MICHAEL VAN VALKENBURGH

INTRODUCTION
● Michael robert van valkenburgh is an american
landscape architect.
● Valkenburgh describes his work as an
exploration of the living qualities of the
landscape medium and an attempt to emancipate
landscape architecture from a its traditionally
subsidiary relationship to architecture.
● His designs are based on a sensitivity to the
particular qualities of each project site and
thus do not necessarily resemble one another
with respect to form, details, or imagery.
● He has been recognized for his ability to Notable works-
1. Teardrop Park, New York,
successfully integrate new methods of
2010.
sustainable design and ecological renewal into 2. Regis Garden, Walker Art
the experience of the places he designs, making Center, Minneapolis,
sustainability part of the beauty of a place Minnesota, 1988.
that educates visitors and raises environmental 3. Penn Park, University of
awareness. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, 2011.
4. Willow street garden
Brooklyn, New York, 2011.
TEARDROP PARK
New York, NY (1999–2006)

● Teardrop Park is a 1.8-acre public park in lower

Manhattan that transcends its small size, shady
environment, and mid-block location through bold
topography, complex irregular space, and robust
plantings.

● Teardrop’s design and construction were

coordinated with the development of four
surrounding apartment buildings, each ranging
from 210 feet to 235 feet in height.
● In the development of Teardrop Park, sustainability was not merely a goal,
but rather an organizing principle that influenced everything from material
selection to contractor practices. Based on decades-long research into urban
soils and non-toxic plant maintenance, environmental aspects of the park’s
design include fully organic soils and maintenance regimes that don’t rely
on pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides.

● Treated and recycled greywater from the

adjacent LEED Gold-rated Solaire Building and
stormwater runoff from the site are captured
in an underground storage pipe, supplying all
of the park’s irrigation needs.
● As children are considered Teardrop’s most important
users, the park is designed to address the urban
child’s lack of natural experience, offering
adventure and sanctuary while also engaging mind and
body.

● Site topography, water

features, natural stone, and
lush plantings contribute to
an exciting world of natural
textures, dramatic changes in
scale, and intricately
choreographed views.
WILLOW STREET GARDEN
Brooklyn, NY (2010–2011)

● Behind a five-story row house in a dense, residential Brooklyn

neighborhood, a garden creates an escape within the city and suggests
the feeling of wandering in nature.

● The tiny existing space was darkened by bordering houses and enclosed on
two sides by an unstable 12-foot brick wall, and there was no privacy
from the adjacent row houses.
During construction, the designers discovered a large
19th-century rain cistern, abandoned and under
plywood below grade. All of the stormwater runoff
from the garden and from the brownstone’s roof is now
routed into the cistern and gradually seeps into the
water table. Engineered stabilizing columns preserve
the historic brick wall.

● During construction, the designers

discovered a large 19th-century rain
cistern, abandoned and under plywood below
grade. All of the stormwater runoff from
the garden and from the brownstone’s roof
is now routed into the cistern and
gradually seeps into the water table.
● Engineered stabilizing columns preserve
the historic brick wall.
● The garden's protected urban
microclimate is warmer than the
surrounding city in the cooler months
and supports plants like camellias and
crape myrtles, which are typically not
hardy enough for New York's winters.
● The tree canopy provides privacy, cools
the garden terrace and house in the
summer, and creates a habitat for birds.
The garden's protected urban
microclimate is warmer than the
surrounding city in the cooler months
and supports plants like camellias and
crape myrtles, which are typically not
hardy enough for New York's winters.
The tree canopy provides privacy,
cools the garden terrace and house in
the summer, and creates a habitat for
birds.
REFERENCES

http://www.mvvainc.com/project.php?id=98&c=gardens

http://www.mvvainc.com/project.php?id=2&c=parks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Van_Valkenburgh#Notable_works

https://www.google.com/search?q=teardrop+park&hl=en-
IN&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiF_rj9tqTcAhUBKY8KHR
1UCf4Q_AUICigB&biw=1536&bih=710&dpr=1.25#imgrc=8DxXuxUMRfL2eM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=willow+street+garden&source=lnms&tbm=isch
&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBkozh9KTcAhXLNo8KHU-
fDjgQ_AUICygC&biw=1536&bih=710