weaving garden walk

garden center fall 2021 studio 401 / andrew linn

This project followed my willow research, shown previously, and the design language adapted from it. The task was to revitalize the Virginian town of Front Royal and develop a thesis based on bringing the people back to the Shenandoah River. I studied food in the town and determinied the need for another grocery store and a shift to a healthier lifestyle through nature and food. My solution is a modern garden center that does more than just sell plants. There is a farm to table restaurant, an event space, a local goods market, a nursery, educational kitchens, orchards and berry picking, and meandering paths throughout the site to encourage people to enjoy nature and explore.

My final presentation was 4 watercolor papers each 22 in by 30 in that I hand drew and painted on. I took a different appproach to this presentation because I knew the hand crafting and deliecate nature of watercolor would compliment the richness of nature and beauty of a garden center.

I layered the drawings and paintings to emphasize the concept of weaving that came from my willow tree research. This word weave was very important in my project and is the foundation of the garden experince.

The project was centered around a greenhouse spine that followed the natural topography. It allowed for people to observe the workings of a greenhouse and to learn how to grow their own food in greenhouses.

As shown in section, the garden center takes advantage of the topography by building into its slope. It uses this to harness the southern sun and earth sheltering spaces for storage.

The two perspectives show above and below the greenhouse to show the observation level above and the interactive layer below.