TERRAIN WORK COOKING UP LANDSCAPE FOR TAYSTEE SITE IN HARLEM

Terrain Work is working with Janus Property Group and LevenBetts architects to create a new landscape for the old Taystee Bakery complex in Harlem, New York. The Taystee development will establish a new connection from 125th Street to West 126th Street to become one of the defining landscapes in the Manhattanville Factory District.

The Janus Property Company has built a reputation for creativity, integrity and success, becoming a leader in transforming New York’s obsolete buildings and underutilized land into newly active and lively neighborhoods. Taystee is key anchor development in Janus’ one million square foot master-planned vision for the Factory District that will be a delicious addition to the community. Terrain Work is delighted to collaborate with Janus and their design team on this transformative project for Harlem.

Artist House: Terrain Work Design for a Mid-Century Modern House

Terrain Work has created a new landscape for the Artist House,  a mid-century modern house set on a five-acre lot of a mature hardwood forest of oak, maple, and walnut trees in rural New Jersey.   The house was originally designed and constructed by two local artists and educators, Robert and Rowena MacPhail, during the late 1950’s .  The project is a collaboration with Gary Rosard Architect who is providing a full renovation and expansion of this exquisitely unique historical structure.   The garden for the house draws upon the artwork that is thought to have influenced the artist's design of the structure with its sloping triangulated rooflines reminiscent of the works of Maholy-Nagy and Wassily Kandinsky.   The garden takes two-dimensional concepts found in these artist's paintings and extends them into three dimensional expressions of space, color, and movement in the landscape.  To learn more about the Artist House click here.

Terrain Work Designs Master Plan for Wheels o' Time Museum

Terrain Work recently completed a new master plan for the Wheels O’ Time Museum in Peoria, Illinois.  The museum houses an extensive collection of over 30,000 square feet of antique and collector cars, trains, airplanes, tractors, fire trucks, and bicycles.  In addition it recently acquired an innovative house from the 1930's constructed entirely from steel by the renowned industrial designer R.G. LeTourneau. 

Terrain Work’s master plan for the museum incorporates the newly acquired Le Tourneau house into the museum campus to create an interconnected series of wheels that each contain different gardens designed to display museum artifacts and provide a variety of programmatic functions  for the public to enjoy.  To learn more about this project click here.

242 West 53rd Street Making Ground

242 West 53rd was recently in the news as construction gains momentum.  Situated in the heart of Manhattan and intertwined in a sixty story residential tower designed by Cetra Ruddy Architects, the landscape for West 53rd Street is embedded into the building at various levels, offering a wide array of spaces for outdoor dining, swimming, performance, sunbathing, and relaxation.  Of particular importance, is a 3,000-square-foot blueroof that is both a performance art piece and intricate water managment infrastructure that slowly releases water back into the storm sewer system over a twenty four hour period.  To learn more about this project that Theodore Hoerr led while a Principal at Balmori Associates click here.

University of Iowa Hancher Auditorium in the News

The University of Iowa Hancher Auditorium was recently featured on ArchDaily.  The landscape for Hancher consists of an innovative water management system that captures, cleans, and infiltrates water from the surrounding area into the ground.  This reduces runoff into the the Iowa River to help mitigate future flooding events, and create a more resilient riverfront landscape.  Theodore Hoerr led the landscape architectural design of this project while a Principal at Balmori Associates in collaboration with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.   To learn more about how this project transformed the Art Campus landscape on the banks of the Iowa River click here. 

Terrain Work to Design New Eco(tonal) Community in Illinois

Terrain Work has begun the urban design and planning for a new 33 acre Eco(tonal) Community on the site of a former tree production nursery in Central Illinois.  The community will be organized around the ecotones of several landscape types: Deciduous Hardwood Forest, Shortgrass Prairie, and Littoral.  A central wildlife corridor creates a link for both species and residents to move between an adjacent hardwood forest, and a shared open space surrounding a small lake.  A water management plan for the community will capture and treat all runoff generated on the site through a network of bio-cells distributed throghout the community.  Visit us at terrainwork.com for updates on this project.     

Shifting Mosaic Garden Underway

Terrain Work has started several new projects recently, including this garden in Lebanon, New Jersey.  Situated on a picturesque three acre site at the edge of a mature woodland, the new garden will feature a series of cascading terraces down the hillside that act as an armature for raised vegetable and herb parterres while also providing access to an entertainment lawn.  A path will be circumscribed into the meadow and existing woodland areas to unify the property so that it can be enjoyed both visually and experientially.  Finally, a meadow of native plant species will serve as the underlying planting matrix for a large portion of the site.  The meadow plants have been selected to attract a variety of New Jersey native birds and butterflies in addition to providing a striking visual backdrop of flowering meadow plants and grasses that change in texture and color from season to season.

Hancher Auditorium Ribbon Cutting & Open House

The University of Iowa is excited to announce the ribbon cutting and open house for Hancher Auditorium is scheduled for September 9th at 3:00pm!  Theodore Hoerr led the design of this project while a Principal at Balmori Associates in collaboration with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.  To learn more about how this project is transforming the Art Campus landscape on the banks of the Iowa River click here. 

Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in the News

The proposal for the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts campus expansion in collaboration with Ennead Architects was recently featured on ArchDaily.  The proposal hybridizes two archetypal landscapes, the campus and the park, cultivating a new landscape where the academy is also viewed as a civic expression of the city.  Theodore Hoerr led the design of this project while he was a Principal at Balmori Associates. To learn more about the landscape design for the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts click here.

SoHo Tower in the News

SoHo Tower was recently in the news after architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop unveiled the design scheme for this residential development in Manhattan.  Theodore Hoerr led the landscape architectural design for this project while a Principal at Balmori Associates.  Find out more about SoHo Tower landscape at terrainwork.com.

Bogota Landscape Construction Underway

The Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo, an urban project spanning three city blocks in the heart of Bogota, Colombia, has begun construction.  Located on Avenida El Dorado, the city's main cultural axis, the project marks the midpoint between Bogota’s historic downtown and Bogota International airport.  The project will create a new cultural district in the city that links together three districts of the city: Centro Administrativo Nacional, Ciudad Salitre Orientale and Quinta Paredes.  Find out more about the Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo, which was led by Theodore Hoerr while a Principal at Balmori Associates.

School's in Session

Beginning today Theodore Hoerr will be teaching two courses in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design during the Spring term: Site, Ecology, and Design with Emily Vogler and Plants and Design with Adam Anderson.  Follow his updates on instagram and twitter during the semester.

Hancher Auditorium Landscape Nears Completion

The Hancher Auditorium is nearing completion!  This project for the University of Iowa implements a progressive water management system that captures, cleans, and infiltrates water into the ground. The design strategy transforms the relationship between the Art Campus and Iowa River to ensure a more resilient environment.  Theodore Hoerr led the design of this project while a Principal at Balmori Associates in collaboration with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects.  Read more about the Landscape for Hancher Auditorium.

Terrain Work Launches Website!

Terrain Work, a NYC based Landscape Architecture and Urban Design office founded by Theodore Hoerr, has officially launched its website today.  Come see our work at www.terrainwork.com