MOTT HAVEN CAMPUS – The Bronx, New York City
Mott Haven Campus comprises an intermediary school, two high schools and a charter school on the same six-acre parcel. The project was done for and in concert with the School Construction Authority of New York City who acted as both client and construction manager. The landscape includes both rooftop and at-grade conditions. For this project, I tried to create the appearance of lushness while allowing for hundreds of students to circulate. At the rooftop plazas, I created a series of gardens along the perimeter as a respite from the plaza activity. These gardens were elevated slightly -- 18” high -- to enhance the sense of separation, pursuant to the notion of a garden as a place apart. I introduced many tree planters with walls thick enough for seating, operating under the theory that high school students will drape themselves all over any features in the landscape provided them.
Office: RGR Landscape
Status: Completed
Landscape Design: John Merritt
Construction Administration: John Merritt and Joe Ianucci
Consulting for Landscape Structures: Tanya Barth
Layout for Vine Fence: Wan-Li Fang
Contractor: The DeMatteis Organization
