Page 81 - Summer_2019

ArchDC Summer 2019.qxp_Spring 2019 5/22/19 3:02 PM Page 79

planter beds raised 18 to 20 inches to afford access to gar-
deners of all sizes, ages, and abilities. A shortcut staircase
forms the eastern edge of the garden, and a small pavil-
ion sits at the western point of the triangular site, mid-
way up the hill. “We had tilted planes that formed the
terraces,” Schneider explained, “so we decided to lift a
tilted plane up, in essence, to create a green roof pavilion
for the gathering space for the gardeners.”
Schneider noted that the District has, for many
decades, dealt with water issues relating to runoff from
impervious surfaces. The last thing he and his team
wanted to do was introduce another impervious surface
in what was supposed to be a city-friendly environment,
hence the decision to provide a green roof. Supported on
painted pipe columns, the green roof mitigates storm
water runoff while providing shelter beneath it, and it
also captures some rainwater for use within the garden.
Schneider likened the green roof to an abstraction of lifting
up a section of the ground plane. “What you see below is
like a root structure,” he said. “In many ways, those steel
columns and the grid that you see are like the roots of
the piece of earth that's been pulled up and suspended
in the air.”
Playfulness aside, Schneider is serious about
emphasizing the community aspect of the new Twin
Oaks garden. “It's a form of equitable design to say this
place is accessible, not just to people who are a very
able-bodied or may be of a certain socio-economic status
in the city,” he said. “When you create healthier, more
beautiful buildings that are accessible, you’re making
more robust and resilient infrastructure. And that’s how
you contribute to creating more resilient communities.”

Photo © ISTUDIO Architects
Photo © Dan Snook Photography View outward from the Twin Oaks Community Garden Pavilion.
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