Hunters Point, Long Island City, Queens
2019-2023
THE WETLANDS, THE HILL, THE ISLAND
Before Hunters Point had the name, it was mostly wetlands. This wetlands filtered water running off into the East River from the small area waterways and Newtown Creek.
However the intersection of Vernon Boulevard and Jackson Avenue used to be dry land. It was a hill that during high water events became a small island. The garden sits on land that was wetlands, riparian land, and high ground.
The design for the garden is meant to help us recall this brackish, mutable state of the ground.
The deck and trellis at the house are conceived of as a pier on a natural coast: an active platform that extends the activities of the house onto safe ground. The edge of The Coast weaves its way across the lot with an indeterminate edge.
The central portion of the garden is densely planted with native plants that thrive in the many microclimates of water and shade.
The west lot line and border of the rear platform is treated as a riparian zone, filled with grasses and flowers that intermix to create a dense barrier. Gabions on the west lot line create a barrier between the two yards, some of them filled with rocks and some overgrown with grasses and flowers. This creates a visual extension of the yard to the west.
The rear existing stone platform and bench is maintained as The Island, a floating sanctuary that can host friends and family while surrounded by the tall grasses and flowers.