A Toolkit For Stormwater Best Management Practices for Urban Farming
Taylor Street
Bristol Avenue
Landscape Training for Green Infrastructure
LARC221 Digital Fundamentals
Piney Branch Road
Daisy Road
Reservoir Road
Walhonding Road
South Mansion Drive
Reno Road
P Street
Burning Tree Road
Lewisdale Elementary Rain Barrel Wraps
Field of Greens Community Garden (University of Maryland)
Southwark Terrace
College Heights Estates, MD
Job Size: Small
Job Status: In the Ground
Our clients inherited an old brick fireplace (from previous homeowners) that they wanted to give some love. It was clear from initial site visits and design conversations that this fireplace was the center of social gatherings and a treasured feature in the yard. We suggested simple design interventions that would improve functionality and aesthetic quality. The fireplace is now a gorgeous focal point surrounding a large broken flagstone patio that can accommodate all sorts of gatherings. Simple thermal bluestone caps set on brick piers create bench seating while beautifully sheltering and displaying firewood reserves.
Design Tools: AutoCAD, Adobe Suite
Collaborators: Renee LaGue Installation: Premier Hardscapes Photographer: Jahnae Neal
Renee LaGue
Renee LagGue has seven seasons of hands-on outdoor field work under her belt. She has managed crews building stone staircases, stepping stones, trails, and drainage structures in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. Her knowledge of agriculture and urban gardening comes from her work growing vegetables and raising animals on production farms. And as a gardener for high-end residential clients in the Berkshires, she developed a hands-on familiarity with native and ornamental plants. Renee received a M.A. in landscape design from the Conway School and a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Maryland. In addition to her residential design work, she has designed ecological landscapes in California and green stormwater facilities in Maryland. In her designs, Renee reimagines challenging and complex sites to solve multiple problems. Her design education has given her a special love of color in the landscape, unusual plants, and common materials reused in novel ways.
5th Street
Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Large
Job Status: In the Ground
Washington, D.C. and its neighboring suburbs can meet almost anyone’s daily desires. Our clients realized there was no other place they would rather retire, so they decided to invest in major architectural and site improvements to their existing residence. We created a site master plan along with a series of 3D renderings capturing key locations within the proposed site design. Projects requiring major financial commitment for implementation really benefit from these kinds of preliminary visual tools.
Renee LagGue has seven seasons of hands-on outdoor field work under her belt. She has managed crews building stone staircases, stepping stones, trails, and drainage structures in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. Her knowledge of agriculture and urban gardening comes from her work growing vegetables and raising animals on production farms. And as a gardener for high-end residential clients in the Berkshires, she developed a hands-on familiarity with native and ornamental plants. Renee received a M.A. in landscape design from the Conway School and a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Maryland. In addition to her residential design work, she has designed ecological landscapes in California and green stormwater facilities in Maryland. In her designs, Renee reimagines challenging and complex sites to solve multiple problems. Her design education has given her a special love of color in the landscape, unusual plants, and common materials reused in novel ways.
Maya Mulé
From a young age, I knew that I had a passion for creativity, art, and design. For my freshman year, I attended Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) to study architecture in beautiful Savannah, Georgia. SCAD was a great opportunity to experience the artistic perspective of architecture and become more aware of how the landscape interacts with the built environment. After studying for a year at SCAD, I decided to transfer into the architecture program at the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park to be closer to home and pursue the Bachelor of Science/Masters academic path to licensure. Working with Kelley truly sparked my interest in landscape architecture and I feel that it is important to understand and integrate the natural environment while designing a building and its surroundings. Some of my other interests include sustainability, environmental design, drawing, and painting. In my spare time I love to travel, hike, and practice yoga.
Eco City Farms Map Mural
Bladensburg, MD
Job Size: Small (but mighty)
Job Status: In the Ground
Amid the global covid-19 pandemic, we reached out to our family at Eco City Farms to find out if there was any way we could put our design skills to use. Leadership identified a need for signage, creative art elements, and public engagement opportunities. We called on co-creator and artist/graphic designer Saba Hamidi of Saba Hamidi Designs to assist. Saba specializes in visual storytelling and has a sophisticated yet gentle graphic style that excites people and encourages human connection. She developed a large farm mural map which was hand painted onto a metal shipping container that Eco uses as a farm classroom. Current seasonal crops will be highlighted as they are being grown so community members, staff, and volunteers can stay informed. Crops will be on magnets that are movable. The mural is intended to be an artful tool that will bring functionality, comfort, and joy to those that use it.
Design Tools: AutoCAD, Adobe Suite, Procreate
Collaborators: Saba Hamidi Materials: TW Perry donated $500 in implementation supplies Installation: Volunteers https://www.ecoffshoots.org/
Saba Hamidi
An experienced designer for over ten years in the creative industry – from landscape architecture to graphic design – Saba leverages her strong visual communication skills and a lifelong commitment to the creative arts to effectively share ideas. With a human-centered approach, her focus lies in driving an idea from conceptualization to implementation through storytelling, installations, exhibits, digital graphics, and print collateral. Saba is skilled in design strategy, conceptualization, and visual storytelling, with expertise in digital renderings, illustration, and medium to large scale mural installation. As a ‘Visual Storyteller,’ Saba gravitates toward media & subject matter that can be used as tools to heal, unite, inspire and bridge divides. For her, the most important works are those that, through collaboration and listening, generate dialogue, enhance a sense of community, and tell stories that need to be heard (and seen).
District Heights, MD
Job Size: Large
Job Status: In the Ground
As part of a volunteer design team for the Neighborhood Design Center’s Community Desig Works program, we worked with veterans and community members in the City of District Heights to develop concept designs for a new veterans memorial. NDC facilitated a series of community engagement events that included design activities focused on capturing the core desires and needs of the community. Our volunteer team’s final concept ideas were used to attract additional local and state funding. Once sufficient resources were secured, the City implemented the project with help from local engineering/design firms. We celebrated at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Veterans Day 2021.
Wasington, DC
Job Size: Small
Job Status: In the Works
Storytelling through accessible and compelling imagery is how we prefer to share design ideas. Thanks to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we designed graphics for interpretive signs to be constructed, and installed at (3) public sites across the District that demonstrate green infrastructure techniques in action.
Design Tools: Adobe Suite Design Team: Ian Kisakye and Kelley Oklesson
Contee Parago Triangle Park
Baltimore, MD
Job Size: Large
Job Status: In the Works
This exciting project is the first of many to come for the DCMDVA Chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. As the Director of Public Relations, Kelley Oklesson took the lead on identifying a local community project in need of design assistance. She teamed up with the Neighborhood Design Center (a previous employer) who had been contacted by the Bolton Hill Community Association(BHCA) looking to renovate Contee Parago Triangle Park. The park is one of the first park spaces in Baltimore to commemorate an African American Baltimore resident, and was dedicated in honor of Mr. Contee and Mr. Parago in 1971. NDC guided the community design and community consensus phase of the project and the APLD design team will help BHCA in organizing fundraiser efforts for the major park renovation. The goal is to have the renovations completed in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the park’s establishment in May 2021.
Design Tools: AutoCAD, Sketchup, Lumion, & Hand sketches
Collaborators: Neighborhood Design Center, Association of Professional Landscape Designers DCMDVA Chapter, Bolton Hill Community Association, Midtown Baltimore
Design Team: Edy Osorio, Kelley Oklesson, Maya Mule, Maureen Robinson, Tony Kostreski, Lynley Ogilvie, Karen Weaver, Linda Carney, Eric Gilbey, Roger Clapp, Kevin O’Neill, Todd Krellner
T Street
NW Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: On the shelf
When not working as a full time nurse, our client is loving on and caring for two champion show dogs. We were brought in to offer creative and effective design solutions for the rear yard which had symptoms of land overuse from the doggos. After thoroughly analyzing the site we realized that the heavily compacted areas were due to the dog’s desire lines which went from the back door diagonally to the fence corner and along the fence where they could view and sniff passerbys. Good designers know to always work with the desire lines, never against. Our concept turned the rear yard into a micro dog park and edible garden haven. We used a raised planter to enclose a dog tunnel running from the back door to the fence corner along the horizontal desire line. A series of raised planter beds stem off of the dog tunnel planter creating a maze for the dogs to navigate and ample growing space for the client. Going vertical opened up many opportunities for accessibility, protection from doggos, and the ability to easily achieve and maintain optimal soil health. We were mindful of the stormwater runoff challenges so hardscaping was a mix of permeable gravel and pavers with planted seams. These dogs are going to love this backyard, plus no more muddy paws!
Design Tools: Hand rendering, AutoCAD, Sketchup, Lumion
Shepherd Street
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the ground
Exterior spaces are conceptualized similarly to architecture of buildings. Gardens are rooms with transitional hallways that guide people from one room to the next. The Carroll family had a few key outdoor rooms and hallways that were ready for reinvention. Incorporating flexible design elements for future additions/changes became an important design goal for the larger, open activity spaces. Other site challenges included making narrow side yard areas feel spacious while also screening, greening, and maintaining comfortable walking access. A tall and narrow deciduous row of fastigiate Beech trees were added to create a green veil between the house and the busy neighborhood street. Color and texture of all sorts were included throughout the garden rooms and hallways which make for an exquisite experience. We anticipate that some of the gardens will change when our client’s kids get older, as they totally should.
Design Tools: Hand renderings & Google Sketchup & AutoCAD
Materials: Merrifield Garden Center (Plants) & Tri-State (Stone)
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
Jackson Place
Washington, DC
Job Size: Large
Job Status: In the Works & In the Ground
This super modern and edgy condo building was really lacking a creative and thoughtful landscape. What tends to happen on development projects like this is that a builder will blow the budget on the architecture and have a slim budget left for landscaping. We call the resulting landscaping choices “builder-grade” material which is essentially the same 10 plants used by all of the builders (plants that are cheap and grow fas)t. We were contracted by the amazing local company Love and Carrots to help develop the full site design and detailed planting plan. Due to the stark colors of the building, all of the residents desired color, texture, and all season interest. Lucky for them, that’s what we gave them. The most visible and possibly the most important garden has been installed to date. Can’t wait for the rest of the project to get in the ground.
Design Tools: Google Sketchup, AutoCAD, and Adobe InDesign
Installation: Love and Carrots
East Windsor Avenue
Alexandria, VA
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the Ground
Word got around about our design services on the Delray Neighborhood Listserv and we were soon approached to offer creative stormwater solutions for these awesome clients. They were frustrated with a few low-lying areas that would collect and hold stormwater for days after large storms. Their sweet golden retriever would become a muddy mess and the family would track mud into the house. After two failed perc tests (dig a hole 2’ deep and 1’ wide, then fill it with water to see how quickly it completely drains) we ditched our initial idea to propose linear rain gardens along the property lines. The perc test results told us that the soil did not have the capacity to hold additional water so our next best option was to convey the stormwater, or move it through the sight in a beautiful and functional way. There were two important existing design features on site that gave us inspiration for pitching a deck concept that would include a boardwalk. One was a beautiful existing river birch and the other was a charming potting shed (hand-built by our client). The deck would feel like an extension of the shed, while avoiding the root system of the birch tree. We designed a two channel dry riverbed that would capture surface water runoff from the neighboring property and move it through the site, under the deck and across the edge of the lawn. The elevation change from one side to the other was a matter of inches so attention to the swale depth along the way was essential for conveyance success. Native perennial plantings soften the stone river bed and offer habitat for local species. While working on this project our client became a Master Naturalist and has been really enjoying the learning process. The most impressive piece of this project was that the entire project (except for the new sod) was implemented by our client! We offered guidance and support as needed throughout the entire implementation process which was the coolest!
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Materials: Robi Decking (Decking), Irwin Stone (Hardscape), North Creek Nursery (Plants), Merrifield (Plants), Gro-Getters (Plants)
Sod Installation: Hughes Landscaping
Hardscape, Decking, Plant Installation: Client
East Durham Street
Kill Devil Hills, NC
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: On the shelf
Coastal environments are unique landscapes defined by the sun, saltwater, and ocean air. This cute beach bungalow property belongs to an active young environmentally engaged family who wanted to explore ideas to maximize the functionality of their sandy backyard space. They desired landscape features that fit into the context of the coastal environment and complemented their desired lifestyle. We utilized horizontally stacked wood piers to create an artificial dune wall. The dune will offer protection from the powerful coastal winds while creating a feeling of privacy and enclosure for a fun family fire pit space. Native coastal grasses and perennial flowers will cover the dune to anchor the new feature and provide habitat for local wildlife. A lower deck protects feet from hot sand and offers a comfortable space for an outdoor shower. Raised vegetable beds with drip irrigation make for a fun and easy growing experience. Wood boardwalks with strategically placed landings guide you through the property while offering respite. This concept embraced the sandy landscape and other natural offerings to make for a truly special spot.
Alexandria, VA
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the Ground
This cute house backs up to a naturally forested stream buffer where wildlife is thriving in a peri-urban environment. Our clients both work full time and operate a successful Airbnb out of their ground unit. They were interested in seeking design solutions for the front yard where an additional parking space was desired as well as a new welcoming new entrance to the front door. Edible shrubs and trees border the new parking space, while native perennials hug a neat trio of colorful statement planters. Special attention was given to artfully manage stormwater and offer additional habitat amenities. We called for a simple recirculating boulder fountain to create peaceful ambient sounds as well as a drinking spot for wildlife including our client’s schnauzer pup. The stacked wood walls make a strong architectural statement while encouraging local critters to make a home out of this modern woodland wonderland. Our client’s trust, curiosity, and passion for nature really made this experience unforgettable.
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Materials: Various local nurseries
Installation: Great American Landscapes
Cleveland Avenue
NW Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Medium
Status: In the Ground
Most people inherit garden and hardscaping decisions from previous homeowners when they buy or rent a property. These inherited decisions are usually rooted in very practical reasoning, stemming from budget or site constraints. As designers, we oftentimes find ourselves giving clients permission to alter inherited decisions. Why not think out of the outdoor box, right? This fun project involved a patio that was an inherited design constrained by an angled brick retaining wall which at one time held back a large mature oak tree. Our client wanted ideas on how to reimagine the patio area as a gathering, dining, grilling, and play space. We elevated the south patio creating one continuous plane and created the feeling of two separate rooms with thoughtful paving patterns while utilizing all existing bricks. New planting beds soften the hardscaping while also allowing us to create a nice little grill nook. We added a few flowering understory trees and shrubs to the upper garden area which added new layers of visual and environmental interest. Every feature of this design was intentional and considerate of the client’s budget and lifestyle.
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Materials: Various local nurseries & Tri-State (Stone)
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
Brink Road Cutting Garden
Gaithersburg, MD
Job Size: Large
Status: On the shelf
We were so thrilled with the opportunity to design a cutting garden for a real professional florist. In preparation for the project, we attended two local workshops on how to start and manage your own cutting garden. We had three major design criteria for the planting palette: bloom time (early spring bloomers & late summer bloomers), stem length (18” or longer), and as many natives as possible. The layout of the design focused on creating a beautiful learning environment where visitors/clients taking workshops with our client would be inspired and comfortable. We pulled together an incredible list of native plants that would offer beauty and and abundance of environmental services. Can’t get better than that.
Design Tools: Digital rendering, AutoCAD, and Adobe InDesign
Baltimore Street
Kensington, MD
Job size: Large
Status: In the Ground
The Town of Kensington Maryland is known for its charming and historic architecture. We came in at the end of a massive renovation and addition to a traditional four square home built in the early 1900s. The landscape was a near clean slate so we were able to pitch some exciting ideas. We added as many new native trees as we could fit into the new plans, conservation landscapes to help slow stormwater surface runoff, a cutting garden, a custom made firewood storage sculpture and more. We were lucky to have such great clients that trusted our input and were open to thinking outside of the box.
Design Tools: Hand rendering and AutoCAD
Iron work: Robinson Forged Metals
Installation: Great American Landscapes, Outdoor Illuminations
A Toolkit For Stormwater Best Management Practices for Urban Farming
A Toolkit For Stormwater Best Management Practices for Urban Farming.
Washington, D.C.
Status: In the works
We were thrilled to be a part of The Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience (CSDR) of the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) at the University of the District of Columbia team who developed the visual presentation, graphic layout, and illustrations for A Guidebook for Stormwater Best Management Practices for Urban Farming.
Graphics/Illustrations: Saba Hamidi
An experienced designer for over ten years in the creative industry – from landscape architecture to graphic design – Saba leverages her strong visual communication skills and a lifelong commitment to the creative arts to effectively share ideas. With a human-centered approach, her focus lies in driving an idea from conceptualization to implementation through storytelling, installations, exhibits, digital graphics, and print collateral. Saba is skilled in design strategy, conceptualization, and visual storytelling, with expertise in digital renderings, illustration, and medium to large scale mural installation.
As a ‘Visual Storyteller,’ Saba gravitates toward media & subject matter that can be used as tools to heal, unite, inspire and bridge divides. For her, the most important works are those that, through collaboration and listening, generate dialogue, enhance a sense of community, and tell stories that need to be heard (and seen).
Taylor Street
Petworth, Washington, D.C.
Job size: small
Status: In the ground & In the works
Fitting all the needs into a small yard can be tricky but exciting opportunities usually reveal themselves with some patience and clever exploration. The project was broken down into two phases which included the front yard and the rear yard. For the front, we deliberately utilized the sloped “public facing” yard as a spot to grow vegetables in raised beds. The raised beds act as retaining walls while making the space accessible, encouraging our clients and passersbys to engage with the garden. The best part is that there is no lawn to mow here. Back yard ideas are still in the concept phase, but we found the vertical features such as the fence and rear neighbor’s brick wall to present opportunities add dimension to the space. Stay tuned as this project grows.
Design Tools: Hand rendering, AutoCAD, InDesign
Installation: Love and Carrots
Bristol Avenue
Silver Spring, MD
Job size: small
Status: In the ground
Our client had a forward-thinking idea of converting their front lawn into a no-mow, productive and healthy ecosystem. This meant finding a creative and efficient way to respect the existing functioning raingardens while offering new opportunities for growing food and attracting pollinators. The raingardens acted as important keystones in the design, influencing pathway locations and shapes. Existing contouring of the yard helped us naturally select the areas most suited for growing vegetables based on the ease of accessibility and ability for simple fencing. Phase one included the installation of: the natural stone staircase, irregular stone pathway, and the native pollinator garden along Bristol Avenue. We can’t wait to see this project grow!
Design Tools: Hand rendering, AutoCAD
Collaborators: Hughes Landscaping
Materials: RoLanka International (Coir Blankets), North Creek Nursery (Plants), Babikow Nursery (Plants), Merrifield Garden Center (Plants) & Tri-State Stone (Hardscape)
Hardscape Installation: Hughes Landscaping
Landscape Installation: Client
Landscape Training for Green Infrastructure
Washington, D.C.
60 Participants
The Center for Sustainable Development and Resilience (CSDR) of the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) at the University of the District of Columbia is offering landscape training. This three-day course will focus on landscape techniques and maintenance activities for green infrastructure projects. Instructors will utilize in-classroom and hands-on field training to strengthen and expand the professional skillsets of the participants.
Participants will learn the sustainable theoretical framework of landscape, gardening, horticulture and soil sciences that will help diversify participant’s skillsets and prepare them for entry-level work as a landscape technician. This course is recommended and serve as complementary to the National Green Infrastructure Certification Program (NGICP).
LARC221 Digital Fundamentals
College Park, MD
15 Students
The development and application of computing skills as used by the landscape architecture profession. This Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) course develops computer drafting using a variety of software programs. It also introduces students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technologies.
Piney Branch Road
Takoma Park, MD
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the Ground
Woodbine, MD
Job Size: Small
Job Status: In the ground
With the need to increase the square footage of their family vegetable garden, and the desire to create space for relaxation and contemplation, the Mattingly’s decided it was time to consult a design professional to sort it out. Ms. Mattingly absolutely loved the “old world” aesthetic of natural stone and wood, from which the architecture of the main house and stables were inspired. She was also attracted to simplet, yet clever designs. A few design schemes were developed
Design Tools: Hand renderings & Google Sketchup & AutoCAD
Collaborators: Matt Roth Photography
Materials: Country Casual (Furniture)
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
*Project was designed and implemented while kelley oklesson served as lead designer at Hughes Landscaping www.hugheslandscaping.com
Reservoir Road
NW Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Small
Job Status: In the ground
This adorable, historic georgetown property contained a postage-stamp-sized backyard that was underutilized due to the existing layout inherited from the previous owner. The client saw such potential for the space but needed visualizations to select the best design for the family’s lifestyle. The architecture of the house and garage were traditional and classic, so the client wanted the design to respond thoughtfully to the existing style. We focused on clean lines, classic materials, enhancing/guiding views, and maximizing space.
Design Tools: AutoCAD
Collaborators: Outdoor Illumination (Lighting), Matt Roth Photography
Materials: Merrifield Garden Center (Plants)
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
*Project was designed and implemented while kelley oklesson served as lead designer at Hughes Landscaping www.hugheslandscaping.com
Walhonding Road
Bethesda, Maryland
Job Size: Small – Rain Garden
Status: In the ground
With climate change challenging our communities to alter our development practices, many jurisdictions are offering residents and business owners tax rebates to implement stormwater best management practices to reduce runoff. Our clients recently purchased a home that was still facing stormwater runoff challenges even though each downspout was being directed into an engineered drywell onsite. Most of the runoff was surface flow coming from the concrete driveway and across the front lawn, directly towards the house foundation. The design challenge was to beautifully intercept and treat the stormwater flow while also creating a welcoming front entrance experience. We ultimately decided to design and install a rain garden with artful stone boulder accents to naturally blend with the surrounding landscape. The rain garden was installed in 2018, the year Maryland received the highest volume of rainfall on record. Talk about perfect timing.
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Collaborators: Gro-Getters & Montgomery County RainScapes
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
*Project was designed and implemented while Kelley Oklesson served as lead designer at Hughes Landscaping www.hugheslandscaping.com
South Mansion Drive
Silver Spring, MD
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the ground
You are not alone if you are one of the people who would rather use the side entrance of their house than their front door. We were tasked with updating the foundation gardens of this 1990’s house while offering new entry experiences for both guests and the owner. The owner prefered to enter the house from their side yard so we created a space that offered a semi-private and welcoming experience. A series of outdoor garden rooms makes this 1/8 acre feel intentional, functional, and inspirational. A trash enclosure was built into the privacy fence so it feels like a decorative outdoor closet of sorts. We can’t wait to watch this garden develop its own lovely personality.
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Collaborators: Merrifield Garden Center (Plants), Shemin Nursery (Plants)
Installation: Premier Hardscapes
Reno Road
NW Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Medium
Job Status: In the Ground
The Robbins family was looking for fresh and interesting ideas on how to update their outdoor living space to meet the needs of their active and social lifestyles. The most precious areas in the backyard were dominated by tired, unmaintained materials and as a result, underutilized. One of the most notable features of the property was the gorgeous stand of mature oak trees. The Robbin’s made very clear that no tree shall be harmed in the design or implementation of the project. A large pressure treated deck was nestled between the garage, the house, and the property line with a 6’ tall lattice privacy fence.
Design Tools: Hand sketch & Google Sketchup & AutoCAD & Adobe Illustrator
Collaborators: Independent Custom Metal Work (Sculpture), HD Johnson (Gas Line), A & D Electrical Services (Electrician)
Materials: Gro-Getters (Plants) & Dulles Electric (Lighting Supplier) & Restoration Hardware (Furniture)
Installation: Hughes Landscaping
*Project was designed and implemented while kelley oklesson served as lead designer at Hughes Landscaping www.hugheslandscaping.com
P Street
NW Washington, D.C.
Job Size: Small
Job Status: On the shelf
This lovely row home had been recently renovated and purchased by a young couple who just welcomed twin baby girls into their family. The couple wanted to utilize the full extent of the backyard, with an ambitious program requiring space for playing, dining, lounging, gardening, storage, and parking. Particular attention was paid to opportunities presented by existing horizontal and vertical surfaces where patterns, textures, and colors were introduce.
Design Tools: Google Sketchup, hand rendering, AutoCAD
*Project was designed while kelley oklesson served as lead designer at Hughes Landscaping www.hugheslandscaping.com
Burning Tree Road
Bethesda, MD
Job Size: Small
Status: In the ground
Design Tools: Hand renderings & AutoCAD
Installation: Inferno Lawn Care
Lewisdale Elementary Rain Barrel Wraps
Hyattsville, MD
Job Size: Small Job Status: In the ground
Lewisdale Elementary school teacher, Wendy Rouget understood and promoted the value of environmental stewardship within her students. She believed that schools are the places where students learn about the interconnectedness of the academic disciplines. So when Wendy approached the design team at Neighborhood Design Center looking for an interesting opportunity to engage her students, they had an exciting idea to pitch. The design team proposed to create a digital montage of student artwork from earth day and turn it into a vinyl graphic for the school’s rain barrels. The thought was that the vinyl graphic would, a) enhance the look of the barrel, b) communicate important messages about environmental stewardship, and c) promote a sense of pride within the students. The end design product exceeded everyone’s expectations. Designer Laura Kendrick thoughtfully ensured that artwork from each student was represented in the final montage graphics. In fact, there was enough artwork to create two separate montages for each rain barrel in the school’s courtyard. We are happy to report that the vinyl material has held up extremely well to UV exposure over time.
Design Tools: Adobe Suite by Laura Kendrick & Artwork by Lewisdale Students
Materials: Kerley Signs (Vinyl Graphic)
Installation: Kerley Signs
*Project was designed and implemented while kelley oklesson served as program manager at the Neighborhood Design Center www.ndc-md.org
Field of Greens Community Garden (University of Maryland)
Riverdale, Maryland
Job Size: Large Job Status: In the ground
Field of Greens community garden is an organic, ethnically diverse community garden functioning as a training ground for small-scale, intensive, sustainable agriculture projects. Located in East Riverdale, Maryland, the garden serves the local population of primarily Bhutanese refugees, many with extensive agricultural backgrounds and limited resources. The garden was started in 2014 from a vision of the University of Maryland Extension – Prince George’s County (UME-PGC) and the Prince George’s County Redevelopment Authority.
UME-PGC identified a few “reach for the sky” ideas as the project framework, and the design team helped turn those ideas into reality. The garden was designed to be visually interesting and take full advantage of the available space by creating inviting entryways and optimizing growing space for gardener needs. The design concept was was “fluid by design”, considering future developments in the garden, and allowing for a variety of community activities to take place. The thoughtful nature of the design allows UME-PGC to monitor gardener participation while also welcoming gardener feedback and buy-in for possible future changes.
Design Tools: AutoCAD
Design Team: the Neighborhood Design Center
Collaborators: Kerley Signs, Casey Trees
Installation: The University of Maryland Extension
Southwark Terrace
5th Street
Eco City Farms Map Mural
City of District Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park
UDC Green Infrastructure Interpretive Signs
Contee Parago Triangle Park
T Street
Shepherd Street
Jackson Place
East Windsor Avenue
East Durham Street
David Lane
Cleveland Avenue
Brink Road Cutting Garden
Baltimore Street
A Toolkit For Stormwater Best Management Practices for Urban Farming
Taylor Street
Bristol Avenue
Landscape Training for Green Infrastructure
LARC221 Digital Fundamentals
Piney Branch Road
Daisy Road
Reservoir Road
Walhonding Road
South Mansion Drive
Reno Road
P Street
Burning Tree Road
Lewisdale Elementary Rain Barrel Wraps
Field of Greens Community Garden (University of Maryland)
