Urban Gardens

Polymorphic, a kinetic installation designed and produced by ten architecture students from Columbia University GSAPP, utilizes an innovative design and engineering solution inspired by the simple kinetic action of a see-saw and the reverberating motion of a Slinky.

The … Read More…

Inspired by legendary architect Mies van der Rohe’s famous Barcelona Pavilion from 1929, designer Monique Engelund has reinterpreted the building as a modern gathering space for birds and a sculptural focal point for the garden. The Bird Pavilion honors van … Read More…

To-gather is a double-sided asymmetrical park bench designed to encourage communication and conversation among people in city environments. Designed by Minsung Lee, a recent graduate of London Metropolitan University, the bench also allows one to simply relax–one side of … Read More…

You know how much I love designs that do double duty, especially since they are great for small spaces. Like Swedish designer Eva Schildt’s Gardener’s Sofa and Table that transform classical outdoor items into lightweight objects that not only … Read More…

The view looking down into the park from the entrance above.

The model for its contemporary American cousin, The High Line, Paris’s Promenade Plantée, also known as the Coulée Verte (or “Flowing Green”), was the world’s first and only … Read More…

Last May, when New York City workers were planting a tree on the traffic island in front of the salon where he’s employed, Victor Rueda asked them if he could contribute his own plants, including some sunflowers, to the small … Read More…

Cool idea: love the geometric pattern of the tiles on planted wall in the shop’s parking area.

When I am in a foreign city, I really  like do as the locals do.  So when I was in Paris last week, … Read More…

Bacsac’s gorgeous displays of its new soft garden container designs. They now offer bright colors.

Oo La La, I’m in Paris, and here is some of what’s trending from the international design fair, Maison et Objet Outdoor/Indoor: The boundaries continue … Read More…

A friend of a friend offered to let me stay in her stylish little Paris apartment and who was I to refuse. But no one mentioned that the petit gem was flanked on either side by terraces–one in the back … Read More…