TERRA is collaborating with the Friends of Sears Sunken Garden (FSSG) and Urban Landscape Collaborative to provide comprehensive management, engineering, and survey services for improvements to the historic Sears Sunken Garden in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. Improvements will include new accessible walkways, enhanced site lighting, restoration to the historic pergola, and planting design by world-renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.

The project will strive to balance the historic features of the garden while enhancing the accessibility and security; renewing its status as a destination in the community. A new reflecting pool will anchor the center of the garden and large, historic trees on the east side will be protected and celebrated with plantings around the base.

The garden will also provide sustainable stormwater benefits to the community by capturing runoff and promoting its infiltration prior to release to the City’s sewer system. Plantings will be selected to minimize irrigation water demand and be resilient to the Chicago climate and soil conditions. Lighting will also accentuate the planting design and provide security while limiting light spillage outside the property boundary.