Center for Enriched Living Enabling Garden Patio

Award

2018 Merit Award

Site

Riverwoods, IL

Client

Ms. Harriet Levy, Executive Director

Category

Design

Landscape Architects

Project Details

With big ideas and a small budget, a community of volunteers and professionals came together to create an enabling garden patio for CEL members, staff and guests to experience nature and enjoy the outdoors.

The Center for Enriched Living’s new enabling garden patio has greatly impacted the members of CEL, a group of people whose needs are each individually unique. The design is simple and the materials are basic. The people are the stars in this project with the garden setting the stage! This garden celebrates the members by giving them the space to interact socially, the ability to connect with nature and the opportunity to be outside in a safe place.
The project came out from a need for flexible outdoor space. CEL staff desired an outdoor space accessible for their members which would help facilitate opportunities for socialization and nature activities. The Center’s goals for expanding programming opportunities outdoors include activities such as gardening, art through nature interaction and observation, and to just enjoy being outside in the fresh air. Volunteers helped create the garden patio through donations and the labor of love by planting trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses to enhance the building and within the patio area, planting a butterfly garden and building a water feature. The patio is easily accessible for all to enjoy with elevated planters to facilitate growing vegetables, herbs and flowers and a low lighted seatwall and moveable furniture flexible for socializing and different activities. A special living tree chair was
planted which will soon enable members to sit within the tree’s canopy, a direct sensory interaction with nature. The Center for Enriched Living enabling garden patio is loved by all for the many opportunities for connecting with nature and the outdoors.

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