Loyola Water | Orchard | Mediation Garden

On February 21st, 2015  EcoVidalDesign, Inc. Principal, Carmen Vidal-Hallett participated on a design competition together with 9 undergraduate Loyola students. The team  designed a proposed  Water | Orchard | Meditation garden for the historic  lakefront  mansion  designed by architect George Maher  in 1916 and located on Loyola campus at 6330 North Sheridan. The design was inspired by the Maher's floral-theme details around and inside the mansion and the meditation area follows the proportions of nature's golden spiral found in shell animals.
The  proposed rain garden will collect the rain water from the house downspouts forming a delightful  perennial bird habitat including a bird "hotel" (miniature of the Maher house). The orchard and berries-garden will feed and please visitors and birds. A mural,  proposed to be designed by Loyola students, will be a pleasant background under the shade of the fruit trees creating several "outdoor rooms".  The permeable paths and plaza will provide gathering space and a promenade directing people to the meditation and lake overlook areas.
We are now waiting for the  competition results. We are competing with 6 other  teams with very good designers and Loyola students. See below our design concept and the students imagining the garden and putting into a plan during the design charrette. The floral plaza theme was designed by Emilia Vidal-Hallett and the 3D rendering by Gabriel Vidal-Hallett. Enjoy it!