A historic Brooklyn brownstone receives a garden that is equal parts beautiful, functional, and usable.

Located in Crown Heights, 926 Saint Marks is a historical Brooklyn brownstone with upgraded back and front yards. When working on the project, OLA set out to give the owner maximum use of their outdoor recreation and garden space.

Given the limited square footage, we played with scale by segmenting the yard into a series of smaller rooms to accommodate a range of programming. The edges and plantings were simplified to create utility, allowing for focal species to stand out. Planting locations were selected to accentuate the smaller rooms within the garden, mitigating the perception of limitation. The project included the planting of vertical ornamental trees that provide shade while being proportionate to garden scale.