Meadow + Forest: Restoring Habitats - AZ Awards

Meadow + Forest: Restoring Habitats

Now, what was once an uninspiring expanse of grass is a diverse and self-sustaining parkland for local wildlife, a carbon sink and a flood mitigator.

Year: 2022
Location: Dearborn, U.S.
Firm: OJB, U.S.
Photos: John D’Angelo
Category: Landscape Architecture

Transforming what was once a flood-prone tract next to an arboretum at Ford’s 81-hectare world headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan, OJB has also reimagined the very purpose of green space itself. Rather than simply replanting the lawn with a mix of local wildflowers, the designers opted for a quilted pattern of native flora species suited to the site’s varied topography and ecology, complemented by rainwater retention ponds, apiaries and a three-metre-wide multi-use trail for pedestrians and cyclists. Now, what was once an uninspiring expanse of grass (which required costly regular maintenance) is a diverse and self-sustaining parkland for local wildlife, a carbon sink and a flood mitigator.