraved pavers, and a sculpture garden of stylized metal flowers, creating a welcoming environment that celebrates community care and the belief in every person’s potential.