Issue Preview: Another Green Award Winner

Recycling an older existing building is one of the most environmentally responsible actions available in a city such as Phoenix. In her design for her own office, landscape architect Christy Ten Eyck sandblasted the exterior of this 5,000 s.f. building in Central Phoenix to expose the beautiful gray concrete block. But the project goes way beyond aesthetics: A wire mesh scrim and new overhang in the front was added to shade and define the transitional threshold space to the main entry. The existing asphalt parking lot was removed and transformed to a parking garden using permeable pavers. A porous stabilized granite walkway leads to a front entry deck built from recycled computer flooring removed from the building, and recycled broken concrete paving is used as an employee patio. Planting is drought tolerant and includes a native mesquite bosque and native grasses with an experimental living wall along the east property line. Stormwater is harvested in a swale to water the mesquites and deergrass. More in our September issue on this project!