Not Garden / Not Again

Landscape: PEG

‘PEG has recently initiated research exploring geo-textile customization. Our ‘Not’ prototypes are the first in a series of installations to evaluate the versatility and performance of fabric as the substratum for innovative ‘cleaning and greening’ strategies in Philadelphia’s vacant properties.

Philadelphia is a perfect laboratory for experimental greening techniques given its immense stock of vacant land - over 60,000 properties. Approximately 3,000 abandoned lots have been cleaned and planted over the past six years through the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative (2002). This interim land-management program has succeeded in providing neighborhoods with relatively low-cost ways to lessen unsanitary conditions and garbage dumping on abandoned sites. The current greening strategy involves re-grading, lawn installation, a perimeter picket fence, and several trees.

Our goal is to derive a cost-effective alternative to achieve the same aesthetics of care but provide more expressive diversity with lower maintenance. Playing off of the traditional knotgarden’s intricate geometric patterns, our ‘Not Garden’ prototypes are made using parametric software and laser-cutter fabrication to precut customized patterns out of weed-control fabric, which is then laid on site and seeded. This produces diverse configurations with very low investment, effort, installation expertise, or long term care.

With generous support from PennDesign, PEG and PennDesign students installed two test-plots, “Not Garden” & “Not Again” in West Philadelphia. The first version tested the basic limits of control held by the fabric. The latter larger version experimented with a more intricate pattern and expanded the planting choice to include flowering drought-tolerant groundcover.‘

Not Garden

Not Again

This entry was written by admin, posted on October 15, 2009 at 10:38 pm, filed under Details, Exstalations, Gardens and tagged Patterns, Philadelphia, USA. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.