Courtyard at the Smart Museum
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Seeking to animate the existing public courtyard of the Smart Museum, UrbanLab proposed a public landscape of varying surface “patches” that attract and support multiple programs and ambiances. Portions of the existing paving were removed to make room for a more varied palette of indigenous grasses and assorted native permeable ground cover. One of the patches is three dimensional -- it is a five foot high hill to be used for outdoor classes, reading, lounging, and sun bathing. The new quilted patch landscape attracts students, staff, and visitors. A collaborative project by Chandra Goldsmith Landscape Architect & UrbanLab.