2008 Awards

MERIT AWARD - Landscpape Architectural Design > $50,000

Garden between City and Sea, Queens, NY

Local Office Landscape Architecture
www.localofficelandscape.com  

The design inspiration for this urban backyard garden is the cultural and ecological context of Rockaway Beach. The design incorporates much of the salt-tolerant, sand-loving plant material found in the surrounding dunes. The garden is loosely organized into two “rooms” based on solar access: to the north, nearest the house, is a kitchen garden that takes advantage of unimpeded sun; to the south, partially shaded by an adjacent church wall, is the social garden. A floating deck and narrow wooden path recall the signature feature of Rockaway Beach, which boasts one of the longest boardwalks in the nation. The garden, which was installed by the clients themselves using materials, construction techniques, and equipment readily accessible to the average “do-it-yourselfer,” sets a new precedent for design quality in “do-it-yourself” construction because of the meaningful involvement of design professionals.

Credits

Project Team: Jennifer Bolstad, Walter Meyer
Clients: Peter Diaz and Jee Mee Kim
Photography: Jennifer Bolstad, Coralina Meyer, Walter Meyer, Susannah Ray