Rowdy Meadow

Situation

       American arts patron Scott Mueller commissioned the investigation of 150 acres of former production orchards and steep woodlands east of Cleveland, Ohio. Our work defined a way to build a residence and to shape a new contemporary sculpture collection that also enriches its ecologies, including meadows long known as habitat for ground-nesting bobolinks. Realized over a decade, we have shaped many new experiences here: of the land’s diverse character, of seasonal phenomena, and of a striking dialogue between art and place.

  Rowdy Meadow is rooted in principles developed early on with an ecologist to identify areas of high ecological value, establish restoration priorities, and assess opportunities for siting art in consonance with the restoration efforts. Additions of roads, trails, and installations of larger sculptures were made sensitively, always seeking to catalyze restoration. Working incrementally, we were able to maintain critical habitat during the transformation.

Design  

       Finding inspiration in Czech Cubism, Mueller proposed an exploration into the movement for house and garden. Through horticultural, material, and spatial means, we explored the prismatic qualities of Cubism across the garden precinct, from gate handle to pavers to planting design. Chief among these garden elements is the Ribbon Embankment, a sculptural landform that bounds the domestic precinct against the meadow below. Bands of amsonia, boxwood, spirea, and fragrant sumac create a series of faceted planes with strong seasonal character. The Ribbon defines level terraces around the house, including a kitchen garden and dining terrace, and frames the edge of the pool terrace. In the arrival garden, a birch walk created in homage to Warren Manning’s nearby Stan Hywett Hall, leads on one end to a belvedere overlooking the Pepper/Luce Creek; at the other Tom Friedman’s Outdoor Open Box frames meadow views. From the house, multiple itineraries lead to sculpture walks throughout the property.

Art and Place

  An extensive network of trails through the 150-acres of woodlands and meadows traverses highlights of the renewed ecology and mature woodlands, and unveils the extraordinary collection of contemporary sculpture. Several of the sculptures are site-specific responses to our investigations, recommendations, and design studies. Throughout the process, we collaborated closely with the owner, artists, and contractor to site many of the works. For instance, we interpreted necessary improvements to water management infrastructure as an opportunity for a new pond near the house and a site-specific commission for Andy Goldsworthy’s Stone Dam at the historic farm pond.

House and Garden

  Finding inspiration in Czech Cubism, Mueller proposed an exploration into the movement for house and garden. Through horticultural, material, and spatial means, we explored the prismatic qualities of Cubism across the garden precinct, from gate handle to pavers to planting design. Chief among these garden elements is the Ribbon Embankment, a sculptural landform that bounds the domestic precinct against the meadow below. Bands of amsonia, boxwood, spirea, and fragrant sumac create a series of faceted planes with strong seasonal character. The Ribbon defines level terraces around the house, including a kitchen garden and dining terrace, and frames the edge of the pool terrace. In the arrival garden, a birch walk created in homage to Warren Manning’s nearby Stan Hywett Hall, leads on one end to a belvedere overlooking the Pepper/Luce Creek; at the other Tom Friedman’s Outdoor Open Box frames meadow views. From the house, multiple itineraries lead to sculpture walks throughout the property.

Reed Hilderbrand developed a management and maintenance plan for the owners, who will steward the landscape to maturity over the coming decades while expanding their collection and improving accessibility. The team is preparing the site with its living and sculptural collections as an endowed gift to an internationally renowned arts institution, where conversations between art and ecology will continue in the form of a public sculpture park.