Through a community-driven design process, Mandell Park was transformed into an inviting, functional, sustainably designed gathering place.
All aspects of the project were led by the community, from the fundraising to the selection of materials and amenities on site. Community members were present for the design process, providing input and feedback in real time as the sketches were being drawn.
The design team and community members agreed on the importance of recycling and the use of natural materials. The garden used natural stone instead of concrete, opted for alternatives to plastic, and does not use pesticides or herbicides.
The park underwent a remarkable transformation which included upgrading the existing Meredith Gardens, an Urban Harvest Premier Garden, into an inviting space featuring meandering raised limestone planters for community use.
This beloved community amenity is the result of a 20-plus-year history of neighborhood efforts to transform an abandoned lot, once blighted with weeds and debris, into the beautiful park it is today. Chosen as the winning team in a park design competition, Asakura Robinson worked with the Friends of Mandell Park and the Houston Parks Board to develop the 1.22-acre master plan.
All aspects of the project were led by the community, from the fundraising to the selection of materials and amenities on site. The design team and community members agreed on the importance of recycling and the use of natural materials. The garden used natural stone instead of concrete, opted for alternatives to plastic, and does not use pesticides or herbicides.
The park underwent a remarkable transformation which included upgrading the existing Meredith Gardens, an Urban Harvest Premier Garden, into an inviting space featuring meandering raised limestone planters for community use. The new park also includes a shipping container that was ‘upcycled’ into a sustainable tool/potting shed with solar powered ventilation and a green roof. Other improvements include pedestrian lighting, educational signage, bioswales, native plantings, compost bins, and site furnishings.
