Iron Landscape Planning and Garden Design · 2024
Meeting Axis Deers Pocket Park
- A' Design Award 2024 Iron Winner in Landscape Planning and Garden Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Millet Design Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 15,274
- Verification code 9830BAE8FB · Verify this award
About Meeting Axis Deers Pocket Park
This project aims to reshape the site's environmental impression, respecting local topography, meeting societal needs, and creating a low-carbon garden that integrates with nature. Focused on native low-altitude Taiwanese plants, the design reflects flatland terrain, with local wildflowers and grasses enhancing the scenery and fragrance. Surrounding grasslands exhibit unique ecosystems akin to low-altitude mountain forests, featuring a "Fern Garden" beneath trees, highlighting Taiwan's diverse fern kingdom ecology.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The site of the project is hidden within the chaotic and low-rise residential area of the old city. Old buildings will be demolished in order to create green spaces and to promote public welfare in the community.
By maximizing and optimizing the area of green space, the pleasant pedestrian corridors and pocket parks, which are accessible by the public, bring nature and recreational activities into the daily life of the community residents . - Dimensions & Packaging
- The area is 1980 square meters.
- Tags
- Landscape design, Open space, Pocket park, Healthy lifestyle, Edible garden, Meadow garden, Rain garden
- Production Technology
- 1. Carbon sequestration: 158 tons of carbon dioxide will be absorbed every year through the design of a large numbers of vegetation.
2. Air purification: The green coverage rate will be increased to 90% to effectively prevent the pollution of dust and PM2.5.
3. Edible Garden: The garden provides the necessary spices to the kitchen and can be developed as a source of organic food for animals.
4. Social well-being: Space for social interaction and relaxation will be increased to encourage people to go outdoors or to participate in healthy activities.
5. Rainwater management: A large area of grassland is designed to collect heavy rainfall and infiltrate and drain it into a storage tank. During the rainy season in summer, it can collect up to 46 tons of rainwater, which can be used for automatic sprinkler irrigation. - Design Challenge
- One of the design challenges of this project is to transform the originally narrow and difficult-to-access alleyways into pathways that are accessible for firefighting and disaster rescue purposes. Additionally, large green spaces are designed as the evacuation areas that are necessary during the emergency or natural disaster.
Another challenge is of this project is the heavy rains in summer and the water scarcity in winter. The project aims to provide sufficient water resources for irrigating the garden in all kinds of weather condition throughout the entire year.
By using locally recycled stones and gravel, the flower beds and terrain are constructed with curved variations, showcasing local characteristics and reducing costs. - Project Duration
- The project started in January 2022 and is expected to be completed in June 2024. It is located in Fengyuan District, Taichung City, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The project intends to demonstration some strategies of healthy living against the extreme climates. The green trees are used to soften and blur the boundary formed by the old buildings in the surrounding, while improving the environmental quality and extending the value of ecological sustainability. Considering the users' needs, the space is divided into four garden zones. The concept of this project is conveyed through four separated garden areas, namely Herb Garden, Moss Fern Garden, Cherry Blossom Garden and Prairie Garden. Each of them has their own characteristics and functions.
- Research
- The diverse planting design creates a community garden that serves not only as a vibrant ecological habitat but also as a pocket park that helps mitigate the urban heat island effect.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration comes from the landscape existed in the same place more than a hundred years ago. The site of this project is in Fengyuan district, which was also known as Haluton in the old time. Hundreds of years ago this area was covered by flowers and grassland with fertile soil that extended for thousands of miles. It was common to see graceful and agile deer inhabiting the meadows and forests of this area. The design concept inspired by the Axis deer is to provide the residents with the experience of multiple atmospheres of joy, soothing, elegance and ethereal and be embraced by the poetry and memories of nature in the old time.
- Image Credits
- Millet Design Co., Ltd.
Colors of Meeting Axis Deers Pocket Park
Design Interview about Meeting Axis Deers Pocket Park
The inspiration for my design comes from the expansive grasslands of Fengyuan hundreds of years ago, where plains were adorned with flowers and roamed by herds of deer. The main principle behind this design is to demolish old buildings, introduce extensive green spaces, and reshape the environmental landscape of the old city area, aiming to enhance the quality of life and environmental standards for community residents.
Our main focus in designing this work was to create an open space amidst the chaotic urban landscape of the old city, including a pocket park and edible garden, to promote public welfare and a healthy lifestyle within the community. Our goal was to provide facilities where residents can enjoy relaxation, exercise, and social interaction in a natural environment.
Our future plans for this award-winning design include further enhancing the urban landscape with a more natural wilderness style, continuing to emphasize the use of green spaces and the promotion of social welfare functions.
It took us a total of four years to conceive and implement this design concept.
This design was commissioned with the intent to showcase natural landscapes, particularly wild scenery, to improve and reshape the environmental landscape.
Currently, it is being executed by a professional construction team.
The reshaping and representation of environmental landscapes.
The design was influenced by the wild landscapes of the United Kingdom.
The target customers for this design are residents within approximately 500 meters surrounding the area.
The pocket park combines disaster prevention and firefighting functions with public welfare usage and the use of edible gardens.
The name 'Meeting Axis Deers' symbolizes the sudden appearance of deer amidst myriad flowers.
We used AutoCAD, SketchUp, and 3D tools for design and visual presentation.
The most unique aspect of this design is its integration of experimental design concepts.
We collaborated with the Millet Design team, all of whom are professionals with extensive expertise in landscape architecture.
Technology is not emphasized in this project. Our focus lies in enhancing public welfare and improving environmental air quality through greenification and environmental improvements.
We conducted solar exposure analysis to guide the vegetation design, and calculated carbon sequestration amounts to optimize the selection and arrangement of vegetation.
Designing freely accessible firefighting and rescue paths in narrow alleyways, and providing large areas of grassland for disaster relief purposes, were among the main challenges of this project.
We have previously won other awards such as the Gold Award from the MUSE Design Awards, which prompted us to submit this design to the A’ Design Awards, aiming to gain more international recognition.
Selecting and cultivating native plants endemic to the area proved to be a significant challenge and learning experience.
Information related to reducing carbon emissions and simple rainwater reuse.
Grand Interview about Meeting Axis Deers Pocket Park
Trees and plants have a significant impact on carbon sequestration in the environment. To enhance the carbon storage capacity of the site, we adopted a multi-layered ecological planting strategy, increasing the density and diversity of vegetation to improve carbon sequestration efficiency. During the design process, we specifically incorporated forest-like landscapes around the buildings and reserved large green spaces to simulate the effects of urban reforestation. In the future, a single open space can achieve carbon sequestration comparable to that of an urban park.
The site is located on Haluton, surrounded by abundant natural resources in the nearby mountains and forests. However, these resources have long been overlooked due to population growth and urban development, leading to extensive deforestation and near-total loss. Using landscape techniques to restore greenery and reconnect the original ecosystem will improve the city’s natural environment as a whole and restore ecological diversity. We selected perennial edible wildflowers, shrubs, and trees from local native plants, carefully considering their adaptability and sunlight requirements for replanting. The focus is on herbaceous plants to meet the dietary needs of the deer that once inhabited this area.
Zoning is based on the sunlight requirements of plants, grouping those with similar characteristics into clusters. For instance, drought-tolerant and flowering plants are arranged in full-sun areas, creating an open landscape resembling a prairie, while shade-tolerant ferns and trees are planted in low-sunlight areas to evoke a forest ambiance. In terms of pathways, interconnected routes guide visitors through each zone, presenting a cohesive landscape narrative. This design transitions from the open prairie to the tranquil forest, offering a multi-layered visual and psychological experience.
During the initial planning phase, we assessed the basic irrigation needs of the site’s vegetation and designed a rainwater harvesting system. This system collects runoff from buildings and the ground, storing summer stormwater in underground reservoirs for use during the dry winter season. This approach not only reduces the use of municipal water but also lowers the carbon emissions associated with irrigation, achieving efficient resource recycling.
The natural undulations of the terrain were reshaped to create gentle-sloped pathways, leaving ample grassy areas to accommodate the needs of emergency fire access and rescue operations. In potentially critical rescue zones, no structures or facilities obstruct pedestrian or vehicular movement. Additionally, pathways were designed in alignment with seasonal wind directions to prevent the accumulation of harmful gases. These design strategies not only fulfill safety and health-related functional requirements but also integrate aesthetic landscape elements, enhancing the overall environmental quality.
Experiments have proven that extensive greenery, with its shading effect, can effectively reduce the surrounding temperature by 2°C to 4°C. To achieve this, we adopted vertical and multi-layered greening methods, which not only decrease surface heat accumulation but also improve air quality. These measures are cost-effective and efficient solutions for mitigating urban heat island effects while enhancing the living environment of the community.
For the long-term sustainability of the natural environment, incorporating edible plants into small parks will attract wildlife to approach and inhabit the area. This is one of the most effective methods for restoring ecological balance.
The gravel recovered during site preparation was used on-site, stacked in natural curves to mimic the early natural terrain variations and the agricultural landscapes of the area. At the same time, this approach preserves and continues the traditional craft of gravel stacking, a technique rich in local cultural heritage.
Bringing a new lifestyle to the surrounding community, this nature-friendly pocket park has become an ideal place for nearby residents to interact and engage in activities. Furthermore, the garden enhances community cohesion by creating social spaces, laying an important foundation for a sustainable future. In addition, the large-scale green space restoration attracts urban wildlife for habitation, activity, and foraging, establishing the essential conditions for ecological sustainability.
We hope to use small-scale initiatives to promote and drive an increase in greenery coverage and vegetation density across the entire city. Our vision is for Taiwan to become a green island in the future, creating a harmonious environment where humans and nature coexist. This effort aims to leave a healthy and sustainable planet for the next generation.