Otto Architects designed the 12-by-17-foot Urban Garden in Phila…
Otto Architects designed the 12-by-17-foot Urban Garden in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood. The project's builder was Buckminster Green.
Sam Oberter
The Urban Garden transforms a home's lackluster backyard into a …
The Urban Garden transforms a home's lackluster backyard into a landscaped patio complete with a red, reclaimed-metal bartop by Gatski Metal.
Sam Oberter
Pieces of graffiti-covered wood, salvaged from an old water towe…
Pieces of graffiti-covered wood, salvaged from an old water tower, clad the bases of the built-in benches.
Sam Oberter
Principal Joshua Otto, AIA, LEED AP, also used the salvaged wood…
Principal Joshua Otto, AIA, LEED AP, also used the salvaged wood to house built-in planters. A galvanized wire-mesh trellis supports climbing greenery.
Courtesy Otto Architects
The client, Keith Pizer, with the reclaimed wood before construc…
The client, Keith Pizer, with the reclaimed wood before construction. Provenance Mill Works provided salvaging services.
Courtesy Otto Architects
Custom stainless steel planters fabricated by Shift_Design conta…
Custom stainless steel planters fabricated by Shift_Design contain laser-cut quotes.
Courtesy Otto Architects
A floor plan of the Urban Garden. The L-shaped bar hides unsight…
A floor plan of the Urban Garden. The L-shaped bar hides unsightly HVAC equipment.
Courtesy Otto Architects
A close-up look at the tagged cedar boards.
Sam Oberter
A vintage nozzle salvaged from a gas station sprays water from a…
A vintage nozzle salvaged from a gas station sprays water from a 75-gallon rainwater catchment tank, also by Shift_Design.
Even the smallest projects can benefit from a little design expertise. Otto Architects’ Urban Garden, completed last summer, takes a barren 12-by-17-foot backyard in Philadelphia and turns it into a gracious outdoor room. Vines irrigated with captured rainwater cover the 6-foot-high walls, while salvaged, graffiti-covered boards clad the vertical surfaces of built-in planters, seating, and a metal-topped bar.
