CARMEN PABON COMMUNITY GARDEN
LOCATION: Lower East Side, New York, NY
PROGRAM: Neighborhood Community Garden
TOTAL AREA: 3,100 SF
PARTNERS: Carmen Pabon Community Garden
Part of the rich tapestry of the Lower East Side, community gardens both enliven the neighborhood and provide pockets of respite from urban life. After many years of limited use, the Carmen Pabon Community Garden was brought back to life.
Prior to starting the design process, the team met with community garden group to develop the program and address the user’s needs. The garden maintains an axial path traversing the entry gate on Ave C to the raised terrace west of the garden. It uses the existing steps and terrace as a backdrop for new stepped seating, where performances and talks can take place. New raised planters and trellises define the main axis, and the paths that branch off from it. The team worked with the gardeners to select regional plant species that would give color and life to the garden year-round. The main path consist of open pavers with grass to allow drainage, and to soften the hardscape. Two trees were planted in the sunny northwest corner of the garden. A gazebo on the North side of the site provides a place for the gardeners to sit under cover and shade. On the south side, an existing mural and two existing sculptures, were restored, and provide a connection to the garden’s history in the Lower East Side community.