Mulberry Jam Parklet

Client: Bradley Street Community, New Haven
Services: Architecture, Graphic Design, Strategy
Featured in: New Haven Independent, Yale Daily News
Awards: AIA Emerging Professional Exhibit

An abandoned state-owned lot in New Haven provided a unique opportunity for a public interest project in our neighborhood. Harnessing the existing vibrancy and passion of the neighbors on the small street, we designed a parklet that is intended to be flexible, cared for, and welcoming. Through a series of think tank workshops with key stakeholders in the community, we created a shared vision to guide our design work. Together, we imagined a park that would function at the scale of the street, the neighborhood, and the city at large; and we designed a park that demonstrates our pride in our neighborhood and city. The park is constructed of low-cost materials easily assembled by a low-skilled volunteer crew, including CMU, stone dust, and hardy plants. The space is divided from the street by a low wall, which allows for seating on both sides and which allows visibility and safety. The park has four distinct zones: bench and community table seating areas for rest, open areas for exercise and play, and tiered seating for lingering and gathering.