Trinity Children’s Garden
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Status: Completed 2017
Award: 2018 Virginia ASLA Commendation Award
A Worship and Children's Garden was commissioned by Trinity Episcopal Church as a first phase in a church renovation and expansion plan. The 1/3 acre site was formally underutilized land with challenging adjacencies, including a heavily trafficked road and steep slopes, which presented numerous drainage and accessibility issues.
Four overlapping gardens - a natural playground with a toddler play area, a central lawn for outdoor services and gathering, a new vegetable garden, and an arched pollinator garden with a fountain - anchor the community landscape. A long arc seatwall frames the lawn: the strong architectural form retains grade and guides circulation around the church to the playground. The garden supports the church's community outreach mission and has opened the gardens to the neighborhood and community.