22. GREEN WITHOUT GREED
Many consider the American lawn to be a greedy indulgence in resource use, yet this landscape type is the norm for domestic yards across the country.
Irrespective of local growing conditions, homeowners compete to craft the best lawn in the neighborhood. Their desire for pristine perfection demands endless watering, mowing, edging, and chemical applications, which come at financial and environmental costs. Green without Greed demonstrates how a dynamic verdant garden can be created through the whimsical application of synthetic turf. Predictable and easily maintained, synthetic turf offers year-round vegetal perfection without intensive maintenance.
As visitors enter the garden, they are immediately surrounded by the lush green hues of true-to-life turf varieties. A two-tone turf quilt blankets the ground plane, from which two play mounds emerge. These multi-faceted ramp features double as seating alcoves. A large gazing dome sits in the center of the garden, providing an ever-changing reflection of light. In Green without Greed, children and adults are welcome to rest, play, and indulge their senses inside this greed-free, synthetic oasis.
DESIGNERS
From left to right: Katherine Leise and Jessica Canfield
Katherinee Leise is a graduate student in the Landscape Architecture program at Kansas State University. Her Master’s research explores how urban parks can become more inclusive for diverse communities. She previously interned with the US National Park Service and is currently an intern for Kimley-Horn & Associates. Katie attributes her love for the outdoors to her mother, who is an avid gardener and plant enthusiast.
Jessica Canfield is an Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at Kansas State University. She holds degrees in landscape architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and from Colorado State University. Jessica focuses her practice, teaching, and research on improving the social and environmental performance of urban public space. She is particularly interested in the concept of landscape performance and the relationship between how a landscape looks and how it functions. Jessica has a passion for teaching and travel, and has led study-tours to Scandinavia, China, and New York.
