Courtyard Concept Activity 2

Working off the base S shape, my concept involved carpeting moss over organic-shaped mounds. My initial thought when seeing the shape was that it had a serpentine form, which was the inspiration for the snake motif. The design interprets the sensory theme in its tactile meaning and aims to create an ethereal, gossamer landscape that feels like a scaled-up moss terrarium. Drawing inspiration from Japanese gardens. The main hardscape feature is the spinal pathway, made of off-white mineral shell outdoor porcelain paving shaped like snake vertebrae and ribs. 

The main planting features is red pealing paper bark Acer griseum multi stems, mounding grasses like Ophiopogon japonicus and Hakonechloa, and Galanthus nivalis to mark the start of spring. In some of the moss mounds, there are pairs of divots in the mounds to create seating. The intention of these soft-scaped seats is to harness the textural qualities of the moss to create a calming and sensorial experience for the users. Similar to the Japanese Shinrin-yoku.