Reilly Gardens

 The Reilly Gardens // May 2021

Urbs + City of Austin Parks & Austin Independent School District

Design Project Team: Urbs, Design Director, Kate Catterall Design Collaborator, Emma Overholt, Graphics, Michael Herndon, Landscape Architecture Design, Brandon Buerk, furniture system.

The Reilly project started with Kerriann Duffy, Alyson Beaton and Kate Catterall conceiving of an idea to create a wonderful garden on the shared use site of Reilly School Park. The concept behind the gardens is one of social, emotional learning, where the Highland community and kids can come together to collectively nurture these restorative gardens. The gardens are designed as a respite from modern life and a wildlife refuge. The project was funded in large part by a $130,000 St. David’s Foundation, Parks with a purpose grant. The rest of the project was supported by our studio through design time, UT Austin, students and faculty member, Kate Catterall. The park was made possible by donations from Austin Parks Foundation of mulch and dirt. Special thanks to the PARD, AISD, and EdFund for being a partner for the management of the funds.

Park Before //

The Park was a very typical Texas school yard surrounded by chain link fencing and a single monoculture of bermuda grass. The parks at many Austin schools are maintained in the least expensive way possible. The garden proposal was outside of what our school yards would typically allow.

Rendering of proposed gardens by Landscape student Michael Herndon

Reilly Garden plan as a graphic by Emma Overholt