At less than 1,000 square feet, the West Village Townhouse garden makes use of repurposed materials in novel ways, reconciling old and new for substantial aesthetic and ecological impact. Renovation of a Greek Revival townhouse in a historic district in lower Manhattan presented an opportunity for ALA to imagine a sustainable take on a classical garden for modern users.  Existing brick carpeting the majority of the flat site was re-palletized and re-installed in a herringbone pattern as part of two separate terraces, creating distinct garden ‘rooms’ to make the space seem larger than its boundaries. In a nod to neo-classical architecture, white birch trees form the stately columns of a dappled canopy, allowing filtered light into the shady space. Rambling, lush plantings and creeping vines soften the more formal edges of the gathering areas, evoking a sense of age complementary to the architecture. Details throughout the project nod to the site’s history and passage of time; bricks are flipped on their axis to reveal the name of the manufacturer in select areas, planters are modern re-creations of neoclassical urns, and materials such as the cedar fencing and stone benches and countertops were chosen to weather in-place. In addition to the aesthetic considerations of the project, the garden is designed with ecological benefit in mind as well: over 80% of the plantings installed are native and locally grown, and are intended to establish over time to lessen irrigation dependency.   A tapestry of plant textures, sensitive material use, and a framework of gathering spaces work in concert to provide a modern garden oasis suited for its historic context in New York City.

Architecture: The Brooklyn Studio

General Contractor: Pilaster

Landscape Contractor: BluePlant

Marissa Angell, Mary Gould