Reforestation of Greenwood Farm: An Emergent Landscape and Intervention
MANIFOLD Design (Karen Lemmert and David Naill)

The Reforestation at Greenwood Farm Project recognizes the plantings of 20,000 trees, of varying native species in varying soil conditions, as a ‘man made landscape’ within the historic traditions of agriculture.

As designers, we saw an opportunity to make a system for organizing species and for implementing that system over many acres. The design incorporates the variations in leaf colors, tree heights and branch densities.

Through a 16-tree module with alternate placeholders, the location of a single tree could be established within the weave of tree species. Hand cards with the module were used by individuals while planting in the field. Reference points established through counting notation provided enough organization for the adaptable plan to develop and spread. Alternate positions in the modules allowed for tree species to be exchanged as required by local soil conditions.

The system oscillates between the establishment of a global view of the landscape and the specific conditions of each planted region.

Karen Lemmert and David Naill are principals of the architecture practice MANIFOLD design, and teach at the Maryland Institute College of Art.